Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-12-22

second district S3,3i;-third district, S443-.fourth
district, $4,l9, bringing the Valley district within
OF the midland district, and within IS cents oil
the eastern-lt must be farther remarked, that in
t6ese estimates, the towns OF Richmond, Petersburg
and Fredericksburg have been included within the
tide-waer district-Now, although these towns are
situated at the head OF dewater, they do not for any
OF the purposes Of this argument belong 10 the tide
water district Their sympahies, their interests are
with the country that lies above them which founded
them, supplies their trade and furnishes their ealth
Withdraw them from that district, and you diminish
very materially its average tax.-We have not the
means OF estimating the taxes paid in fredericksburg
our tables containing separate return for that
town.Sub'trsc,ing Richmond and Petersburg only,
Tor which we have separate returns, and then the
erage OF the eastern district will be- Of land 81 3d. Of
tax on other property S2,I2, total S996;-thus re-
ducng its average land tax 46 cents below that Of
the Valley and leaving its total average only SO
above il.
In all these estimates 1t will be observed that the
contributions Of the trans eghany district worry
much below par-lt is easy to understand why the
average tax personal property il much lower there
than in the other districts, because of the small num-
Der oil its savebut why the average land tax should
be so, enquiry. the which does not lie
on the surface. is probablyto be found two
slider ations-first, very large quantities of land, in
different parts OF that district on which large arrears
OF taxes are due, have been vested in the literary fund.-
by the operations oil the tax law Of 1914, and
stricken from the tax books, because the lands be-
longing to that fund pay and chief
ly, I'm the year 1877 when all the lands of the com
u
public mind was acting under a delusion, which mis-
led its estimates Of the value Of every thing and per-
haps OF nothing more, than OF the value of land
The combined influence of proracted war in Eu-
rope, which Tor many years had given an extern
sive market, and high prices the products of our
soi,-our own war, which throwing a large amount of
mercantile capital out OF its regular employment left
10 seek investment in land; and the great multiplied
ton OF banks, which creating large, fictitious capital
increased to an exravagant degree the in
real property-had inflated the market price of tina,
nrn rfN hax Opl III
value These causes, in Virginia, had exerted their
principal force In the agricultural country Of the VAL
ley, and the eastern side of the Mountain, and espe-
ciay the banking towns, and their immediate vcini-
ties They but little felt In the trans Aleganv
country, remote from the influence of the banking-re-
mote from market and from the scenes Of speculation
Its lands were the less sought either by the emgrant
or the specuator. because Of the difficulty in their H.
tes The land law of one thousand seveneundred and
seventy nine, drawnit is said by the Geo. Mason
the author OF our Consti,ution,-men not equally
wise for all thingsthe land law of '96 had operated TO
produce infinite confusion in the land titles of the
west and this cause well by retarding settlements
as dseonragng purchasers, had depressed the
ket value OF their lands Thus, while exraneou. caus
es OF one kind contributed TO enhance the marke value
OF lands east Of the Allegheny extraneous causes Of
another kind conspred TO depreciae the market value
OF the lands west OF that mountain. should have in.
ierred, therefore, that the of 1917, which
the law required TO be made according 10 the
value, would have overTaed the lands on the eastern
waters, and moderated those on the western W.
all Know that the lands the eastern waters were
assessed toe high and am informed that those on the
western waters we're in truth assessed too low Look.
ing al statement made from the assessors tables we
ma that while The average value of the lands i'm the
waters was but 90 per acre. those of the
Valley were dollars thirty three cents those
Of the Midland district SO 20 and those Of the eastern
district So 43 per acre. These causes added 10 the
great increase Of population in the western district
since the assessment, leave reasonable doubt that
new assessment would reduce the average of all the
lands Of the three districts upon the eastern waters
average OF the lands in the western district and wouIJ
place the iandtax of that district nearly upop qround
Of equality with the land-tax of the other ;s,s;c, Sc
the State. N "
Ii does not follow, Mr.. Chairman, from the inc
qualities oil contribution in the different districts tina,
there any injustice in the taxes imposed
or that those who pay least can best bear the
imposed on them. Ii taxes imposed on the mo-
perty oil the country in the proportion of the ability
oil ITS owners to pay those who have more property
and therefore pay more taxes have SURELY no canse n
complaint With equal prudence economy and oooJ
management the rich will he always able to paw The
contributions to the government with more ease than
the poor The contributions Of the rich man are maid
from his abundance, and if hey resr ain his eDiovmens
al all, they curtail only his luxures-wbie the Door
man wthdraws his modicum from bare compe,encv
leaving scarcely enough behind for the and
the ordinary comforts of life. IL has been the object
OF our laws 10 distribute the taxes among the peone In
proportion TO the value Of their property assuming that
as the best criterion of their ability paw and adopt
ing such general rules 10 effect their object "a ware
found by experience 10 he most in practice
II they have filled in this olect az TO donbt in some
degree they have, the failure has been greater than
was TO have been anticipated from the intrinsic diff
Guilty OF the subject. If you will measure The ability
oil The several districts by The amount of their labor
and allow the whole number of their inb,biau,s
Pecuveiy TO be lair STANDARD of their comparative
Iabor,-you have testify which to try this question
DO not vouch for the accuracy of this test though
Detter one does not now TO meand IL Won iii
apply, by dividing the whole amount of taxes in eacb
district by the whole number of its inhabitants Won
VIII ma the average per capita not very uneouai i'm
he several districts east OF the Alieghany,-and une-
qnai IN The western district, doubt because Of The
accidental undervslue Of it's lands already expIain
ed he taxes OF the several Districts for the wear
1879, distributed among all the inhabitants of e,cb
gives an average, per CAPITA nearly as follows: In ,hs
hrst district, fifteen cents in the second
cents; IN the third, thirty one cents and in be fourth
thirty cents '''''''
have been thus particular in examining the man.
ner IN which the taxes are distributed amono The
different districts Of the ah not beca,,sa 4,
was essential TO the merits of the question no beG,re
The Committee but because thought Il would no.
move rom our minds the alarming spectacle Of power
~ MAKING war upon weaIth,-and would satisfy impar.
va" men mar esch district pays, as nearly the ope
ration OF laws always imperfect could be expected IN
produce, Just contribution TO the governmebt-tba,
no district - In state OF paupersm-none in s,u,
ZION 10 be tempted 10 seize unlawfully on lie
proPeriy,--and that In all human prohabilitv ,vhen
hereattera western shall vote from the nocket M
MS eastern brother dollar, in tho form of taxes he
VIII vote from his own pocket, at the same fine ncsrv
an equivalent sum, one at least, which he can as III
spare, and will be as little able 10 raw regretted
very much to hear that part Of The remarks of the gen.
ueman from AccOmac, (Mr Joynes) in which he endea
vored 70 show that the whole country of the Blue
Ridge Did pay into the treasury sufficient 10 de
ray INC expenses OF s delegation 10 the General As
rrfI Il Al