Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-08-07
Reducing Expenses

Jones o!Highland. Little of Fredericksburg,
aud Blackstone Of Accomac.
The House committee Oh the same sutj vct
had been Invited to bs present, but noos Of
them ATTENDED.
This was the third sitting of she Senate
committee. As practical reSult OF lie
lsbors the committee has prepared eleven
bills to be subuitse1 at the next eesslon Of
the Legislature. to be accompanied by an
explanatory fsport. The most important of
thsse, which II is ca culatt will efsct the
largest sagng, and the one which required
great lr2al acumsn in its preparation 10
avoid cons i;uticnsl prohbitcns amends
sessions 4106 4107. aod 4108 of the Code Ia
relation 70 the i1rlsdiotion OF justices OF the
pesce. Il gives TO magistrates and police
lustices exclusive Jurisdiction Ia ell com.
mon.iaw inisdeGeanors, VITA ,ght 10
certain cases TO the sccussd 10 lave re-
movai to the corporation county cou:t be-
fore trial and allowing appeals hea de-
Oisious seudered. This will do sway With
all indictments for miademssuors, ard will
relieve the trial courts OF great deal of
criminal business 10 the drawing of the
bill special care wsa taken to avoid the con-
stitutional objsctions ,dverted In she cs ses I
Cslan ts. wilson, decided recently In the
Unifed Slstes Supreme Court and er pdrte
Marx in which decision was lately render
ed In the Court of Appeals Of Virginia.
The second bill smends the code so az to
require the Superintendent OF The Peniten-
ti.r to send after convicts In the various
counties, Instead of the eher.ffs bringing
them In as at present.
Il is Estimated that this will eff5ct saw
ing of rs per cent. The tas's OF tbE cslcu.
lation is information furnished by the East.
ern and Western Lunatic Aeylums In re-
sponse to the tequests OF the committee.
Tnese 6gures show that In 1884 '85 265 pa
tiants were taken to the Western Asy lum by
State officers at o cost Of So 3S7 46, while In
1SS9.90 215 lnnsiics were sent fer by the
asylum authorities and conveyed to the
asy lum for sl,091.10. In tns 6acal year
1880 '81 the conveyance of convicts cost the
State s. 597 and 10 1883 'S9 the expense was
Sc .OOO
Bill No. 8 amends section 40lS of the Code
In regard to the eummoning OF veniremen
in felony oases, bat does not destroy the
discretion of the court to have summoned
| more than two jurlee when deemed Deoeesa
ry, but when such Ia done the fact with the
judges reason for so doing must be enter
ed Oh the record and copy of the order
must be forwarded by the clerk 10 his 40
pual report to the Sac Auditor. 10 1880
81 jurles were paid over s28 900; 10 1888 'S9,
$40 $50 was expended for the same purpose.
The next bill gives to the accused in all
criminal Gases the right to waive jury and
be tried by the Judge, who is to be author
iZsd to render such judgment SO would be
committee, In framing this bill, gave care
f,In tn ho
In SO Virginia, In which the prisoner who
waived jury at the time of trial was re-
leased on hsbeas corpus after he hsd been
sent to the penitentisry.
An amendment to section 1928 of the
Code Ia contained In the next bill. This al
lows the Commonwealth's attorney fee OF
ten dollars In each felony cnse and five dol
lars for misdemeanor, where the trial Ia
prosecuted to verdict and a judgment for
the Common wealth, to be charged only once
in each case. Where a felony Indictment
results In conviction for misdemeanor only
Eve dollars is allowed.
Another bill amends the section of the
Code relating to fees OF sherffs and con
stables In arrestlUg and carrying prisoners
to jail.
Section $3.50 Of the Code Is so amended In
the next DILL as to provide that no fees shall
be allowed witnesses for the Commonwealth
for their attendance at police or magistyates'
courts.
Another bill proposes to amend section
$3.50 of the Code, making the pay and mile
age Of grand iGrors and Witnesses before
grand juries payable out of the county and
corporation treasu,ies instead of from tie
State treasury.
The committee collected great deal of
valuable Information. which will ba subnit.
ted in ts report, showing tbs methods that
obtain 10 other States.
The criminal expensfs OF the STA for the
fiscal yesrs ending September 80, 1881, and
Septembe, 80, 1889. are ss follows:
1Ss0'81. 1SeS-'s9.
neys........................ sf5,145 $24,417
CLERKS 1ioSo.to I,lfOIS
Constsble les 80. ....... 5,43O35 1877. 90
Felopies ................. 47,465.29 1T ,272. 80
Gnsrds ,.,.................. 4,105.69 6,57S.7O
Inouests. ..........,.... 543.2O 1853. 60
To Iors 1.3642O 1896 25
inr;es .''.,''',,.,... 2S.137O OS 7O9sO5O
justices o'oOoc' ~ oS'9otSS
MiSdemeanoIS. A1,ooo.oo eo,Ao1.1o
Maintenance Of pris-
sbs,if fla 985l.43 13,905.24
witnesses ................,. 16,99404 32,431. 66
Convicts to penlren- -oooo.
tlary NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. o,ooI % oiSOoioooo
Fvom;n;ng;oiI 10000 10000