The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-07

, OF taxation be applied to il efficiently, an
annual revenue OF 800. 900 viii be derived
'front.'. But the State owns and retains
the oyster-beds as q part OF its ungranred
|domain-as its sole, immediate, and abso-
lutte property. With what consistency or
reason can the Government tax the private
estates, which its citizens have inherited or
purchased, and at the same time throw
open this great public domain with all its
| fruitful riches for unlicensed and gratui-
\ tpus use, and even sp0iiRtion and destruc-
ton, at the hands Of ppn-r residents and all
others + Is It Just TO tax The seapty and
hard+earned means of the whole body OF
our own poor and at the same time open
these stores Of public wealth as gratuity
to favored few 1t Is the opinion Of many
OF those having lifelong knowledge OF this,
| interest, and it is undoubtedly true, that
without injustice or hardship to any class
"a law can be framed so as to raise the
amount OF revenue just mentioned from the
oyster-fsheries, and,- at the same time, to
protect and preserve them as a source Of
perpetual wealth to the people in their
vicinity. I commend the subject as one of
great importance to be considered in con-
nection with the deficiency inithe treasury
1t is for the General Assembly to deter
mine the question whether the wants, OF the
treasury shall be supplied by means OF the
special taxation here proposed, or by an in
crease Of the general taxation. The special
method, which earnestly recommend, will
render the general increase unnecessary
and will soon justify reduction of the rate
of taxation. Butwe touch the crisis OF our
financial fortunes, and an imperative neces--
sity requires US to choose either the one,
alternative or the other. We cannot reject
| both. To settle down now upon the past
policy OF non-action is to impose upon the
people burdens worse than any taxation.
The Commonwealth capnot stand still with
out intensiiying every existing evil nor
without being engulied in discredlt, pros
tration, and dishonor. II the special taxa
ton proposed shall be disapproYed, then
do not hesitate to urge an increase OF the
general rate. A slight increase will meet
the exigency. It will operate as a measure
Of ultimate and speedy relief. In Kidding
the State of the, financial incubus which
weighs down its energy it. will produce
! blessings far in excess OF its burdens.
The nntarnished honor of this Common
1 wealth is the one most sacred and glorious
inheritance OF its people. A few years ago
they stripped themselves of more than hall
4 their property and poured out their blood
like water to vindicate it. To-day they Will
neither hold back nor begrudge the means
necessary for its preservation.
PARTICULAR EXPENSES WHICH CAN BE
! |. .is-.s RETRENCHED.
| A heavy and needless charge upon the
treasury is incurred in connection with the
corporation and county iails. 1t is most
noticeable in the matter Of the board and
clothing OF prisoners. The cost OF such
board is from three to four times as great as
| in the penitentiary, whereas in the crowded
jails Of the cities at least it ought to be the
same, while in some cases clothing and other
necessaries are supplied with needless eX-
Densc, not to say gross irregularity. In
many Of the corporations the Commoli-
wealth is feeding and clothing able-bodied
prisoners who are organized into chain
gangs, and performing daily hard labor OF
great value for local benefit. 1T is so much
gratuitous labor, furnished purely at state
expense, for. corporate purposes. Certainly,
the prisoners of each locality ought to be
supported at local expense. They would
then be made to.work for their living and
earn it. " - l...:
). In the matter of conveying lunatics to the
asylums and conyicts to the penitentiary,
the public money is habitually wasted.
Guards are almost always allowed, and
several persons often travel for mileage and
pleasure as the supposititious escort OF q
feeble }lunatic7 or the keepers OF a fettered
criminal. When fugitives from justice have
been reclaimed by requisition and brought
hack from other States, I have in no case
tallowed a guard, and desperate criminal
is often conveyed without difficulty from Q
distant point and through other States to
the place Of trial, and always by single
agent without assistance. An important
saving will be affected il it be provided by
law that whenever q criminal Is sentenced
to the penitentiary the superintendent OF
that institution shall have notice OF the TACT,
and shall forthwith send one OF his perma-
nent trained guards for the convlct-paylnS
not mileage, but mere actual expenses.
Obviously humanity as well as economy re-
uuires that in like manner the experienced
attendants or nurses OF the asylums should
be sent to take charge of adiudged lunatics
and convey them to the places OF destina-
ton.
The expenses Of the numerous boards OF
visitors for public institutions now amount
to no inconsiderable sum. Most OF the
boards are so unnecessarily large as to
weaken unduly the separate responsibility
OF individual visitors. II every board be
cut down to, FIVE members the responsible
/ itv and efficiency of each member will be in
creased, while more than half OF the present
EXPENSE will be saved. Some OF the most
experienced officers Of State institutions
recommend this change g!E ~ - ~
The present mode Of performing routine
office-work at the Capitol is substantially
what it was fifty years ago. Since that time
i important Improvements have been MADE
by most governments, AS well as corpora
tons and the larger business firms, IN the
methods, arrangements, and rules Tor dis
patching ofice-work. In the opinion OF
competent judges and experts, II these I'M
proYements were adopted by the State,
/ twice the present amount OF pubic once
business could be accomplished by half the
4 present number OF employees. AS the result
of nearly three, years Of daily and close OBJ
servation, ] am OF opinion that several OF
the separated saIaried offices now main
tanned at the Capitol can be abolished, not
only without detriment or inconvenience to
the public service, but with an increase OF
its efficiency as we'll as q decided retrencl-
ment OF present expenses. - 5ta
THE ARREARS, DUE THE SCHOOL FUND. :
1t is not difficult to rectify the misappre-
tensions which have obscured this subject,
and which have assumed the reality OF re-
lation to it, which neither existed nor could
have existed, on the part OF the board here.
tofore charged with controlling the payment
of certain interest on the public debt.
Among other impossibilities alleged to have
been performed by that board, it has been
supposed, that, by its action of the 23d 81
June, 1875, it caused S409, 1000 OF the school
fund to. be :diverted from its legitimate use
and paid as interest on the outstanding debt
to bondholders; although the fact is that the
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