PUBLIC "-//Library of Virginia//TEXT (US::Vi::vi00948::A Guide to the Virginia Attorney General's correspondence and letter books, 1898-1920)//EN" "vi00948.xml" A Guide to the Virginia Attorney General's correspondence and letter books, 1898-1920 Attorney General's correspondence and letter books, Virginia, A Guide to the, 1898-1920 44018 Jessie R. Robinson Library of Virginia © 2008 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

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Machine-readable finding aid entered directly into EAD, created by Jessie R. Robinson, 30 December 2008 Description is in English 2013-11-21 Converted to schema conforming EAD by dtd2schema.vh.xsl. A Guide to the Virginia Attorney General's correspondence and letter books, 1898-1920 A Collection in the Library of Virginia 44018 Jessie R. Robinson

Library of Virginia 2008 Jessie R. Robinson Library of Virginia Descriptive Summary The Library of Virginia A Guide to the Virginia Attorney General's correspondence and letter books, 1898-1920 44018 8.25 cu. ft. (24 boxes) and 16 volumes English Virginia. Office of the Attorney General Administrative Information Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia Attorney General's correspondence and letter books, 1898-1920. Accession 44018, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Original transfer information is unavailable. This collection was retroactively accessioned.

Historical Information

The Office of the Attorney General originated in medieval England. While representing the king in his courts, the Attorney General gradually assumed the role of legal advisor to the government and all its agencies. In Virginia, the first Attorney General was commissioned in 1643. The Declaration of Independence in 1776 ended the Attorney General's connection with royal authority, but the state constitution adopted that year continued the office under the auspices of the General Assembly. The constitution adopted in 1851 provided for the popular election of the Attorney General, rendering him independent of all three branches of government. The Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in office and is eligible for reelection.

Scope and Content

Contains incoming correspondence files and outgoing letter books from the administrations of Attorneys General Andrew J. Montague, William A. Anderson, and Samuel W. Williams.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into two series:

Series I. Correspondence files, 1898-1920 Series II. Letter books, 1898-1910 Contents List Series I. Correspondence files, 1898-1920. 1-24. Extent: 8.25 cu. ft. (24 boxes)

Contains mostly incoming letters to the Virginia Attorney General, as well as a limited number of outgoing letters. The correspondence files span the administrations of Attorneys General, Andrew J. Montague (1898-1902), William A. Anderson (1902-1910), Samuel W. Williams (1910-1914), John G. Pollard (1914-1918), and John R. Saunders (1918-1934). Very little of the correspondence dates from the Pollard and Saunders administrations. The correspondence is comprised of requests for official opinions on a variety of legal matters including voting rights, property disputes, and criminal prosecution. Some communication between the Attorney General, the Governor, Commonwealth's Attorneys, and other state agency officials can be found here. However, most of the correspondence is in the form of letters from private lawyers and citizens with specific questions about various aspects of Virginia law. Located at the end of this collection are folders of cancelled checks, miscellaneous documents and subject files. Several notable subject files relate to a state case against the Jamestown Jockey Club for illegal gambling on horse races.

Arranged chronologically by year, and then by letter of the alphabet. However, there is no particular arrangement of the correspondence within the folder or folders for each letter.

