Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-01-14

aud OF The east still uutaXed and at the
same time you taxed every oaif in the
west.
The tax on horses, the chief moycablc
property of The west, bears no fair pro-
portion TO tine tax on slaves, the chief
movable property of the east. Horses
are taxed higher iii proportion To their
value than slaves. il will require ten hor-
ses and colts on an average TO be worth
slave ht Tor service, Il tared slave vet
Il colt WORTH ten dollars paws about the
fourth part of the tax OH a slave worth Il
Thousand dollars. Again: all horses of all
ages are taxed; slaves under tweivey years of
eye are exempted from taxation. Again:
when young slaves between 0&, IL years
were taxed, they paid less than;growns slaves
but the colt ter days Cl paws the same
tax as the carriage horse. The county
ot Randolph contains II horses for each
slave therein:N several of the eastern coun-
ties conialn2 tared slaves, perhaps Sla, es
Tor each horse they contain. lIcaCr the
necessity, with view To do equal Justice
to every part OF the commonwealth, that
The tax imposed on the slave, who is the
property of the wealthy man, and Of tie
east, should bear fair and Jus; proporti-
on 10 the fax on the horse, which is the
property of the rliddling and poorer
classes, and of the west. Tie UNEQUAL
system adopted has beer oppressive TO
the people of the west; and is one of the
practical evil. which ascribe to the inc
quality of representations
During the war, YOU laid fax OH Salt
works and Coal-pits these subjects re-
sembled each other much the products
of both were mineral products "a part
of each was exported: and both the salt
and III scoal were articles OF first necessi-
~ the salt-works We're in The west, the
coal pits in tiIeeast; the tax on the salt
works was twelve and a half per cent on
their prodHcts the tax on the coalpits was
three per cent OH their ranS; estimating
the rentas equal TO athird o.! The product,
the tax on the salt-works was twelve
hundred and fifty per cent. higher than
on the coal-pits; while one hundred dol
lars worth of salt paid IL dollars aud 30
cents, one hundred dollars worth OF coal
would pay one dollar.
We often hear of the and-tax-that IL
bears heavily and unequally on the east
crn parts ofthe Commonwealth is
the OPINION OF the Select Committee. If
II be SO, 1t is 10 time that such inequality
may be ascribed. The plan was drawn
up when the western sections of the
State had fifty members less OF tbs
floor than they have to-day. Ii was
formed by those who had the pow
er, III way, presume, not then deemed
unfavorable TO themselves. The Iand-tax
has no relation to, circumcision with. rep
rcsentation. The one is certainly unjust:
the other may be so. | am willing that
the plan for laying the land-tax should be
changed tomorrow, because it is unjust
to individuals. A gentleman in the coun-
ty of Washington Owns two estafes-the
one should estimate at 5000, 600. and for
this lac pays tax of four dollars the o.
ther should estimate at 500, OGO, and for
this, he pays eleven dollars thus, the
one OF these estates is taxed about 200
per cent higher than the other. The just
plan OF taxation is, Let all pay according to
tier ,Deditk.
We have also suffered a practical evil
in the distribution of office. Let us begin
with the highest office in the government.
Twenty elections of Governor have been
made ten of these fell on gentlemen resi-
DING on tide water /: seven on gentlemen
residing between tide water and the Blue
Ridge one on a gentleman who had for
merry resided west Of the Blue Ridge; and
one on gentleman residing west of tile
AliegiIany 1.-THE present Governor.) Exa-
mine who have been appointed members
OF the old Congress, and members of the
Senate ofthe u. s; it will be found that
nearly all of them were from the eastern
sections OF this Commonwealth. The At
torncy Generals, Auditors, Registers
Treasures, &c. have all been selected
from the same sections, one only except
ed Uhe present Treasurer) The Judges.
with one or two exceptions, were all taken
from tile same sections, until the circuit
court system seemed TO require that thev
should be appointed i'll all parts OF The
state; but even then, no appointment was
made III that Wronged part of the state
where reside the two judicial districts
IN that quarter have received their Judges
from other districts. No man. ever could
be found III counties that have beenrepre
scented on this floor by John Brs cken-
ridge, Thomas Madison, James Brecken-
ridge, Daniel Shelley, and Allen Tay.or.
who understoodilie principles Of the com
mon law
These circumstances are fairly attribu-
table TO our not having had our Just share
of representation in the Legislature.
That would have brought to view more of
the talents of the western people; and Civ
Ell to them, on joint ballot, their lust
weight.
But have depressed and will come
back to the question: Can another con
stliution be formed, securing the lust
rights of all; and better adapted TO the
state of society
Surely if the existing constitution has
acknowledged defects, such defects may