766* 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



to Congress by an increased majority. Before 

 this term had expired Judge Wayne's political 

 life ceased. In the year 1835 he was appointed 

 by President Jackson to fill the vacancy in the 

 Supreme Court of the United States caused by 

 the death of Judge Johnson. He proved him- 

 self a sound and accomplished jurist. He es- 

 pecially devoted his attention to the subject of 

 admiralty jurisprudence, and his opinions on 

 points connected with that subject are every- 

 where cited as high authority. 



WEST VIRGINIA. Order has reigned dur- 

 ing the year throughout the greater part of the 

 State. A band of desperadoes set the laws at 

 defiance, and drove the officers from their posts, 

 in Wayne County, taking possession of the jail, 

 and liberating their associates confined therein. 

 In consequence of such outrages, the Governor 

 deemed it expedient to station a small force of 

 troops to preserve order and protect the peo- 

 ple. These troops remained in that portion of 

 the State during the year, and since they have 

 been there the peace of the community has 

 been preserved, and the officers have uninter- 

 ruptedly performed their duties. In Logan 

 County no taxes had been collected since the 

 war, in consequence of a threatened resistance 

 with arms to the collection. Troops \vere sta- 

 tioned in that county, and the taxes collected 

 and paid into the Treasury. In the counties of 

 Randolph, Barbour, and Tucker, there was con- 

 siderable opposition to the registry law, and the 

 officers of registration were in some instances 

 forcibly driven away, and in others menaced 

 with such threats that they dared not perform 

 their duties. To meet this emergency, a few- 

 troops were stationed at Philippi, when the 

 execution of the law proceeded without inter- 

 ruption. It is believed that in a very short 

 time troops will no longer t>e required any- 

 where in the State. The receipts into the 

 Treasury, for the fiscal year ending September 

 30th, were $623,577.64. The disbursements 

 were $618,681.75. The State has no public 

 debt, and the rate of taxation for all general 

 State purposes is less than one-third of one per 

 cent. The value of property assessed in 1867 

 exceeds, by nearly ten per cent., that assessed 

 in 1866 ; and the number of persons over 

 twenty- one years of age assessed with capita- 

 tion tax has increased within the same time 

 over 5,000, thus affording gratifying evidence 

 of the growth and prosperity of the Common- 

 wealth. 



An Act of the Legislature, passed February 

 28th, required the Governor to appoint a 

 Board, consisting of one member from each 

 senatorial district, to equalize the assessment 

 of the value of lands in the State between the 

 several counties. This Board was appointed, 

 and discharged the duty intrusted to them 

 fairly and satisfactorily. The State lias made 

 commendable provision for fhe comfort of its 

 unfortunate citizens. An asylum for the in- 

 sane has been established at Weston, and build- 

 ings erected, which can now accommodate 100 



patients, \?~h\l& enlargements are nearly com- 

 pleted, that will furnish room for 250. The 

 deaf, dumb, and blind are sent to Staunton, 

 Va., and supported there at the expense of the 

 State. 



Continued and encouraging progress has been 

 made in establishing and extending the free- 

 school system of the State. 



About 400 school-houses have been built dur- 

 ing the year, and the number constructed within 

 the three years since the system was inaugurated 

 approximates 1,000. While many of them are 

 very ordinary structures, others display the 

 good taste and liberality of the neighborhoods 

 where they are located, and some are superior 

 in architecture, and are supplied with the most 

 modern and convenient style of school furni- 

 ture. In addition to the local taxes, there was- 

 distributed among the counties, on the 1st of 

 April, 1867, the sum of $175,000 from the State 

 school fund, and the sum to be distributed on 

 the 1st of April, 1868, is estimated at not less 

 than $180,000 ; thus showing a continued in- 

 crease, which, though not large, may be relied 

 on, no doubt, for the future, without any in- 

 crease in taxation. 



Arrangements have been made for the estab- 

 lishment of three Normal Schools in different 

 parts of the State. None of these are yet in 

 operation, but the necessary buildings are in 

 progress of construction, and they will soon 

 furnish competent and well-trained teachers 

 for the common schools, and also afford facil- 

 ities to many others besides teachers for a more 

 advanced education than they could obtain 

 elsewhere. 



On the 17th June a State Agricultural Col- 

 lege was formally opened at Morgantown, in 

 accordance with an Act of the Legislature. 

 The people are disposed to extend to the col- 

 lege a very liberal patronage, the number of 

 students already in attendance being 125, and 

 the prospects for the future being most flatter- 

 ing. 



Satisfactory progress has been made in the 

 erection of the penitentiary. An additional 

 outlay of $75,000 will be required to erect 

 walls enclosing the grounds, and complete the 

 buildings already begun. 



The Commissioner of Immigration reports 

 that he has secured a considerable number of 

 immigrants from Europe, who had fixed upon 

 West Virginia as their destination, before leav- 

 ing their homes in the Old World, and that 

 he has laid the foundation for obtaining a fail- 

 share of immigration to the State for the future, 

 if seconded in his efforts by legislative aid. 

 By authority of the Legislature, the Governor 

 appointed two competent gentlemen to finish 

 the revision of the " Code of West Virginia." 

 Immediately after their appointment they en- 

 tered upon their work, but owing to the illness 

 of one of them the revision was delayed for 

 some time, but will be submitted to the next 

 Legislature. 



The election was held in October, and was 



