The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-06

usual vote.
Mr.. Nicol moved to strike the county OF
Prince William out Of the Eighth district,
10 be followed by an amendment to put II
in the First district.
Mr.. Nicol said that this would make the
two districts about equal In population.
Mr.. Stubs favored the amendment, and
Messrs. Duff Green and Mayo opposed IL,
Ii was rejected by party vote.
Pending the further consideration Of the
bill the House adjourned.
Executive Grace.
MERCY FOR ALL THE 0ysTERMES EXCEPT
oNE-sIX OF THE CAPTAINS TO co TO JAIL
FOR SIXTY DAYS; OTHER PARTIES SCI
PREE-GOvERN0R CAMERON's REASONS.
On yesterday Governor Cameron deter.
mined to pardon the rank and file OF the
convicted oyster-dredgcrs, and to com
mute the sentences OF others. Only one OF
the party received no clemency, and that is
William Larkin. who made an attempt Ia
escape from the Jail OF Mathews county,
and, Ris said, set fire to the Jail. The pa.
pers were in rapid preparation yesterday
evening, and they viii be completed at IN
early hour to-day and forwarded to the
penitentiary.
Captain George W. Johnston and Samuel
Simpson are pardoned on the certificate OF
the surgeon OF the penitentiary that their
lives would be endangered by longer con-
finement.
The six other captains besides Captain
JohnstOn-Captains q. w. Crockett, Ed
ward ID. Chandler, S. j. Lucas, William G..
Evans, +. o. Kellum, and William kellum,
Jr.-have their sentences commuted from
one year in the penitentiary to term OF
sixty days confinement in the Jail Of Acco-
mac county, beginning on Wednesday,
March 80, 1882.
The following is n
LIST OF THE MEN
who are fully pardoned by the Governor,
besides the two already specified: Frank
Crosby, William Turney, Charles Brun-
ner. Joseph Dalton, David PelIstring, John
Winkler. Isaac Ashby, Frank Powell, A.
T.. Mears. Purnell Bundick, Alfred Duffy,
Andrew Powell, Handy Rue, Robert Le-
cato, Alfred Moore. Charles Washington,
Jesse 5. Parnell, John Baily, Lewis NJ.
Beach, Damon Davis, smith Mapp, Peter
Knox, James White, James Burton, George
Snead, A. w. Bird. Samuel Pettus. Samuel
Lawson. Nicholas Rogers. Walter Crippcn,
Levi j. Bird, +. W. Hutson, John Turner,
Noland Sandy, Littleton Mears, Charles
Fletcher, Thomas Stewart, Charles Single
ton, Simon Dunston. Thomas j. Chandler,
Spencer 5. Killman, John A. Chandler,
Wesley Huffman. Frank Chambers, John
johnson, Lewis Thomas, Emanuel Long,
Thomas Evans, George ID. Evans, John
Boggs. and James +. Lewis.
The Governor, in his instructions TO the
Secretary OF the Commonwealth for the
preparation and issue OF the necessary pa.
pers in these cases, states his official
REASONS FOR THE EXERCISE OF EXECUTIVE
GRACE
a. follows:
Executive clefhency is extended il
these cases for reasons that can rarely. il
ever, be pleaded in ordinary felonies. These
parties. without doubt. committed an open
violation OF the laws OF the Commonwealth
They confessed their guilt. and the court
which tried them pronounced against
them only that measure OF punishment
specifically provided by the statutes in sucl
cases.
But they were convicted under ;
statute which previously had had no prac.
teal enforcement, and which did not pre-
vent inyasions from other States Of the
rights and interests OF Virginia and hel
people i'm our oyster-beds; and il is not in
credible that these parties. in view OF al
the tempting and provoking circumstances
may have supposed that they were defend
ing a right, though committing wrong.
This offence is one created by law. IL
would not be right, in my judgment, at any
rate i'm the present instance, to consign men
GUILTY or MERE STATUTORY OFFENCE
to the ignominy and punishment which
should attach only to those who have per.
petrated crimes in violation Of the laws OF
nature and humanity.
This is a brief statement OF the reasons
which induced my action.
81 have pursued this step in the belief
that, even il il be false one, the nc.
ton already taken in yindicaton Of the
law will suffice to deter further breach
of il. and exact obedience and respect
For how mistaken socvcr my present
leniency may be. am determined that
every law in the statutes OF the Com.
monwealth shall be enforced during my
administration, in so far as the Executive
authority DllN w iblt " tNtOIIlt>l
that end. IL not being my province tC
determine the justice or injustice OF any
law. but my sworn duty 10 enforce every
law. | intend TO do my duty fully, as | un.
derStand it; and the clemency hereby eX.
tended to these men will iall OF its purpose
il these shall not follow upon the clear un-
derstanding OF my determination in thi,
regard. Notice has now been given, and
future offenders may count upon prompt
Judgment and the fullest execution"
There are only forty-siX Of these oyster
men in the penitentIary. The above list
contains the names Of many more. IL
must embrace the names Of those convicted
as well as those who from youth or other
causes were allowed to 90 without trial.
THE NEW CITY WATER-WORKs.-At II
O'Clock yesterday morning the Council
Committee on Water, with many members
OF both branches OF the Council and other
citizens by invitation, made tour OF in
spection and pleasure up the canal to
Bosher's dam. They made an eXamina-
ton OF the entire works. and were aston
ished nj the immense quantity OF heavy