Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-18


or, anu Tor uniting tue eastern and western wa
ieis by the James and kanawha Rivers and for
other purposes" passed February the 10th. 1895.
rs authoriscs the james River Company To bor
row on the credit of this Commonwealth. two
hundred thousand dollars, and to pledge the sur
pns tolls, rents and water rights of the James
n'er Company for the payment thereof; and
me ith Ut tins state 10 make good the deiicen-
CIV.
Mr. G.. called for the ayes and noes ON this
question. IL was his wish that the character of
Tins loan should be perfectly understood We
haa been told, that the people of James river
haa oeen instrumental in producing this loan,
and that those who dance must paw the ,,iDer.
The people of James river did not want th,
loan, and they did not wish TO Ounce after this
fme. The law which passed the Senate on yes
'eruav. was OF a most serious and burdensorne
character. He wished To separate the people
of James river from the responsibility of this
loan. lie wished it to be distinctly understood
that this loan was not for their benefit, and that
'hey were extremely oppressed by its adjunct,
the new tariff. Their rights were FRUSTRATED,
and 1t was his duty to represcntthe fact to the
nation.
MIR. WATKINS moved an appointment to the
preambc-strilSing fromit etthe delegation he
tween tide water and the blue ridse,n as all OF
them did not go with tie gentleman He re-
minded the House of the.yiews under which the
james river cal al had been undertaken The
gentleman from Amherst. tMr. GARIANp,) had
been one who had chiefly attached him To it,
Then we were told that the tolls ON James ri
yer ought TO be increascd-and that the canal.
by the increase of tolls, would work its own sal
vation. MIR. w. denied that the James river
country was opft essed by the new tolls. The
tariff on tobacco which had excited so much
disPeasure, was only proporioned TO duties on
other articles.
Mr.. WATKINS, of Goochand, made point of
order. He thought that the House having
once decided this question:, ii was no longer I'M
der its power. Overruled.
MIR. RANDOLPH, of Albemarle, offered sub
stitute 10 the resolution of MIR. GARLAND. as
follows:
fcsolced, That leave be given to bring in a bill,
reducing to more reasonable rate the tolls the
navigation OF James river, established b.. an act
passed Feb. l6, 1926, and diminishing the sum of
S2O0000, authorised to be borrowed by that law,
tot sum bearing the same proportion to the amount
Of the reduced tolls, that the sum of S2u0OOO bears
t. the unrcduced tolls.
Mr. PATTEsoN assigned the reason why he
should vote for the original resolution. He had
under all circumstances opposed the James ri
yer scheme-and he thought the most efectual
way ofarresting twas, by preventing its friends
IRON borrowing money To carry it on. The
gentleman from kanawha, (Mr- LOVELY had
SAID, that this was no longer be called the James
river scheme, but the kanawha. Fit was a
kahawha scheme, let kanawha pay for it, He
was very willing TO give up the honour, to be
released from the burden of paying for it.-Mr.
z. reminded the House, that we were existing
the tobacco country in favor of completing, her
whole scheme.
MIR. DRoMGooLE was sorry to see at this pc
rlod of the session, cause calculated TO destroy
the harmony of the House. The preamble was
of n most extraordinary character-it called
upon this House, to rcpeala law passed on yester-
day-it was therefore dsrespectful. He was
willing, to go TO any length in nrotecting the
right of the minority, and in granting them leave
10 spread protest on the Journais.--tM MIR. Gar
md expressed his willingness tn withdraw the
preambh.) Mr. ID. proceeded. We hal be-
fore heard these dolcful songs oil injury and OPP
preston to portion of the community. For
one, he hndsalways been opposed to the scheme,
and he was glad to see gentlemen recanting
their errors.--lle had voted for this loan, and
the tariff, because he thought the first required
by the faith of the State, and that the other was
not unjustly oppressive. Mr.. ID. therefore NOV
ell TO postpone the resolution and substitute in
definitely.
Mr.. GORDON hoped that the resolution would
not be postponed. The proceedings of power,
were always high minded and summary-we
find gentlemen now voting for the loan, who
had herctofore always opposed it. They were
enlisted in its support, becau,e TAX, was now
imposed Oh particular sectionof the country.
MIR. q. REQUIRED to the original views of the
friends of the James Ri err improycms IT. He ask
cd ifitwas not then called, great Stale measure9
By what right then, was one portion to be taxed,
more than another, and that portion itself not
benefited? The husbandman waste be taxed
now, for whate To CRAFTY that portion of the
House, which had always been opposed TO the
canal The tariff had been passed through this
House by call of the previous question-by a
union of many interests to Cypress the centre of
the State. MIR. G. made solemn appeal to
the Justice of the House tojudge this question
upon the separate merits of the tariff and the
loan, aud not through resentment TO those who
had attempted the improvement of James River
to saddle on them burdens, unjust, unequal, and
in violation of the faith of the State. He was
willing to extend aid to the wcst--let them take
the money they wanted 10 finish their road and
canal through the Blue Ridge-he had never
refused them dollar, but lie begged that the
intermediate country on James River, might
not be compelled 20 take loan which they wan
ted not.
Mr.. DRoMGooLE explained his course in legis-
latioD, and indicated it from the implied ccnsure
OIL the part of Mr.. Gordon. He had been told, that
lie represented local feelings and interests, instead
of the great interests of the country. lie acknow-
lodged the truth of the observation. He thought
that II was ouly by representing truly, particular
interests, that the general interests of the State
could be represented and promoted.
MIR. RANDoLPH, of Albemarle, said he should
not have voted for the bill, he had not hoped that
the tariff would have been corrected elsewhere
Being disappointed III this, he could not be satisfied
without au effort to amend it.
The question on postPonemcnt of tie resolution
was taken by ayes and noes, aud carried in the aE