Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-01-05

: : ! i :
:, c: NJ. c. NJ. G. NJ. c. M
E Ms,ish" l Do. 1s s. s. % & 81
This exhibition, he said, would show that the la
Dor of the is higher taxed than chat of the east
In relation to two out three of the subjects Of
tlon and differs nconsiderably in the of tax
paid per head III the diherent quarters of the State
That difference he said, owing 10 The apparent
ly diminished amount paid on land by the extreme
western district, ami which he thought might be fully
and satisfactorily accounted for by reference pro-
sent and past sysen1s of taxation, and thcI influence
on that part of he Comnonwealtfi.
Before the year 1917 the tax on land yus ASSESSED
upon an arbitrarily assumed average of the value in
the several districts of the State BY the operation
or this rule the inferior lands of the west were taxed
beyond any just regard to their annual product whe
ther from cultivation or appreciation IN the market
aud the consequences has been that vast quantity of
the western lands have become forfeit cd for the nom
payment OF taxes, and vested in the President
and Directors of tho Literary Fund No means, he
SAID now offered for ascertainng the number of acres
which had been transferred by this process from the
assessment lists of the amount oftaxes and DANA
ges now due or annually accruing, on lands so sua-
tea or OF the amount annually paid into the treasury
ior the redemption of lands in this condition. Mr.. S.
SAID tna an attempt to invast9a this subject at the
Auditors office had furnished him with statement
OF the forfeited lands in of the western Counties
only. From this statement it appeared that there
iellcu 10 inc FUND, the of
Cabcll, 3l3o,5S2 acres, charged with taxes and IA
images, amounting in the year 1914 to Sl9,975 He
SAID this singular expose melancholy commen-
tary land laws of I7S9-uudcr the oparotion
OF hch, land to nearly double the area of the coun
ty had been sold by the Commonwealth, and the owl
was daily Increasing by grants from the land
office.
! Mr.. S. remarked that he had, however ATTEMPTED
to ascertain what ought to be the probable product of
the andt in the county of Cabcl, under a system
Which assessed the tax upon the land, and not upon
the pretended titles which the Commonwealth
daily furnishing. He found the area of that county
to be OBS square miles, equal to 661 100 acres;
063 acres only of which now to be found Oh
the land lists for taxation, and Which produced re-
venue of 1854.
MIR. S. then entered into calculation showing
that If the residue of the land actually found in that
county, amounting 507ll7 acres, was restored to
the tax lists and charged at the rate with that
already on the Commissioners books, that it would
augment tbeSandtaX OF the county Of Cabell S151s-
giving amount of from land in that county
beyond the sum derived from the same source, in
the large populous county of Accomac to whose re.
preventative the Convention had been indebted for so
much statistical information
DIR 5. remarked, that he did not mean to 90 into
the questions of revenue presented by that eentleman
out that he would take occasion remind him that if
the eastern peninsula of Virwina contributed mere ia
the treasury than some Of the western counties il
was more than unidentified in its proportion of Ire ex.
pcudtnre Tor the support of the judiciary. Dir. s.
SAID that he was satisfied that whenever the paternal
care OF the government Should give quiet and reuose
10 the western settlers, that they would not be found
decien Lii contributions, either TO the treasury or to
the defence of the country
Mr.. 5. said that OH eyamininu the relative r,,er;,s
OF the propositions before the Convention it mipht
not be Improbable to look into some of those which
Gad o9en heretofore pressed upon its considerations
III would be recolected, that eastern gentlemen had
taken their stand upon proposition which combined
white population and taxation tue basis of repre-
sentation He said that he was accustomed to re-
gard himself as ot understanding that of the results
ne Ia 1oj
into requstloH his own arithmetca skill, aided by
two gentlemen particularly versed in calculations
One OF them furnished him with the combinations as
falows:
Western District 81
Valley District -22
Midland 20
Underwater So
In a House of Delegates composed OF 90 members
In TINS computation men and dollars were regarded
as units of the value, producing about II Dele
gates from the white population and 10 from the tax
CD property Its application to the extreme western
and eastern districts. found TO place the nhabt.
ants OF each IN the following relations to the other.
in the western district, 1857 white PERSONS paving
taxes to the amount of 107 dollars would be entitled
10 one delegate, while in the eastern district 700
white inhabitants, paying 1926 dollars would be ent-
uca 10 the same representation BY this political a.
'rthmeIc an excess IN taxation of 271o dollars wac
10 I've col,Pepsated by an excess in pers,ns equal TO
30, Wnlch Oaances at the rate of % G. per head
DIS combination, although it rated our western CT
t|es as i've franc pieces aud their eastern brethren
as Loulsd ors was found more favorable TO western
cquuHty Ihah was admissible by the principles oFcou
binaton avowed and explained by the authors of that
notable project. Their principles of combination re
CURED that to ascertain the number of delegates TO
winch any particular district would be entitled it
was first necessary TO find what number would he
given by white populations aud, secondly, what num-
Der the tax paid by the district would enttle il TO u
The combined results divided or aperaged was then
assumed as The proper representation. Tue applica-
tlon oi he r".e thus modified. was found TO give 10
M - - ~