The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-07

purpose, oppressive as to TIE Unjust; uncQ,,a,
manner in which iii imposes the performance
LOT several duties (; tor ii is generally &C
lknowledged and evidently trae, that under
the din eCtion thereof, the roads have not, nor,
indeed cannot, be kept in proper repair,
Notwithstanding much loss o! time is annual
ly expended on them but So injudiciously
applied, as to be OF very little or no good pur-
Ippsc. J~z2,4
( The present law does not point oat the
description ofmen best 9ualifcdt TO bc suryi-
sors on supervisors, nor do they act under
oath nor do they give security for the faith
full discharge o. the important trust rcposd
III them nor arc they amenablc Tor any loss
or damage sustained through their dcfaui.
or neglect; nor have they any pay allowed
them nor have they a transcript of tho
law to be their guide or authority; nor are
they, or the County Courts vested with dis
cretional authority to widen the roads where
absolutely necessary nor have they suiIici-
ent power tocall out the hands in small par
ties 20 work under them to repair particular
breaches as is frequently needed nor to
Compel them to labour when they do APP
pear nor is the sum of seven shllings and.
siXpcnce sufficient penalty on the owner of
each slave or Other person subject to work
on the roads for non attendance nor is
there any reasonable cocrCiye power in the
law to recover that trinng penalty nor
does it point out any mode whereby il is pos
sible to apportion out an equal distribution
OF the necessary labour; nor is it just that
the poor labouring man, having no wagon
or other Carriage should be compelled 10 la
| oonr on ;he roads, when his rich neighbor
having only two.male tithable slaves, is ex-
cmpt /; altho' ne may have several Wagons
or other Carriages on the voad.
| mis- Is both extremely unjust and altoge-
cher mexpedicnt (; men Of ,his description,
ty:annicaiiy forced to attend, they VIII do lit
tie themselves, and rather hinder others ; to
expect any good from the services of dis
interested, reluctant and uBrewarGcd survi-
Nor, over reluctant and oppressed labou-
| rcrs, is unreasonable from such a course,
no good IS to DC hoped or expected; it is most
unjust, unequal & oppressive to be pursued
under any form OF civilized government,
much less III our country, boasting of freedom
and equal rights y
II those in opposition to said bill, could be
induced 10 consider what it is presu e they
never saw, much less ever experincntaily felt
'he situation or an honest Industrious wag-
goher, probably good farmer, an useful <
valuable member f soc ,ty, one hundred
and more miles from home, on his way to
market; Ills Wagon, and as fire quently it
happens, horses too, plunged III, and almost
Icovereu with stiff nilre ; from which their
utmost efforts cannot eXtriCate them his
IProvender exhausted and destitute of money
or a TREND /; in that deplorablc situation,
ne must remain, through perhaps dread
fui night OF severe frost and snow, bear the
jeXtrcme lnclemenCy ofthc weather, with his
poor beasts III the miro freezing ON their
distorted limbs, and thus have to wait the
approach OF day and the fortuitous coming of
some other waggoner to help him out of his
I PerllouS distress, OF 60 TO some neighbour
ing farm TO implore charitable relief.
he deplorablc situation Of the Agricul-
turalists, occasloned by the present system
o1 Dad Roads throughout the upland country
whose surplus produce consists entirely of
heavy articles, on several accounts is not
easily described. They are of course from
their habHs and manner of conducting their
affairs, anu procuring many of the neCcssa-
mes OF hfe, annually involy ed in some debts,
10 their merchants, mechanics and hire
llngs, and perhaps for rent, &c. To dis
charge these claims i'll due time, their re-
source III general Consists in that of getting
their surplus produce to market; which In
the present situation OF the Roads, they are
| unable during the winter months as afore-
said, to do with beasts which made the
| crop; and if their plantations are 30 or SO
ihi!es from market, it Will require a very
considerable portion, If not all of the profit
ai1aihS therctrom TO hire the waegonage :;
AAt even at that eXtravagant price, they fire.
quent!y cannot procure it to be done until
tAc winter DC past during which time they
are SNhcrng many severe Inconvenience
Ior want OF the money SO to he raised be-
SIDES, II II Consists OF the articles of wheat,
IS subject to many losses and damage and
early Ill the spring to be destroyed by the
weavil. Never will the Agricuturists, be
aDie to raise profits from farms thus Cir
cumstanced, nor be easy and happy, until
sanitary laws provide that the Roads be
Kept III such tolerable repair q must reito-
'aee,) as VIII enable the farmers during the
WINTER to carry their surplus produce to
market with the beasts which made it. be
! they ever so small and this is the simple
but most undeniable fact, which reason and
experience Concur in establishing beyond the
power II sophstry to contradict.
All which beneficial purposes would have
been most completely effected, and ali the
evils complained of, entirely removed or re-
NEEDED by passing the aforementioned bill
III the forming of which, no pains seemed tc
be spared III collecting from ex, cricnce and
iegai Information, every essential to render
It ecoao aic-l, useful, Convenient, Just, equal
& C9mi rchensive, as the nature IF the case
wCuli admit, OF human wisdom advise 5,
indeed 1t was & is considered hy men hes,
III psmed on the subject, and most (eep,y
in crested in ii,s. views it was intended in IL.
+ 'inutiiy 70 embrace, as well rs the general
exte'dt d welfare ana prosperity OF this Com.
monwealth
am ware, my dear Sir, that it possibly
may be urged hat the proposed law viii not
IN us operation, equally benefit every part o.
the CON mm~ealth t,lat will be granted
a fe -