Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-26


Dagger and the seedy scalawag, with an
occasional sop to Cerberus. All TINS Is
now changed. The township system
has been abolished. The treasurer and
board Of supervisors are retained. Inc
superintendent OF the poor, county sur
seyor. and road officers arc to be APP
pointed as provided by law.
The article authorizing IL per cent.
interest has been abolished. Its effect
as long as it lasted was to make the
impoverished debtors Of the Common
wealth pay more than they had agreed
to do in prosperous times. Under the
pretext of inducing capital into the
State the trainers Of the article seem
to have purpose, animated by the
worst passions Of sectional animosity.
still further to despoil and ruin an i'm
poverished people, so that no man in
the Commonwealth, except an Office
holder. could be worth more than their
exemption Of $4,000.
We have now seen that all Of the OBJ
iectional features Of the Constitution
have been amended or abolished but
let us examine its good provisions,
some of which were in our Constitu-
ton, and others are decided improve
ments, most Of which arc found in the
present American constitutions.
The mode of electing judges By the
Legislature instead Of by the people
was a return to the old important prin-
ciple of judicial independence. While
this principle was introduced into the
English Constitution to restrain mo-
narchial power, il is as useful in Dem
ocratic governments. While as a great
balance-wheel it preserves the equilib-
rum of the governmental forces. 1t re-
strains the passions of the hour and the
impetuosity of popular feeling. In the
words Of Judge Scott, of the General
Court, at is an evil day for Virginia
when her judges take counsel by fear y
Another improvement was in the con-
stitution Of the county courts. The
system Of the county courts, as estab-
lished by the Constitutions Of lS29-'3O
and of 1850, in the first Of which the
members of the court were self-elective
and in the latter elected by the people,
with the great change in the circum-
stances of our people and the extension
of the right of suffrage, would be
wholly unsuitable to us now. The old
fashioned Virginia esquires OF refine
ment. education, and elegant leisure,
whose decisions in the old county
courts Mr.. Leigh and Governor Giles so
highly complilnented in the Debates of
lS29-'30, were the outcome of sys-
TEN of society now past and gone for
ever. In the system of court COM
posed of justices elected by the people
men capable of acting would not be
willing to contend or offer for the posi-
ton, while the scramble of incompe-
tent and INSCRIPTIONS aspirants would
array classes, excite race conflicts, and
fiji the bench. especially in southern
Virginia, with corrupt time-seryers,
who would make every decision so as
to secure their election for another
term.
A county-court judge learned in the
law, the exclusive criminal tribunal,
except of those offences punishable by
death; the appellate judge of all the
lower courts; the judge of probate,
guardianship. and fiduciaries, fearless
and independent, and not amenable di-
rectly to the people, with the undivided
responsibility Of the position to be borne
by him alone, would constitute court
to administer exact justice and to COM
mand the respect Of the people.
Tho provisions in relation to educa-
ton have all been retained; but the
first Legislature did not wait for the
year 1876 to introduce the system of
free schools, as provided in the third
section. but put it into operation at
once. There is danger in any conven-
ton, SO popular and dear to all classes
is tie subject of education, that the re-
strictions upon taxation for school pur-
poses may be swept away and the pro-
perty Of the State made liable to taxa
ton for this purpose to any extent.
Should any demagOgue in that body IN
troduce a proposition to remove these
restrictions it would surely be carried,
as it would be political death to any
member who dared to oppose it.
The oyster tongmen of the Chesa-
peake and its tributaries are protected
in the second section Of the tenth arti-
Gle. As their representatives would
be in very small minority in a con-
vention of the State, and as there will
be a great desire to raise revenue from
every source, they are directly interest
ed to oppose the calling of convention.
The 10Th, 18th, and 18th sections OF
the 10th article prohibit the State from
lending her credit to companies or from
subscribing to their stock or becoming
interested in works of internal improve
ment. The system of lOg-rolling, SC
called, and so much practiced before
the war, and which piled up the present
large State debt, is thus entirely pre-.
vented. In these days of powerful and
mighty moneyed syndicates, without
these restrictions our State might be.
come again involved, and in a conven
ton their great influence might be
brought to bear for striking them out
For these reasons our people ought mo-
to run the risk of losing any of these
constitutional safeguards.
There are other reasons against cal
for convention. The expense Of such
a body, with no limit to the end Of It's
session or pay Of its members, would
add greatly to the burdens of the peo
pie. Have we forgotten how the con.
vention Of 1850, the Secession Conven
ton, which extended itself far into the
period Of the war and made many
changes, or the Underwood Convention
whose session was so protracted as tC
be able to publish only one volume o
their windy debates ?--all, like tn,
wounded snake, drew their slow length
along"
The reason given by some that in (
convention the State debt and all ques
tons relative thereto can be finally re-
adjusted and permanently settled. which
cannot be done by the acts of the Le
gislature, is wholly untenable, for thu
Federal judiciary can set aside the ordi