The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-28
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
On ssaainsfios .. tie climate Of 'ts rassrees Of tie
Pate from tie ~ Of 07a6e~ 1905, to tie sob 81
Spk 1906, made BY tbe Hogis sf Ddsgsfa, bar
ing sSs late JsGa1 Of I'd. Ges~ai 4d!1snbiy.

S:pt 1906, made BY tbe Hoye sf Dosgafes, lar-
ing sSs late EGaa Of f1s Ges~si rA4:nSiy.
Ne. 9.
In th. eaay I fhall attempt to refute thofe argu-
nents ufed in uprort Of the Ultimate Of the Houfe of
Delegates, which aIume the afpeA of plauhbiIity,
and without any prelude fdall proceed immediately
70 the talk.
Ii is urged by thofe perlons who adopt the
opinion that Virginia has an excefs Of refourcss,
chat her annual amounts the fun Of SIG thou
fand dollars, to which, add the amount received from
arrearages and other Incidental branches Of revenue
and you obtain FUN larger than that Of the cxpen-
ditures Of the current year. With triumph they
then ak, whence deficiency take place I an
fwer that the deficiency proceeds from two eauf.s:
From want Of punaua payments into the treafnry
by the collectors throughout the ftatc, and chiefly
becaufe part of the repurces Of each year ha. b.e
for fome time pa anticipated by the warrants drawn
for claims ariag in the preceding year. If we look
back 4 few years, we find the annual expences Of
the government were greater than at preent, in
eonfequence 81 extraordinary circumstances. During
feveral years, So thouland dollars annually APP
proPrated in purchsug arms, and the other expen-
cesremained as ufual In the FELTON, of 8oS and 4,
the bank eltablil,ed, and lnnaal expenditure
thereby incurred Of so thouland dollars, and during
the fame year. debt of 10 thouand dollars was
p'id TO Beaurnarckas Here then was an ex-
tr,expence in year, OF 10000 dolls. without "a
my additional relonrces meet it. The confequeucc
was; that thefe appropriations being made in the
winter feafon, when there is always money in the
trealury, they were immediately complied with and
the treafury becoming thereby in a great meaiare
sxhaufed, the ordinary claims accruing during the
in'ns,cr months remained TO be discharged on the
hrit OF Oaobsr, when q revenue was received.
have not the appropriaton-laws before me, and
therefore cannot accurately cite the various nanees
III which this practice has obtained, but the
evil may be traced everal years back, and it will be
found that the Legislature, have made any pro-
wilton for extra-deniapds; have never had depoli.
tum already on hanl to meet fuci demands, but too
angune in their calculations have frequently appro-
priased more money than they poflefIed and hence
part of the revenue OF a fucceedng year has been
generally anticipated by the claims of preceding
year, and thus deficiency in the actual reiourees Of
tuch tuteeeding year, created That this was the
cafe during the lat year appears by climate from
the AUDITOR in which it is ated, that of the tax of
1904, payable on the IN of October 1905, and of
courie, continuing the actual reourees Of year lub
isquent to that day, $50 thoufand dollars were re-
eaived during the month Of September. Inaead,
however, of that fun, being in the treafury on th.
hr OF October when the year the reourees of which
1t contributes part) commenced, 81, 500 doi, had
been expended in difcharge Of warrants drawn ON
different revenue; and there found on the IN
of October, only I2s 500 dolls. in the Golfers of the
fate Certainly then it will readily appear, that ths
reiources OF the year, commencing the firt of Oao.
Der 1905, in confequence of this anticipation of 81
thouiand dollars, were di,uinilhed by that fun.
The principle fnaplhed Glands thus A ha, an an.
Enual income equal TO his ordinary annual expend-
lures He has, however, in one year greater de-
niands agakf him on account of debts he has con.
TRACKED new fpecrlations he has engaged in There
debts and the ssPence of the fpeculations are diff
charged from the income Of particular ysar. By
siis advancement the income Of fuch year is render
ed unequal the ordinary cxpenees in that wear I'm,
mediatsy the next income is received, part of i, i.
applied to dcharge their ordinary claims and Their
by the refources OF the year TO which that income
belonged, lereped by the amount of the fun dc
BURIED TO meet thoie ordinary cIams. So the Rate
OF Virginia having applied part of her funds to rhr
dheharge OF extra claims (sh-n fuch funds were not
more than adequate to her ordinary expendtures) her
annual reources have thereby become unequal TO the
annual demands againf her. and fhe is compelled to
anticipate her taxes before they become due The
coniequence rs, chat during three or four months in
every year, viz from III of May to tho III of Sent.
fhe eaaliot meet her engagements and her creditor,
frequently fell their claims at adifcount of l. 9 g.
per cent per month agreeably to their neeeiIi
ties, as every ipecuator in Richmond can amply ref
tify.
Again it is afeed, (if there be defcienev :, ,b.
reiources ut the fate) whence does il happen that
there is large fam on hand in the treafuryi Thi,
qneltion is anfwered by afeng, whence doe, If han
pen that every farmer (whether he makes fufficen
ey OF corn TO ferye him no at particular time in
each year, FOR initance in December, has large
quantity in his crib Not becaule he has f,rpi,s
OF corn hu bseaue his crop in at tina, patteu
lar period, as the taxes Of the tate are paid in Oao
Der. The provident Farmer however inftead of cal
Ing the aTionnt On hand furplus, enquiries whether
or not, there is Efficiency TO fervs him until thar
time in the nea, year, and really economical Ier;c
iature you'd plrfae The fame courfe.
But it is flid by thof perfsns who fuppor, the mi
nion that the Care has flrplus of refouree,, that
noFwthitanding the treslury is empty during part
ct the year, that it proceeds from rea! dsGe.n
ey IN the reiources; but from the payments BEING
male at Improper periods of the year. Thi. arvu,
nsnt alu'nes either off7co afpeas.
It wt,uld appear to maintain I'll. ;de,
that BY making the revenue receivable o,ar,
teriy nitead Of annually, the Inconvenience would
he obvated But can there be any df.renc.
produced in the amount of FUN BY paving Il
quarterly, IN pl'ee Of paying the whole on partcu-
lar day; u $4,000 dos to be paid during A year
to meet the expenditures of year, il matter, M,
whether all the fun be received on the fira dav &c
the year or IN quarterly payments If paid on sne
day and there be Efficiency during all the wear
there NUT be n'eney to the claims and the fame
effect will refult from :he other mode of paynsn,
AS abfuFd a q This n n.