1898 S-Y. 1 1 1899 A. 1 2 1899 B. 1 3 1899 B. 1 4 1899 C. 1 5 1899 C. 1 6 1899 D. 1 7 1899 E. 1 8 1899 F. 1 9 1899 G. 1 10 1899 G. 1 11 1899 H. 1 12 1899 H. 1 13 1899 I-J. 1 14 1899 K-L. 1 15 1899 M. 1 16 1899 M. 1 17 1899 N-O. 1 18 1899 P. 1 19 1899 R. 1 20 1899 S. 2 1 1899 S. 2 2 1899 T-V. 2 3 1899 W. 2 4 1899 W. 2 5 1899 Y. 2 6 1900 A. 2 7 1900 B. 2 8 1900 B. 2 9 1900 B. 2 10 1900 C. 2 11 1900 C. 2 12 1900 D. 2 13 1900 E. 2 14 1900 F. 2 15 1900 G. 2 16 1900 H. 2 17 1900 H. 2 18 1900 I-J. 2 19 1900 K. 2 20 1900 L. 3 1 1900 M. 3 2 1900 M. 3 3 1900 N. 3 4 1900 O. 3 5 1900 P. 3 6 1900 Q. 3 7 1900 R. 3 8 1900 R. 3 9 1900 S. 3 10 1900 S. 3 11 1900 T-V. 3 12 1900 W. 3 13 1900 W. 3 14 1900 Y-Z. 3 15 1901 A. 3 16 1901 B. 3 17 1901 B. 3 18 1901 C. 3 19 1901 C. 3 20 1901 D. 3 21 1901 E. 3 22 1901 F. 4 1 1901 G. 4 2 1901 H. 4 3 1901 I-J. 4 4 1901 K. 4 5 1901 L. 4 6 1901 M. 4 7 1901 M. 4 8 1901 N-O. 4 9 1901 P. 4 10 1901 Q-R. 4 11 1901 S. 4 12 1901 T-V. 4 13 1901 W. 4 14 1901 Y. 4 15 1902 A. 4 16 1902 B. 4 17 1902 B. 4 18 1902 B. 4 19 1902 C. 4 20 1902 C. 4 21 1902 C. 4 22 1902 C. 4 23 1902 D. 5 1 1902 D. 5 2 1902 E. 5 3 1902 F. 5 4 1902 G. 5 5 1902 G. 5 6 1902 H. 5 7 1902 H. 5 8 1902 I-J. 5 9 1902 K. 5 10 1902 L. 5 11 1902 L. 5 12 1902 M. 5 13 1902 M. 5 14 1902 M. 5 15 1902 N. 5 16 1902 O. 5 17 1902 P. 5 18 1902 P. 5 19 1902 Q-R. 6 1 1902 S. 6 2 1902 S. 6 3 1902 T. 6 4 1902 W. 6 5 1902 W. 6 6 1902 V. 6 7 1902 Y-Z. 6 8 1903 A. 6 9 1903 B. 6 10 1903 B. 6 11 1903 B. 6 12 1903 C. 6 13 1903 C. 6 14 1903 C. 6 15 1903 C. 6 16 1903 D. 6 17 1903 E. 6 18 1903 F. 7 1 1903 G. 7 2 1903 G. 7 3 1903 H. 7 4 1903 H. 7 5 1903 J. 7 6 1903 K. 7 7 1903 L. 7 8 1903 M. 7 9 1903 M. 7 10 1903 M. 7 11 1903 N-O. 7 12 1903 P. 7 13 1903 P. 7 14 1903 Q. 7 15 1903 R. 7 16 1903 S. 7 17 1903 S. 7 18 1903 T. 8 1 1903 V. 8 2 1903 W. 8 3 1903 W. 8 4 1903 W. 8 5 1903 Y-Z. 8 6 1904 A. 8 7 1904 A. 8 8 1904 B. 8 9 1904 B. 8 10 1904 B. 8 11 1904 B. 8 12 1904 B. 8 13 1904 C. 8 14 1904 C. 8 15 1904 C. 8 16 1904 C. 8 17 1904 D. 9 1 1904 E. 9 2 1904 F. 9 3 1904 G. 9 4 1904 G. 9 5 1904 G. 9 6 1904 H. 9 7 1904 H. 9 8 1904 H. 9 9 1904 I. 9 10 1904 J. 9 11 1904 J. 9 12 1904 K. 9 13 1904 L. 9 14 1904 L. 9 15 1904 M. 9 16 1904 M. 9 17 1904 M. 10 1 1904 M. 10 2 1904 N. 10 3 1904 O. 10 4 1904 P. 10 5 1904 P. 10 6 1904 Q. 10 7 1904 R. 10 8 1904 R. 10 9 1904 S. 10 10 1904 S. 10 11 1904 T. 10 12 1904 T. 10 13 1904 U-V. 10 14 1904 W. 10 15 1904 W. 10 16 1904 W. 10 17 1904 W. 10 18 1904 Y. 10 19 1905 A. 11 1 1905 A. 11 2 1905 B. 11 3 1905 B. 11 4 1905 B. 11 5 1905 C. 11 6 1905 C. 11 7 1905 C. 11 8 1905 D. 11 9 1905 E. 11 10 1905 F. 11 11 1905 G. 11 12 1905 G. 11 13 1905 H. 11 14 1905 H. 11 15 1905 H. 11 16 1905 I. 11 17 1905 J. 11 18 1905 K. 12 1 1905 L. 12 2 1905 M. 12 3 1905 M. 12 4 1905 M. 12 5 1905 N. 12 6 1905 O. 12 7 1905 P. 12 8 1905 P. 12 9 1905 P. 12 10 1905 Q. 12 11 1905 R. 12 12 1905 S. 12 13 1905 S. 12 14 1905 S. 12 15 1905 T. 12 16 1905 T. 12 17 1905 U-V. 13 1 1905 W. 13 2 1905 W. 13 3 1905 W. 13 4 1905 Y. 13 5 1906 A. 13 6 1906 B. 13 7 1906 B. 13 8 1906 B. 13 9 1906 C. 13 10 1906 C. 13 11 1906 C. 13 12 1906 C. 13 13 1906 D. 13 14 1906 E. 13 15 1906 E. 13 16 1906 F. 13 17 1906 G. 14 1 1906 G. 14 2 1906 H. 14 3 1906 H. 14 4 1906 I. 14 5 1906 J. 14 6 1906 K. 14 7 1906 L. 14 8 1906 L. 14 9 1906 M. 14 10 1906 M. 14 11 1906 M. 14 12 1906 M. 14 13 1906 N. 14 14 1906 O. 14 15 1906 P. 14 16 1906 P. 14 17 1906 R. 15 1 1906 R. 15 2 1906 S. 15 3 1906 S. 15 4 1906 S. 15 5 1906 S. 15 6 1906 T. 15 7 1906 U-V. 15 8 1906 W. 15 9 1906 W. 15 10 1906 W. 15 11 1906 Y-Z; unknown. 