Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-12-07

Governor Tyler yesterday transmitted
his annual messag &c 10 the General AS
sembly. It was read In both houses and
! commanded close attention It follows:
TO the General Assembly:
The Governor begins his message by
/ expressing the pleasure 1t gave him to
/. welcome the members Of the General
Assembly to Richmond. He calls at
s tention to the fact that thisNis the last
Legislature elected in the State OF Vir.
ginia during the nineteenth century,
and 1t is in your hands to close for
this great century, SO full of giant
progress and mighty meaning, the
legislative history of the Commons
wealth. And while it is thus in your
power to impose fitting finish and
+ adornlnent 10 the structure of civil
government, SO wisely planned by our
Z fathers, 1t is also In your power to
: provide for laying anew the constitu-
& tional foundations of your State gov
ernment, on which those who are to
s come after! us may build and find
room for their best labors and most
extended growth.
He follows with n review of the past
!. history OF the State the Spanish
4 American war. the proniotncss with
(which iVirginfans responded to the call
80 arms, refers to- thelvaluable services
Of AdJutant General Male, Inspector
General Stern and local members Of
MS staff and suggests that the Legis-
lature make a small appropriation to
furnish each officer who served In the
Spanish-Americnn war with suita-
Die commission of service that they
may preserve as memen.oes in their
families. and Suitable badge might
be provided for the nom ommlssioneCl
officers and men.
ADJUTANT GENERALS REPORT.
The report OF the Adjutant General
is referred ito as full and elaborate and
attention called to It's recommends
lions. He emphasizes the necessity for
u well-regulated militia, and suggests
that 1t would be a wise expenditure
on the nart of our State government
to provide means for the drilling and
discipline of bodies OF State trooSs,
about which, as Il nucleus, sufficient
: numbers of men may form whenever
the need and cause may arise. Very
meagre, IL any records Of enlistment
OF soldiers of other wars has been
kept, and the Adjutant General, at his
request, has given full roster of all
soldiers enlisted in the SpanIsh-Nmer
lean war, from the State, and his re-
ports and records will prove more and
more valuable as time goes on. In
order to have the organizations of our
State volunteers conform as nearly as
possible to organizations of like arm
of the service Of the United States, he
designated board of officers, who are
experienced and deemed capable, to
report plan, which 1t is hoped will
promote the interest OF the service.
THE FISH COMMISSION.
The. last Legislature made provision
for u State Board Of Fisheries and
passed a new law regulating its action.
Recognizing the necessity Of securing
proper men to serve on this important
board. | took considerable time after
the adjournment of the legislature to
select the men that 1 thought best
qualified for the work in hand. I an
pointed as members OF this board, DR..
PRANK Fletcher, Of Accomac; Mr.. Seth
" Miller OF Mathews: Hon. r. A.
Ayres, Of Scott: Hon. George B. Kee-
zell. of Rockingham, and Captain
AJtRn a. Curtis, of the city of Rich
mind. The first two were designated,
astrequired by law, chairman and sec,
I retaiy, respectively, of the board.
After months service. General -Ayres
found he could not give the time nee
essary to the discharge Of the duties
OF the position and resigned. APP
pointed In his place Hon. Pembroke
+ Fetllt. OIL sF'luVanna. Whether my Sc
9llections were wise, and whether the
Board has done its work we'll I leave
! the results to show. refer with
pleasure to the report Of this Board.
and to the fact that Instead of being
a burden to the State, the oyster fields
yielded the first year under this new
system the handsome sum Of s54. 600.
more than $4,000 Of which was clear
profit. and for the first eighteen
months. ending the 31st OF sestember.
1899, rs Will be seen by reference to TIE
report of the Board of Fisheries I'd
your honorable body. that the
Total amount collected for the
first eighteen months of the
laws operation was. IA a,2s an
7 Total expenses $3.50. 0,S97 "a
Net revenue to the State:..s 42, 500 os
+ Total revenue for the previous
year :. &c, $50 20
Total expenses 1853, 43
Deficit .s...... 1 1903 %
Difference, adding deficit..... 43,3l7 %
Total income for four years, q
1894 s5-es-s7 1s1 $40 IS
Total expenses for the same ;g
tims .............. 116,ss5 10
49, = 3hfi8sife S.s. ss .,sssst 81 Il ----
8 Net ..,,,,,.,, 80. 4, l4,745 IS