Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-02-26
ire s'iFS! Veto.

trY. ir!iItiy yes Cth.} >eEt 70 iilG StE-L@
message Sntpias.. Sona;e bill II, u cn,;i!.d 90
act IL 4,ac,),i s,clus - SID - OF ola ylrt x
of me Code Of 1913 10 rcalo1 SO shh appoiut
nett Of c'Gtsn officers at The p.nitentar7
The message is rs follows:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
GOVERNORS OFFICE.
RICHMOND. VA. i, bruarg 25, 1850 J
Trtac Senate:
have read wiih tho oaro it demands the bill
ITO amend and 70 enact Sections "2 aud % Of
chsprer -, Code oil lS7&. 10 relation TO the
appointment OF certain officers OF tho paniteI-
tiary.
The pcnittnIlsry sysIcm has btcn established
in this State for more than eighty years. la the
beainGlUg,the duties and rcsro; sbitles 10 oon
ncolon with It's management were imposed
| upon tho Governor, which have been il creased
from timo to time, till now they are many and
onerous.
Did consult my own selfish interest. would
cheerlully approve tho bill, and wcIcome some
Of it's provisions as relief; but when consider
! tho present and future welfare OF 40 restitution
| OF such vital import to the Commonwealth. |
| must look beyond considerations affecting my
personal converter CO and ignore them entirely
| in view Of public demands.
With the wisdom which al ways marked tho
| works Of tho men who founded our government,
| nud its various departments and institutions,
| they threw into tho machinery OF the pcnitcn-
| tiary those checks which they knew to bc abso
utey necessary to preserve its integrity, aud On.
| able it 10 accomplish lis ends. The powers Of
those who had the caro- Of lis admias' ration
were 50 guarded. that each became in the per-
iormanCo OF bls duties check upon tho 9th, I.
| Thus, the keeper or superintendent, tho dircc
| tors, the clerk. the assistant, and tho surgeon
wero Independent, and 10 the performance Of
their respective duties secured faithful dis
charge ct the duties of all and without any
clash Ct authority. noed not say how nccos
sary this is to tho success Of any scheme Of hu
man Invention, and a simple reference to the
law prescribing tho duties Of tho officers vii
show that it is especially important In an insi-
tutiou so large and complex and Of such various
| responsibilities as the ponitcutiary.
| This plan OF organ ,tior has excited from
its origin TO tho present time. with only sucl
| slight alterations as were demanded by the
| changes oil administrations or of the organic
law; tut never ut any time, in disregard OF that
fundamental prize pla Of cheeks 10 which have
referred. No objection has ever been urget
! against II. nor have any evils resulting from il
| ever been presented to me-. GA tho contrary
| during tho long limo thnt il has been 10 opera
ton it has worked WELL and within tho period
| OF my term, have heard no complaints
either from riiz>ns, or from is past or present
officials
No lass can provido with absclntencss and
certainly against the traillies aud vicea Of meu
by whom they have to ba executed. All insi-
| tuti0ns are ~ ct 10 these troubles. aud NJ
provisions, however minntn and stringent. car
completely guard agailst them. Bnt these
considerations only render it the moro important
| TINT every safeguard should be used Tor the SAKE
Of tho huncs nhir2r md for thu State both oil
whom may br the aniT:rsra. All thsi ia entirely
ignored by soma OF tho provisions OF this bill.
vi course. tho mnmbntl Ct tho Genlral As.
s"unhly whu favored il arc actultcd aaI,ly ~
desire for tte public Waai, and have a.i.ticl
! themselves that, though II E0Es Il total Icvo
innnn IN Is pcLitculiary plan. il will b. promo
uVn ct the beat Interests Ct ttat ils.inian anr
| 1T the Commonwealth.
| The TraSouS aGd arrumca,S ny whiCE tie,
| we're jnvlGc"d tmva not hcGu iurJisncd mc
unr has "A slns,I ono reached ne from az,
source. whlaH in theory CT from cXuc.asc!
Wuuld In5Gl. tbs sweeping change, o1iltrr4,lGi
VIA was Il, SISocd 10 5, cnrr, ahd what has l.
Oh" main secuted. on tfclent a$m lis rs;i,r
Of tbs responsible ADD Important ottiaa Scct
being ill., ca'r, rm surj | viii BE- iua>li.d IL
| "nhhn'diup hy signature.
r. turn tn, bill wlthGu: my approv>i
FRED. w. NJ. HOLIDAY.