Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-04
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
The following is the message Of Governor
Kemper, presented to the General Assembly
on Wednesday, December 5, 1877:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, }
G0VEKNOR'S OFFICE.

on W eQneSuay, december D, 1871:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
GovEENoR's OFFICE,
RICHMOND, 9Th December, 1877. }
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of DEL
eJateS:
On the eve of laying down the powers OF
ihis department, [ greet Legislature
which comes into being to-day at the Dld-
ding of the sovereign people. Performing
for the last time the duty cnjoined by the
Constitution Of communicating to the zen
rral Assembly the condition OF the Com
monwealth. l embody the results OF l"ur
Years OF observation and experience II" TIC
administration Of the government
Il il cansc for profound congratulation
that the worst evils possible 10 befall the
Ct,to from any human source have been
successfully tided over. We cannot resist
rho evidence that the future OF Virginia is
full OF hope; for we are taught by the trials
already endured and overcome that not
only are we able TO deal successfully with
the financial difficulties which confront Us,
but this generation will be false to itself il
1t does not more than rCplacethe prosperity
and the political power OF our fathers.
Nevertheless, in order to understand and
70 redress existing evils. it is required that
,irm hands shall explore their origin and
measure their limits.
Alter Virginia, more than any other State.
Ind borne the burthens and rarageS of the
most tremendous war OF modern times !;
after having passed through the vet longer
and harder trials of armed repression and
reconstruction, so called, this Common
wealth finally received other and only less
gri"rous injuries in the house OF its
friends.
1t is true that when the reign OF the
sword was withdrawn the State was left
crippled and impoverished, but it was not
without resources adequate to every end OF
Just and economical government. On the
9Th day OF July, 1860, the political resto
ton OF Virginia was finally and thoroughly
ron>ummated by the conservative wisdom
and virtue OF the people in cXpurgatinG
and accepting Constitution which, how
ever otherwise obnoxious, yet restored to
themselves the control OF their own govern
mcnt. Nothing remained TO be done but.
by the stern husbandry OF our straitened
resources and by Il firm adherence 10 the
justice, moderation, and frugalitv enioincd
by the example OF our ancestors, to ensure
the gradual recovery Of the material pros
pcrity we had lost But instead OF the hon
cred Traditional! ways being regarded, new
and disastrous policies were sought TO be
fastened upon the Commonwealth.
In the works OF internal Improvement.
constituting almost the whole consideration
OF the public debt, Virginia had preserved
very large and valuable interests Had
these great properties OF the State been
hushaIdcd with ordinary prudence they
would have sufficed ultimately to eXtin-
gui>h Il very large part of the existing debt.
But the policy prevailed of divorciug the
government from the control Of the public
works. These all-important interests We're
sold or encumbercd, or otherwise disposed
ri. and, for the most part, with ruinous
sacrifice and loss. Not only were the best
a-sctS and securities OF the public credit
thus SQuandered and sunk, but another
disastrous result is that the main arteries OF
internal commerce have been surrendered
10 control which is alien il not uniriendlv
10 the development OF our own .murts OF
trade.
Another. if not equal injury, resulted
from new adjustment OF the public debt
which deprived the State OF all control over
large proportion OF its annual revenues
for more than the period OF the present
generation. After the war, and prior to the
passage OF the funding bill; the Legislature
had in successive acts recognized the obi
CATION OF the debt and plightcd the public
faith for its redemption. But nothing had
been done which countenanced the policy
OF bargaining off the future revenues OF the
State and subjecting the maintenance OF
the government in any degree to the mercy
Of bonded creditors. No call from the peo-
pe at home, no pressure from creditors
abroad, neceSsjtated or justified or sug-
gested such settlement. Up to that time
nothing but sympathy and goodwill had
marked the relation. Of the bondholders to
this Commonwealth the enactment OF the
funding bill was a surprise no less to them
than to our own people; and we now
Know that settlement inCOmparably bet
ter for Nil parties concerned in the debt
OF Virginia could then have been easily and
honorably procured. Although the proper
ton Of the revenues thus sequeStcred and
put beyond the proper control OF the State
by the original contract OF the funding bill
WAS Very much less than that contemplated
and proposed by its projectors; although
the operation of the bill was to some extent
arrested by subsequent legislation, and the
amount Of revenues which it diverted from
the treasury thus materially diminished;
and although the subsequent rate OF taxa
ton has been greater by twenty per centum
than that which the authors OF the bill de-
c|urCd to he sufficient for carrying on the
government and for paying, ut the same
time, full interest on the whole OF the ante
hcllum debt. then amounting to more than
for!y-tive millions OF dollars; notwithStand-
ng these measures OF partial relief from the
lntoicrablc hardShips thus sought to be m
hrtcd upon the government, nothing less
than extraordinary caution. economy, ana
vigilance have SIficcd to meet current cN-
penseS, to enforce the laws, and to hold So
clcty together.
In addition to this heritage Of troubles
transmitted to lis by OUR predecessors, other
cal>cS have superyencd to embarraSs the
government. just four years ago none
tary collapse settled down upon the bust
Ness of the general country. and its disas-
trouS pressure was felt throughout the
civilized world. In our own midst it i'm
paired public and private confidence and
credit; it shrank all taxable values; it
locked up the local circulating medium,
which even heretofore had been inadequate
and Scanty it increased the hardshlps or
taxation and hindcred the collection OF
faxes: it inevitably postponed the financial
Restoration OF the State, and for time 1t
rcd0uhed the difficulty OF carrying Oh the
government.
In fairly estimating these accumulated
difficulties from within and without we
have a right to rejoice that Virginia has
Struggled successfully through them all. l
speak adviscdly and deliberately i'll affirm
iny that the worst is over. For more than
aycar the great monetary panic has been
steadily and visibly reccdins. The taxable
values and annual revenues give every
Promise Of continued and progressive I'M
provemcnt; while in all practicable dlrec-
tons, and as far as the existing laws per-
Init, the public expenditures have been cor
r,>nnndincly reduced. During the last four