American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-01-13

to your consideration, whether srv plan couid BE
devised consistent with the public benefit by whes
the public arms might thus be disposed Of
As this state is, almost wholly, an agricultural sa4s
manufacturing state, is not The public encourage
ment Of these important interests worthy osynuT
serious reHecony The srnallness of our serr,lorys
and the trfne increase of our population d8,igg
the last ten - render The duty Of taking he great
interests of the state under public patronage pecHy
iarly imposing. To the manufacturer, perhaps,
you can give but little direct aid To congress he
must look for his principal succor. In his appica~
ton TO that body for any favor which you may dseEo
Injurious to the other great interests Of caRs
try, you will, it is hoped, be willing to afford him
your assistance. The icultureHst is not so much
beyond the sphere of your immediate patronage, he
may directly fee! the aid of public encouragement
and, with the prosperity Of no class in the commu-
nifty is the welfare, and happiness Of the public Sc
Intimately blended, with the agricultural.
would suggest the propriety OF establishing an
agricultural board to watch over this great interest,
II would, perhaps, be advisable to require from the
board an annual report to the Legislature, embrsc-
ling statement of the agricultural situation of the
State and notice of the agricultural improvements
at home and abroad. Such board, with suita-
bic fnnd at its disposal by the introduction of in-
lProvements, and the dissemination of knowledge
among the people, could not fail to add greatly to
agricultural part of the community is taxed in the
most oppressive manner, by our laws relative TO
fences upon public roads, would advise the repeal
OF all such laws. Ii seems to me most unreasona~
bic and oppressive thing TO compel one to pne
up several miles Of fence in der to protect hmse
against the stock OF another. According to our
Ipresent laws upon this subject. person may be-
compelled to expend several thousand dollars igy
erecting fences 10 guard himself from the encroachs
nF he frth sc hay
reasonable to require that every person who keeps
stock shall be benndto take of them, so far, az
least that they shall not inlure others and thas
he shall be responsible for all the damage that they
may commit: but ifthe owner Of stock goes to the
lexpense of securing them 30 that they shall neg
ltrespass upon others, see why he should
be forced to incur additional expense in order
lguard himself against the stock OF the whole com"
munity. The fences of this State, which the agrT-
cultural part of the community has been forced by
our laws to erect must have cost at least half mill
lion OF dollars. These fences, every ten or twenty
Years, require renewing so that it appears that our
laws relative TO this subject, impose upon the far
ming class of the state at least every twenty years.
the enormous tax, fnot less than FIVE hundred
thousand dollars. There appears to me, also,
reason for the favor that our laws shew for the
ner Of unenclosed lands Ifthe owner ofsuch lands
should choose to cover Them with cattle, the owner
oil the soil contiguous, il he is disposed to cultivate
lit, is forced, according laws, to erect division
fences at his sole expense, in order TO protec, him
self against the cattle of the former. This is, OBJ
yousy, tax upon agricultural industry; and, it is
hoped that it will receive from you due considera~
tion.
When we contemplate the prosperity Of our cSun-
try, and behold the situation of other nations, our
hearts should swell with gratitude TO that exalted
Being, to whose goodness alone, We are indebted
for all the distinguished privileges we enjoy. The
happy institutions from which our blessings Smme-
diately flow, should be cultivated and cherished as
the gifts of benefcent Parent,--to whom would
Join with you in grateful aspirations for the past, and
In humble applications for the future.
CHARLES THOMAS.
January z, 1924.