Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-20
About commonwenIth's Attorneys.

Grundy, Buchanan county, Va,
February 10, 1898.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
Dear Sir.-I see a great many bills in
troduced and letters written on the sub
ject of retrenchment or cutting down ex-
penses of the Commonwealth, &c. And
as others of my fellow-citizens have ex-
ercised the liberty of expressing their
views, If you will grant me space, have
concluded to contribute a few hints en-
the subject.
First. AS I understand 1t, 'retrench-
ment" has for it's object the curtailing OF
all unnecessary expenses and to provide
suitable revenue in the Treasury to meet
all the necessary obligations of the State,
without increasing the present rate OF
taxation.
Second. How is this to be done so that
the same will be uniform under the pres
ent Constitution? Now, let's take birds
eye view Of the enormous sums of money
paid out by the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts annually First, / desire to dis
cuss the avenue through which more than
$50 900 is annually paid out to the vari-
Gus Commonwealth attorneys Of the
State, by virtue Of the act passed March
3, 1896. 1t applies TO myself as Com
monwealths Attorney for this county,
and right here l will say that since this
act came in force | have discharged the
duties as best / could, and for more than
one half Of the services, without one
single cent remuneration, for which
have no complaint to offer, save TO enter
my complaint that said law is unequal
and unfair in the following particular, II
for nothing else. Here in this border
county we are continuously annoyed with
a criminal influx from adjoining States,
which forces upon me as much Of the
onerous duties as almost any other Com
monwealths Attorney In the State is
called upon to perform yet this law
only gives me 500, while others get $500,
and even more. Well, what started out
TO say was, that the State should not
pay out any of this sum.
All the present law relative to the pay
of Commonwealth attorneys ought to
be repealed and new laws enacted giving
them % per cent. of all fines and for
FIXTURES, with a taxable fee OF so in
felony cases and s. i'm misdemeanor cases.
to be paid by the party convicted. Like
WISE the present law should be so
amended as TO give county courts concur
rent jurisdiction with justices Of the peace
in the trial Of misdemeanor cases. and
all cost relative to such trials-justices'
fees, sheriffs, constables', and witness
es'-should be taxed up in the bill of costs
and paid by the party convicted, and in
nowise should any cost incurred in the
trial Of a misdemeanor case be paid out
of the public treasury. Now, II is per-
fectly plain to any one that the above
changes would be uniform throughout the
Commonwealth, and would save the Trea-
sury annually the sum of $4,000 or more.
This is at present, and has for a great
many years, been the system of practice
both in Kentucky and West Virginia, and
why not adopt It in this State? / notice
some bills have been introduced for the
counties to pay this expense. Why any
member should propose such a measure
under the guise of "retrenchment" is
hard TO understand. for, instead OF re-
ducing taxes, and proving a blessing to
the farmer, such law would increase
his present burden twofold. I trust that
the broad-minded representatives Of this
grand Old Dominion" will stamp their
disapproval upon all such measures as I
am confident they will do. CITIZEN.