The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-02-20
Tho Reasons.

,,o,,tion 10 make 4 new constitution loi VIZ
oi,;, We arc not only willing but DESTROYS
thu, our readers should know all these rca
Sons: md therefore We reproduce every one
that the Ttrginian has given. We 4uo''
FIRST the following:
eve have over and over again said t'ia
the county organization feature involves 'o'
mnch cxpcpse. Now, the U$pGtch mus
know that this was one Of the greatest o.
icctions urged by the Conservative Jouil"F
and ncouic of Virginia when we al! WIRE
ar,>ovcd against the adoption Of this nistr'.
mcni # or memory IS not greatly "t la!ii
the Oispatch, with all Of its CONSERVATIVE
contrm:orarcs, held and promulgated 'ac>'
o,,iujo,s while wc were in anlagohl,'i' /" .'''
whole instrument. And the St'te LNcca'i' {
Committee, in the documents iSsdca Wa
the view Of promoting opposition 10 inc IL
dcrwood Constitution, referred especfiti! u
the cypcnsiycneSs and inconvenience OF l''E
county organization. But we cannot better
EXPRESS our opposition TO this feature OF ON
Government than by quoting the letter @
the VIRGINIA committee of nine to the judi
Glory Committee of the Senate of the Unitcc
States when the effort was being made u
secure tic consent Of Congress to allow ,h'
vote 70 be taken upon this and some o'Aei
provisions Separately
We do know that "th!s was one OF VIC
cre,tcst objections urged" &C.; but that was
before VIC had tried the Instrument, "no
when we we're aiprclIcnSive that The count!
ORGANIZATION feature might have 70 so mo
onc~,gioD under the auspices Of Radical
LEGISLATURE. Certainly there are oiIcela
enourh provided for in the townships ana III
the counties 10 have rendered the Cohs'Eu-
lion, ~ in,olclahlc burthcn ii these officers
bai all hccn provided with large salaries.
TIE county treasurer, for instance, new
officer. n.ignt have had 4 large >a!.Ey. lie
township officer, might al have seen lihrfatv
salyjcd Bat rs ii is they cost comparatively
nothing. II :imuSt'S ils to see the IfFJ}f'R
coiu- back to documents pHti:sAcu II 1919
or lSG9-bctorc the Constitution was rati-
fcd-to see what the objections 10 that IL
struncns are, when our contemporary might
have procured facts and figures at its very
door TO establish il propositions, Il, iAdce'i,
tlcy can he established in that way. We
lave already indicated orr notion lis to Tie
cos. Of this feature OF the Constitution. We
do not believe that any Constitution will ever
be made for Virginia which viii reduce
county expenses. We should like, however,
to gct the exact figures rs 10 the cost OF the
present crlnty organizations. The |Lgnt0n
fluli..I says:
1--WE have not space within the limits of
sina!c article TO state a"G ;lE,ltt c!a'oiatelv
our objections TO the present Constitution.
We haze named one. and merely Indicate
Others :. reduction ~ tie ratio d! reprcSen-
tltion fer members Of the Hv!ic::ii Assembly,
q li!IinuiiDn of their pay, shorter sessions.
and tie abolition of the mileage sWindic
an increase Of the cap!tatiOn tax, and tie
plylncn! thereof rs condition precedent to
the exercise Of suffrage: the abrogat!on Of
the expensive registration law and all
volin~ * open ballot. or era roce; n
change in our Judiciary system whereby
the number Of judges and the expense
OF maintaining them may be diminished.
We confess 10 Partially for tic old
couuty-c0urt system, with its once rcspcct.s-
bic Justices OF the peace who served without
pay but would be content to leave the dc
tail, OF this plan, and the reconstruction Of
Our judicial system. to those who know more
ever cared to learn. II the present county
Justices are 10 be continued, we should favor
n consolidation OF contiguous counties into
districts so Is to diminish the number OF these
judges. Tie election Of all Judges we should
leave, ~ At present, with the Legislature, be-
E2ying tina, no judge should hold his Office by
tue popular fat which involves the dcSraG-
in practice of electionecring."
The "milcage swindle," the Fay CT the
members. Tie "cXpcnsiye registration law
and the length Of the sessions, are al under
the control Of the General Assembly. We
invite the attention Of its members to these
reasons for calling convention. 70 act
upon them would be to stultity themselves.
The people would demand Of these "un-
faithful servants" as they would thus prove
themselves to have been, why they had hot
themselves made these changes in the laws :;
for it is not the Constitution but the laws
that need alteration in order to accomplish
these ends. AS to the other changes advo-
Gated Ivy the FngIn'an. we will only say
that we should like to see q member Of the
Legislature who would have the indcpend-
ence and the manliness to call convention
to restore the old county court, to increase
the capi!ation tax, though it is well known
that that tax is low collected only of pro-
pcrty-AoldcrS, or Of few Others at most,
and 10 restore the uird roce mode
of voting. We venture to say that
there are not q dozen members in the
two Houses who would dare to avow de-
sire to make these changes. The election OF
Judges the Ftrginidn would leave to the
General Assembly. What remains? That
paper would make ''changc in our Judi
ciary system, whereby the number Of judges
"and the expense of maintaining them may
" be diminished" The Legislature has the
power to diminish the number of circuits
land we should say circuit judges] at will.
Certainly it can regulate the pay of all
the judges, the Inv to take effect with the
commencement of their new terms. But we
do not think the judges, nor the members OF
the Legislature, receive too much pay; nor
thai there are too many either Of judges or of
legislators. The Legislature which has Gre
ated new court can hardly complain of the
number Of judges. In :. word, the VIZ
9iniujfs article constitutes as good an alsll-
ment against the prOpriety Of calling con-
ytntion as we would wish to submit TO the
consideration Of the Legislature. Let that
body act upon its suggestions. We would
not take one from the catalogue Of reasons.
They arc such rs will let the people see what
Z. =.