Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-01-03

the end of the tenth year. (whon colonization y Ia
commenced the debt will little exceed forty doiar
for each slave in possession After that period
colonization VIII equal the annual purchase an,
prevent any increase of the number of slaves ir
possession of the State. The debt will howeyn,J
continually diminish, and be extinruish,,,s
end of the eighteenth year: lctyinr thc,.,g.7 -.
session OF the State, the purchase OF the las 10.
years, after having colonzed those of the fir
eight yesrs. Inducements to good conduct, durin,
tho term of service preceding colonizatic
be easily presented in the shape Of penn!, fv<r
rewards The first TO consist OF an additional -.
of servitude, and even perpetual slavery for gre
offences. These subjects of penalties would max
room for rewaming these of exemplary conduct
by shortening their term Of scrv;cc If any apprs
hension exists, that l have rated the annual hiry
too high at thrty-iive dollars, it vanish. whci
VIC reflect, that by ombarlsing in a system of Inter
mai improvement, upon large scale, which Virgil
III must 49, or sink into nSigniiicance, she can,
great degree, control TIE price of this species 4
lubour.
1t viii be perceived that the proposed SC. "a. :
leaves the slave population now in existence. ~
the ordinary course of nature In forty FIVE wears
the number of survivors of that class wouid no l
exceed ffty-thousand. Bot if the state of publi,
feeling viii admit of the scheme going into imnie-
date operation instead of being postponed for six
teen years, SO mucl, the better In that case of
those slaves now exceeding the age of sixteen tho
number would be reduced to less than fifty thousand
in thirty years.
l vii! not trouble you with moro details, lest
prolixity may deter from examination. L
only further remark on this subject, that tho cenl
having afforded no information to the numbe
of slaves of the aye of sixteen years. tine rru.ahoy
which, under my scheme, would be annually pur
chased, must be onlectural. have not access to
the late census; but that of 1920, exhibits So 79I
males, and 5l,972 females, making an aggregate of
lOl,763 slaves between the ages of fourteen ant 1
twenty-six years. This would give average =
$3.50 slaves of each age. between Ia and &c years.
| We may therefore assume, that the number annu,
ally arriving at the age of sixteen years, will not
| exceed ten thousand. If SO, the maximum amount
OF debt incurred by the operation of the scheme
would, at the end of the sixth year, be less than
SIX millions of dollars, and the State would thon
hold sixty thousand slaves. AS before stated, tho
amount OF debt will annually diminish, after tho
sixth year.
perceive that petitions will be presented to t'..
next General Assembly, for the removal of = Z
Free Negroes. Would there not be a propricty -.
appropriatng the tax upon Slaves to defray the
pense of colonizing them! A law might author
the payment to the Colonization Society oftwenty
five dollars for each free negro transported from
Virginia: and from the Penentiary, each ColonistA
might be supplied with certain tools, &c. usefnrI
to the emigrant. Such application of the slaveI
tax, would soon relieve the State from that anon 4
alous population. A Political EcoNoMIsr. Y