The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-14

the State. There is neither reasor3nor justice
for longer defefrihg action In his beiaE J,
Assuming that this action has been had, and
81 800 900 consequently being the an1ount OF
the interest upon the public debt necessary
to he annually raised, Ghe next question 10,
How much more viii be required to defray
"the exDgnses Of the State ?oE And this
brings us to the consideration Of the second
bropositiop-yis., the reduction. of the eur.
rent EXPENSES Of the State Government to the
Ilogest degree consistent with Its proper and
efficient administration. i have always been
an earnest advocate IT The most rigid econo-
| hy In every department of the States adj
ministration. have long been satisfied that
reforms could be made which would not
only promote efficiency of administration,
but would also reduce the annual expenses
| of the Government nearly one-half. Our
penitentiary could and should be placed upon
q self.sustaining basis. This can be accom-.
pIished by leasing The Institution for term
of wears to responsible parties. ONLY changing
the mode of its administration as suggested
in my anntlai rnessaga Of December 9th; 1871,
With modification of the law so Is to 'ati-
thorize the hiring out of conyicts to labor
upon public works whose terms of service
are more than ten years. BY theadoption Of
Ecither of these plans-though, perhaps, the
former: would be preferable-the penitet1-
tlary would cease to he any taxi what
ever upon the State treasury. Criminal
charges, including the transportation of con-
victs to the pe,litentiary, should be borne by
the counties and corporations respectively.
lThese charges during the last fiscal year. nc.
cording TO the Auditors report, amounted
to the enormous sum of $l50;73T.T, which
Il is more than probable IS fully twice the
sum they wUuIt, nave been had they been
/ betrayed by the counties and corporations.
| Our judicial system should be re0rganizcd,
land, as tar as practicable. made seli-Sustaln-
ing. Sutors should be made to defray the
expenses they occasion. l have already.
in my last annual message, suggested
plan to the General Assembly by
which our county courts may cease to be
any considerable burthen upon the State
Treasury. a further examination OF the
Constitution satisfies me that it is within the
lpowcr of the Legislature to free the State
| Treasury from any tax whatever upon it on
account of these courts, and l cordially re.
commend the exercise of that power. A
system of fees should be adopted which will
defray all the expenses of all the courts, ex-
cept perhaps the salaries of the judges OF the
| Circuit and Supreme Court Of Appeals, and
twenty-one circuit judges. The entire eX-
penses Of our judicial system should not cx.
coed s60,000i and even this sum might, by a
judicious system Of fees, be materially re-
duced. W.. ~--e.
| would also recommend an entire change
in our system for the levy and collection Of
| taxes. Instead Of the cumbersome and eX-
! penSive machinery We now employ, let all
| the taxes be levied and collected by the coun-
| ties and corporations. The assessments or
| valuation of property In all cases should be
made by the State; but why not make Use of
| the county and municipal authorities for the
collection Of the taxesH Require the Audi
tor to submit to the General Assembly at tile
beginning Of each session an estimate of the
amounts necessary TO be raised by taxation for
State purposes, and when these amounts shall
have been determined by Legislative action,
require the Auditor to apportion The same
among the several counties and municipali-
ties of the State on the basis Of the assessed
valuation Of each. and transmit to The proper
authorities Of each county and municipality,
on or before the 1St Of February OF each
year, the several amounts and total OF all
taxes required to he Levied and collected
thercfrom. Authorize the counties and mU-
inequalities to levy and collect along with
the amount OF, State taxes thus required. aud
hold each responsible for the amount thereof,
to be paid into the State Treasury at such time
or times rs may I've required by law. By The
adoption Of this system you would avoid all
deinquentS, would dispense with considel1l.
BILE machinery and many officers, and save Il
very large item of expense to the State.
[See message Of December E, 1STl]
In brief would remit to the counties and
corporations. to he borne Ivy them, all crimi-
hal charges. the levy and collection Of taxes
and the expense thereof, all expenses of as
sessmentS, elections, registration Of voters.
and all other matters OF local administration;
and for the very cogcnt (among otheD real
son that they will lie far more efficiently,
economically, and equally executed hy the
local than by the State authorities. The
nearer these subjects can be brought home
to the attention Of the people, who uIti-
| mately bear the burthenS and reap the bcnc-
fits Of them, the more carefully will they be
scrutinized, and the more thoroughly will
| they lie administered.
BY the adoption Of the foregoing sugges-
| tons the annual expenses Of the State CO.
yernment may be reduced to the following
amounts: Judiciary, Sc, 1000; Charitable In
stitutions-Eastern I,unatic Asylum. $G0, 900;
Western, $4,000; Central, Si3,U0U, aud ln-
stltute for Deaf, Dumb and Blind, SIC, 000-.
total, 100000. Richmond Medical College,
$1,000; University of. Virginia, $4,000
| Virginia Military Institute, $15.000-to:al,
a3i 900. Civil contingent fund, $4,000,
military, $1,000; Auditors, Second Au.
ditor's, and Treasurer's contingent fund
$4,000; expenses Attprncy-Gencral's otiice)
81 ,000-total, S25,00N Offices of Govern.
mcnt, 100000; public printing, $4,000; re-
gistration Of births, &C., $5,500-total, $751;
500. Add for other and special expenses
$4,000. Grand total, $4,000.
And this sum will be ample to meet all the
ordinary current expenses Of the Govern
Inent, except Legislative expenses. These
amounted hast year to $167 ,559.63, but the
extraordinary circumstances which nccessi-
tated the call OF special session OF the Gene
raj Assembly by the Governor are not likely
to again occur, and hence the expenses OF i'u-
turc sessions will be much tesa. it appears
to me thnt ne future session OF the General
Assembly, under our present Constitution,
eught 10 cost more than $4,000. Add this
to the amount above named, and II makes
the sum of 100000 as the total a,ncrnt ne
cessary to be annually rai7e1~to dellay the
| current EXPENSE Of The State Government
! executive, Legislative. and judicial And it
/ IS probable that even this SUM might lie re-
duced fully $4,000. But taking it us la-
SIS, and adding to it the 81, 5GO,O0O required
to meet the interest OH the public debt, and
we find that the total sum necessary to be
raised by taxation for both the purposes
| named in the resolution viii he g, 16O. coo.
In the estimates already given 10 mention
has been made Of the amount necessary to be
| raised for the support and maintenance of
schools, for | prefer to treat Of that subject
separately. For the current year the amount