The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-02-26

| AND FEMALE WARD BUILT AT He PENI.
TENT1ARY- THE NEW JAMEs-RIvER RAIL
ROAD BILL PAssED-THg HOUSE STICKS TO
DICKINSON AND REFUSES TO NAME THE NEW
| COUNTY sT0NEwALL-MOFFRTT TAX BILL
THE DEBT BILL IN THE HOUSE TO-DAY.
The following communication from the
Governor was sent TO the Senate yesterday.
and, after being read, was laid on the table
and ordered 10 be printed
| 10 the Senate:
have read with the care it demands the
bill "to amend and reenact sections 90 and
90 of chapter q OF The Code OF 1873, in re-
laiou to the appointment Of certain officers
Of the penltentIary."
The penitentiary system has been tstab-
| lisbed in this State for more than eighty years.
In the beginning, duties and responsibilities
in connection with its management were inn
posed upon the Governor, which have been
increased from time TO time, till now they
are many and onerous.
Did consult my own selfish interests
would cheeifully approve the bill, and wei
come some OF its provisions as n relief. But
when consider the present and future well
fare OF an Institution Of such vital import
10 the Commonwealth must look beyond
considerations affecting my personal conye-
niencc and ignore them entirely in view OF
the public demands.
| With the wisdom which nearly always
marked the works OF the men who founded
our government and its various depart
ments and institutions, they threw into the
machinery OF The enitentlary those checks
which they knew TO be absolutely necessary
| to preserve its integrity and enable 1t to ac-
cOmplish its ends. The powers OF those who
/ had the care Of its administration were so
guarded that each became in the performance
OF his duties a check upon the other. Thus,
| the keeper or superintendent, the dlrec-
tors, the clerk, the assistants, and the sur
geon were independent and in the per-
formancc OF their respective duties secured
| a faithful discharge OF the duties OF all, and
without any clash OF authority. l need not
say how necessary this is 10 the success OF
any scheme OF human invention, and sim
pie reference TO the laws prescribing the du-
| ties Of the officers will show that ii is espc-
cialv important in an institution so large
and complex and OF such various responsl-
biliies as the penitcntlary.
This plan OF organization has existed
from its origin to The present time, with
only such slight alterations as were de-
manded by the changes OF administration
/
time i'm disregard Of that fundamental prin-
ciple OF checks to which i have referred.
No objection has ever been urged against it,,
nor have any evils resulting from ii ever
been presented to me. On the contrary,
during the long time that il has been ia Ope-
ration il has worked well, and within the
period OF my term | have heard no COM
nlaint either from citizens or from its past
or present officials.
No laws can provide with abs0luteueSs
and cpi tainty against the frailties and vices
OF men, By whom they have to be executed.
All institutions are subject TO these trou-
bles, and no provisions, however minute
and stringent can completely Guard against
them. But these considerations only render
il the more important that every safeguard
should be used for the sake of the honest
officer and for he State, both OF whom may
be IL e sufferers. All this is entirely ignored
by some OF the provisions OF this bill.
OF course, the members OF the General
Assembly ho favor it are animated solely
by desire for the public veal, and have sat
istied themselves that. though it works a total
revolution in the penitentary plan, it viii
be promotive OF the best interests OF that
institution and of the Commonwealth. The
reasons and arguments by which they were
convinced have not been furnished me.
nor has single one reached me from any
source, which in theory or from eXpe-
rience would Justify this sweeping change,
obhteratng what was designed to secure,
and what has in the main secured, an eill-
cient administration Of It's responsible and
important offices. Such being the case, |
am sure | will be justified in Withholding
nv signature.
return the bill without my approval.
FRED. w. NJ. HOLIDAY.
THE LATEST RIvER-RAILROAD SCHEME.
The following has passed the House:
4 BIZ to Authorize the James RiUer an1
Kanarha Company TO Construct dnC
Maintain Rditloqy IN lchole or In par
,rlon1 ITS line, and TO EIeCute Mortgages OF
its Works, property. and franchises.
Patron, Mr.. LinkenhokerI
Whereas the james River and kanawh;
Company is now proposing settlement o
|, its Indebtedness with lis creditors by Whicl
il may be enabled to maintain it, line o
canal, and either at once or gradually Il
convert the same into railroad, now
therefore, for the purpose OF facllitalln;
such settlement with its creditors, ant
thereby enabling the company to main'a all
and improve Its line,
, /. BE IL enacted byHe General assembly
That the James River and Kanawha Com
! many shall have authority to construct
!; railway along its canal, from Buchanan ru
i Lynchburg 10 Richmond, with branch t
, Lexington, on or near any part OF The lin
:. OF said canal, and to operate the same, s.
. that its line may be all rail or all canal, o
D mart rail and part canal, or for any part o
its line may be both rail and canal. An
; provided that II the railroad hereln con
= tempated shall be constructed 10 or DeiON
: Columbia, in Fluvanna county, ana II th
canal from Columbia, in Fluyanna county
10 the First locks above Stillman J MlIi>, o
the Ryanna river, shall be thefeupon U
)" theI eafter discontinued, sald Jalnrs hlNe
: and Kanawha Company shall WITHIN hlhet
: days OF said discontinuance build Drahc
= of its road along the line OF saiu hNann
}. river from Columbia to the locks afore
: said.
J, .. TO enable said company to make sue
u change or addition to its works, and to e
feet \ settlement with its creditors, 1t sha
have authority to borrow money ana 10 =
cnre the same by ortgages on IT'S work
= property, and franchises, or IL II be decide
u nv the company to be eXpedlent so 10 d'
), II nav execute separate mortgages on sep
Z rate divisions Of its works and propert.
y Ard i'm the event that mortgage Is executed
u conveying only part OF the works and pr
y perty, all the franchises attached to that pa
{! Of the works and property OF the company
u u conveyed, under and by virtue OF the chorl'
u u OF the company, of the acts amending u
q same, and OF this act, shall be conveyed
q such mortgage, and in the event OF sa
.e under such mortgage, such franchises sh'
u Dass to the purchaser at such sale, aud sn'
IL urcbaser shall be q corporation accord