Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-06
AS IT IS WRITTEN.
THE RECORD OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY JUST ADJOURNED.
WHAT IT DID FOR INFRINGEMENT.
The Reduction of Appropriation for
criminal Expenses seems JustIfed.
Numerous Measures Expected 10 In
crease Revenue-some Difficulties.

tie expenses OF state government
I know in my hear; they would Judge us
,aaritably, and credit us with having
achieved much"
The speaker was "A member Of the Sem
s,e and he was seated in his old seat
ln the deserted chamber late on the
a,tornoon of final adjournment. The
shadows were chasing each other through
the old hail. and driving the light from
tas windows. II was gloomy. lonely. de-
pressing. and his plaintive remark TO
DIS only listener. seemed almost as much
the result OF surroundings, as OF sincere
conviction.
He talked on and talked well. He re-
viewed the work Of the General Assembly.
which concluded its labors Friday. He
admitted the people would blame the
men who composed e. What follows are
bis thoughts in another's words.
10 BE THOUGHT OF TOGETHER.
The General Assembly, whose session
ended Friday did not do all the people ex-
pected IL 20 do. No legislative body
ever did everything that was expected
of 10 by ifs constituents. These two facts
should always be placed together; other
wise injustice is done the men to whom
the people entrusted the enactment of
ntIr laws. 1t is very fashionable 10 make
The State Legislature the butt Of many
joke. ii is so all over the Union.
There are many who really think them
legitimate subjects OF newspaper conf
csuties. and that the furthest extent TO
which this is carried Is but a slight ex-
6Egoration Of reality. Upon the other
hand. there Is large class that takes
Legislstures with the utmost seriousness,
that has great confidence in their wis
dom. and is slow TO admit their weak
uesses and shortcomings. The medium
the -ground-is the correct view.
The Virginia General Assembly has re-
csiyed great deal of censure: it has
been ridiculed, and IL has received some
praise and deserved more.
The greatness of the thing achieved
can never be fully appreciated unless the
Gfculues IN the way are well under
stood. The work Of the recent Legisla-
turs was accomplished in the face of tre-
mendous obstacles.
PROMISE AND FULFILNENT.
Retrenchment was demanded by every
voter in the State in the last campaign,
and promised by every candidate who
asked their suffcages. Fuhlment was
NIN llldls 0llAd ItlitICHtIof anu
those who judge without clear know
ledge Of all the difficulties in the way Of
radical cutting down of State expenses,
blame the lawmakers for not living up
% the full measure of their obligations.
Those who judge them most leniently
are those who best know all the circum-
stances.
IL Is easy for one TO think that which
be has long possessed is his of right in
alienable. 1t was found impossible TO
convince men who had long been re-
,eiving generous salaries from the State
that every dollar by which their COM
pensation was reduced, was not taken
from them without right.
The same was true OF institutions.
Their officials felt themselves justly en-
utled TO the same appropriation from
The Public Treasury which had been
granted them for years. The consequence
was that the men who sought to have
salaries and appropriations reduced
we're regarded as enemies of the
and what. more ma
thral than that the men who
received salaries, and those who repre-
sented public Institutions. should make
common cause against the general foe?
The result was that the legislator who
the struggle for retrenchment
and who had a constituent in asState
office. found him arrayed against him,
and he who had a public institution in
bis county found opposing him every
official connected with it. They would
nave been very much less than human
had they refused to listen TO pleadings
and persuasions, and threats. And as II
was natural for ofiice-holders TO unite
tor their common defence, so was 1t ma
.tssar1f tot
lor their protection.
This must suffice TO explain, should the
people demand why reduction was not
greater.
EXAMPLE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
But they must not forget that the pres
eut appropriation bill is less by 100000
than that of the last Legislature. They
must also remember that while this re-
duction is more or less speculative, being
based largely on anticipated reduction IN
criminal expenditures. that this Legisla-
ture made il possible to expect such re-
auctions bv reason of legislation enacted |
curing the session just ended.
The patron of the bill allowing fees to |
only three witnesses in misdemednor
cases in justices courts, estimated that !
the act would result in an annual saving |
o. tine State Of probably as much as $SO.-
yU. The bill materially reducing the fees |
of iaiers is expected to effect considera-
DE saving. while that giving only one
half fees 10 officers in cases where the |
costs are borne by the Commonwealth, is |
regarded as worth many thousands OF |
dollars TO the State every year. These |
fIIIs seem 10 make IL reasonable 10 think |
,he Finance committees justified In as |
.gming that criminal charges would be |
considerably less during the next TWO |
years than In the last two.
TO INCREASE REVENUE.
i'm addition 10 the distinctively re-
tIeuchment measures enacted, lour plilS |
TO- increase revenue were made INTO avs |
which. IL Is confidently asserted, VIII I'M
mgasely add to the States annual IN
come.
The first OF these IS the Parks BILL re-
IuIriug evidences Of debt, such as notes |
ana bonds 10 be listed for taxation he
Tore payment can be enforced. Inc re-
naming three chiefly affect those en-
.aged i'm the fish and oyster Industry
Probably the most important Is th"t le
curing all floating prOperty-Water clIt
Jf every character-tO be listed by court
Saminers for taxation. IL is SAID that
hls law will add $G0O9,OOO worth Oh
values. upon which nothing Is palu az
present 10 the property bearing us PoI
on OF the burdens Of taxation Inc 'nIIo
law is that creating the state Board or
Fisheries, which Is 10 have complete con-
.roI Of the oyster industry. Senator Le-
Cato. Of AccOmac. probably the best au-
hOrlty In this country on anything re-
aune 10 oysters. is OF the opinion that
under the operation Of the law eIea'.hs