Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-12-15
VIRGINIA COW ENTION.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. IL

from the tablcs furnished by the Auditor and to make
such corrections they may be found to require.
The tables OF population shew us, that there are
probably in the commonwealth at this time, about
1000 white persons, end about 600 sayc thus
distributed amongst the different dsircts-in the st
or western dstr ct about 10 900 whites and 900
slaves, more than 10 whites for each slave:-in the
lnd, Valley district about SO 600 whites and 3,,5
900 slaves, little more than whites to slave;-in
the lrd or middle dlstrict about l97 600 whites and
22I 900 slaves the slaves exceeding the whites bv a.
bout $4,000, nearly cigih of the white populations:
ard III the 4th eastern dstric about 900 whites
and i76 900 slaves,thc slaves there, also exceeding
the whites about $500, about Que sixteenth of the
white population. Thus It appears that the oggre-
gate OF slaves the east of the Blue Ridge is about
S97 00, while the aggregate the west is about
50,a00-neariy by 1--whilc the aggregate of white
population on tho cast of the mountain is about 2c2
300, acs! that on the west 39G0o--the difference on
y about 1850. 1t is therefore true Us is stated on
Inc other side, that the slave population is very unc-
qally distributed at this time and at present es-
sSnta!ly al eastern interest
FROM the tables Of taXatio:,, the gentleman from
Chesterfield deduced, that the people of the first dis
trict paid OF the whole take land and personal pro-
psrty, average per ctpLd, OF % cents mills: and
The people of the second district cents mills
the people OF the 3rd district, paid 72 cents mills
and those of the fourth 6j cents miils-naLinm an
average for the people the west of the Blue RIDE
of32 cents ? mills; and for the people on the east of
CO cents mills He selected individual members in
the different districts, between which there was IL s
more striking inequality, and Showed that the average
contribution Of the slave tax per captt i'll the seve-
raj districts was the most unequal OF al.
Ihat there inequalities the ontrilfitions c(
revenues from the different districts OF the State ov-
my to the unequal distribution Of wealth no ono
doubts 1t Is certainly SO, i'll country as it is in
all countries, and as 1t must be- SO long as taxes are
IdQd upon property and not polls; so Onr as Tho a
bility to pay shall be regarded as trnishin any c,
tCron OF the amount of contributions Bu. The Stafr
iflens which have been exhibited YOU are caIc1at
CT TO deceive-They make the Impression tlat tho
several sum. stated, slaw the average per caoita ac-
tualiy assessed on the tuX-payng inhabitants Of, tho
scVefa distFctS--thls however Is not the case: the
calculations are made by distributing the whole a.
1npunt OF taxes assessed, In each district OH the whole
nutnbef OF tree persons IN the district, or whom Inv
fand or tax could be assessed, whether black or h
male or female, Infant adult. have made an es
innate OF the average per cayita actually assaesad
on the tax paying inhabitants of the several districts
-=a!'a the result materially Observation-Disclosures inc
qualities 1t Is true, must have been anticipated
but Inequalities less elaring and less calculated to
excite alarm, or to countenance the eytrayau3rt a
iarIn Tor power which has been founded upon item
tne committee will remark, that have made This
estimate from the Auditors tables the taxes assess
cd Tor the year 1923, and ms lists of persons CHARGED
with taxes on land other property in tho sevSr.I
ceanties and corporations in the comnonweallh-
There will be slight inaccuracy in the estimate Of
the land tax, resulting from the circumstance tInt
this list excludes all those charged with tax on par
GELS OF land IN the country less than % acres But
this inaccuracy cannot materially vary the result
Calculating upon these data, find the average tax
PER capita as tolows-in the first district land tax
nl,J1
IN the second district land s. 80, tax on other
property Si,l2, total S3,i2;-in the third district
land tax S2,Sl,-taS on other property S2,43-total
S4,7iand III the fourth district, land tax GO 81 tax
ON other property S2,43-totai 81, 80. We thus SEE
that the average land OF the Valley district is cgu
to the average nd tax of the middle district within
one cent, and is superior average land tax of
the eastern district twenty three cents-that its ave-
Tagetoai tax, is less than the average total of the
middle district, tax ,32-that about 30 per cent
and less than the aperag1toa of the ca stern district
Is nbClt Dpr rHTt- th,,
On slaves, have been reduced cents, for the present
year, and this reduction would cease the ayerare of
Tue several districts to stand thus-rst district SO
-second district S3,s4,-third district 81 43-fourtl
district S4,l9, bringing the Valley district within
Sl,l1 OF the midland district, and within 85 cents of
the eastern-lt must be farther remarked that in
theSe eStlHlateS, the towns of Richmond PeetsbrIrrr
and Fredericksburg have been included within the
Hdc-watcr dIstrlct.-Now although these towns arc
situated at the head OF tide water they do not for any
OF the purposes OF this argument belong to the tide
water district. Their sympathics their interests orf
with the country that lies above them which founded
them, supplies their trade and furnishes their wealth.
Withdraw them from that district and YOU diminish
very materially its average taX-We have not the
Jncans of G. mating the taxes paid in
our tables containing separate return for that
tPWn-S5u6stracting Richmond and PETERSBURG ONLY
fir which we have separate cturns and then Tho az
eragc of the eastern district Will be- of land 81 of
las OH other property SIZE total S396;-tbus rc
dnclng its average land tax 16 cents below, that ne
the Valley and leaving its total average only % cents
above it.
In ali these estimates it will be observed that the
contributions OF the Allegheny district are very
much below Par.-lt Is easy 80 understand why The
average TAX on personal property much lower there
than III tAe other districts, because Of the small num-
Der oil ITS savcsbut why the average andtcx should
be SO, Is an enquiry, the which docs not lie
on tic surface 1t Is propably to found in two con
Gsralions-tlrst, very large quantities of land in
DIFFERENT parts of that district, on which larpc rrcor
OF taxes are DUE have been vested in the literary fund
by the operations of tho tax law Of 1914 aud are now
stricken from the tax books, because the lands be
longing TO that fund pay taxes-secondly g. Chief
YIN the year 1917, when all the lands of the com
ulonweaith were assessed, it is well known that the
Puohc mind was acting under delusion which, mis-
eu It's estimates OF the value of every thing and per-
Lhe combined .nhucnce of protraclcd rnar j., r..