15 12 1907 A. 15 13 1907 B. 15 14 1907 B. 15 15 1907 B. 15 16 1907 B. 15 17 1907 C. 16 1 1907 C. 16 2 1907 C. 16 3 1907 D. 16 4 1907 E. 16 5 1907 E. 16 6 1907 E. 16 7 1907 F. 16 8 1907 G. 16 9 1907 G. 16 10 1907 H. 16 11 1907 H. 16 12 1907 H. 16 13 1907 H. 16 14 1907 H. 16 15 1907 I. 16 16 1907 J. 16 17 1907 K. 17 1 1907 L. 17 2 1907 M. 17 3 1907 M. 17 4 1907 M. 17 5 1907 M. 17 6 1907 M. 17 7 1907 N-O. 17 8 1907 P. 17 9 1907 P. 17 10 1907 Q-R. 17 11 1907 S. 17 12 1907 S. 17 13 1907 S. 17 14 1907 S. 17 15 1907 S. 17 16 1970 T. 17 17 1907 T. 17 18 1907 V. 18 1 1907 W. 18 2 1907 W. 18 3 1907 W. 18 4 1907 W. 18 5 1907 Y-Z. 18 6 1908 A. 18 7 1908 B. 18 8 1908 B. 18 9 1908 B. 18 10 1908 B. 18 11 1908 C. 18 12 1908 C. 18 13 1908 D. 18 14 1908 D. 18 15 1908 E. 18 16 1908 E. 18 17 1908 F. 19 1 1908 G. 19 2 1908 H. 19 3 1908 H. 19 4 1908 H. 19 5 1908 H. 19 6 1908 I-J. 19 7 1908 K. 19 8 1908 L. 19 9 1908 L. 19 10 1908 M. 19 11 1908 M. 19 12 1908 M. 19 13 1908 M. 19 14 1908 N. 19 15 1908 O. 19 16 1908 P. 20 1 1908 P. 20 2 1908 R. 20 3 1908 R. 20 4 1908 S. 20 5 1908 S. 20 6 1908 S. 20 7 1908 T. 20 8 1908 T. 20 9 1908 T. 20 10 1908 W. 20 11 1908 W. 20 12 1908 W. 20 13 1908 W. 20 14 1908 Y-Z. 20 15 1909 A. 21 1 1909 B. 21 2 1909 B. 21 3 1909 B. 21 4 1909 C. 21 5 1909 C. 21 6 1909 D. 21 7 1909 D. 21 8 1909 E. 21 9 1909 E. 21 10 1909 F. 21 11 1909 G. 21 12 1909 H. 21 13 1909 H. 21 14 1909 H. 21 15 1909 J. 21 16 1909 K. 21 17 1909 L. 22 1 1909 L. 22 2 1909 M. 22 3 1909 M. 22 4 1909 M. 22 5 1909 N. 22 6 1909 O. 22 7 1909 P. 22 8 1909 P. 22 9 1909 R. 22 10 1909 S. 22 11 1909 S. 22 12 1909 S. 22 13 1909 T. 22 14 1909 T. 22 15 1909 U-V. 22 16 1909 W. 23 1 1909 W. 23 2 1909 W. 23 3 1909 W. 23 4 1909 Y. 23 5 1910 B. 23 6 1910 D-E. 23 7 1910 H-L. 23 8 1910 M. 23 9 1910 O-S. 23 10 1910 T-W. 23 11 1911. 23 12 1912. 23 13 1913 A-C. 23 14 1913 D-H. 23 15 1913 K-L. 23 16 1913 M-R. 23 17 1913 S. 23 18 1913 T. 23 19 1913 W-Y. 23 20 Cancelled checks, 1911-1912. 23 21 Commonwealth vs Jamestown Jockey Club, 1911. 24 1 Commonwealth vs Jamestown Jockey Club, 1912-1916. 24 2 Commonwealth vs Jamestown Jockey Club (court papers), 1911. 24 3 Commonwealth vs Jamestown Jockey Club (court papers), 1911. 24 4 Commonwealth vs Jamestown Jockey Club (court papers), 1911. 24 5 Miscellaneous documents and opinions, 1902-1912; undated. 23 22 Portrait of Mrs. Elvira B. Taylor, 1917-1920. 24 6 W.H. Robertson, Special Commissioner vs Commonwealth, 1919-1920. 24 7 Series II. Letter books (outgoing), 1898-1910. Extent: 16 volumes.

Letter books contain only outgoing correspondence written by the Attorney General. The books span the administrations of Attorneys General Andrew J. Montague (1898-1902) and William A. Anderson (1902-1910). Most of the letters answer questions posed by citizens and government entities regarding topics such as the Code of Virginia, the validity of taxes and local ordinances, and constutional law. Some letters also pertain to specific court cases.

Arranged chronologically.

1898 January-November. 1898 November-1900 April. 1900 April-1901 December. 1902 January-August. 1902 August-1903 April. 1903 April-November. 1903 November-1904 June. 1904 June-1905 March. 1905 March-September. 1905 September-1906 April. 1906 April-November. 1906 November-1907 July. 1907 July-1908 April. 1908 April-1909 February. 1909 February-1910 January. 1910 January-March.