Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-02-24
FEEs8fUs9Es Z "a, lsIS.
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
SPECIE OF MIR. VENABLE,

individually the cpnsi.ration of The Report IF the Com.
nitcc 81 fOndS and hhrnM NarigntiOn, recommend.
ing sencrn system II Improrrmeat Ociicered IN Tie
House IF Dci'g"tes, Thursday, The sM day IF Feb.
| ruary 1885
Mr SpEAKEn-I rise 10 discuss this subject with
dIdence-nnt that ii ia sub cct which have not
fehecrd but, Sir have not made such preparation as
this important subject demands and such as will enable
mr. ~ present 10 tins House such views will interest
anu eniIghrn H. MS would wish. aud many others,
nope VIII do IN the course Of this discussion. Sir, this
question is not TO b. settled by eoquence and highly
wrought representations Of ruan:ic scenery and
tain views dreamy calculations of ncaIcuube wealth
and unboundrd resources-wch it is 10 be feared will
never be realized: and now this !nuse 10 beware
bow they permit themselves To he led away by the mighty
efforts Of gentlemen whose business it ID 10 make fine
speeches Sir, belong not 10 the sperch.makng Glass,
and fear that my remarks will BIZ n such n tsutorv
character rs Ia be Iiresnnr 30 the House; but Sir feel in
duty bound forward defence n principles which
attacked IN the report before the luUse The gentle.
man from Augusta has we'll observed, that the system
! oilnlrrnaI Improvement IN this Commonwealth depends
| IN t.e acnn nj This House This report !, too Mr..
SPEAKER brrrr That much depends on The action Of this
HOUSE, ana It's decision of important principles involved
in this discussion 20 for tn indrtne poslponenle Mt
in good faith. and not Us the mover Of the pospunencn
merely for discussion Sake-and ! hope 10 show this
House good reasons for Indefinite pos pnnrmrnt wish
10 stand right before ,r House and The coun.ry-I am
opponent Of The of Internal Improve
deed rank ysrlf OF lis sincere aud true friends
and p!rd4e self Ia support HE mast liberal
but, Sit principles laid down and Advocated by the
gentleman from Augusta in defence Of this report, which
utterly NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and principle discarded,
which hold To liz dear to The citizens Of this Com
munwrah, the Constitution. The right n! unlimited
taxation is demanded for tins House, and deny that
this House has any such right, TO carry internal
improvement State accOunitn construct any works
continuation of works. under the name OF Internal
lmpruVrrnl that may be devised by the most reckless
or speculative political schrmrr without guard 10
prevent cxraragan wasciuness, and utterly casting off
the in grnc, he interest and the wachiuness which,
under the present I itself the surest guide
10 The STATE III the selection ard ~ the execution al such
works the sound Common sense OF the country wall
think proper 10 be uulerDk"n-Mr : prak"r, tins
report prnpC 10 cnrsd. uha extent. To abolish The
joint stock three iirS and two flIs systems, and
substitute therefor, n stem Of improvement State
account anil the g,.nrnau from Augusta, The supporter
Of this rcportIu his vrry abe Cclrnce n his views and
schemes calls The present syst lheving. stealing sys
TEN, which has silently crrp, upon The State and reader
ed bankrupt its Internal Improvement fund Nus. S:r,
this irnt stock Ystru s0lennly considered and
Thoroughly discussed by many % The best and wisest
III this State Than - years ago. and II was
adopted and has been adhered teas the only mode which
could III any way prevent lean and Interested nnprity
from becoming The lyrauts Of the minority ii is sys
ten, Sir adopted in the spirit ct compromise When
this cnmprunIIse adopted lh"re were many. and
hope there many Enw: ST. whO believed. That this
House did pUssrSs The power Of unlimited taxation;
tina, did possess the pnwrr u bnrlening the people
carry the plans and schemes IT vSlnnarIes he
belief that the power "f taxation extended only
such sufficient for meeting the ordI-
nary expenses IF government aud providing Tor na0n-
al defence The property "r Ihr country vas consider.
ed belonging to the people themselves, and not TO
their and hut lew sub
scripiIuns made hy The STATE But The cry for IN.
trnaI nprr vcmrnt became urgent that in Ike year
1916. Tins compromise Of JOINT sock stem agrecd
aud made the rule OF actipn-nnd. Mr.. Speaker
nuje and wholesome system it s-lt continues The
advantages Of equality and the certainty Of progressive
impruvrmru;sli "nc"urag"s the spare capital Of The
Country willingly To invest in works which will give
them fair return which added Ia the amount subscr!b
ell by the State large enhances the amount 10 br cx
peIId IN Internal improvement, The greater part OF
which is paid by willing hands, and not wrnng 10y taxa
lion from unwilling propIe-l causes 10 be willingly
invested in the improvement Of the country. that which
would otherwise be sent abroad and consumed. ropcve
his will only point 10 the large amount now invested
in this way OF individual pila and the extensive be-
nefs the rrby rendered to The country. This system
renders capital efficient by diminishing The cost Of
every wnrk-rhis itself equivalent tn The increase of
CAPITAL far the Object Nothing better known Than The
vtang tendency Of public Jobs public contracts The
waste the pyayaganc the corruption proverbal 10
evrry thing Of the kind This system guards the Stale
with the care, economy. zeal aud .walchnnrss "l The
private interests Of The snckborrS-l the State sufi-rs
from any cause. The private stockholders must Sui!rr
more lndcrd, consider each company constituted in
THIS wnv, filling tie stallion q" the most faithful n!i'
GERS Of Government hest interest is To guard
and take OF the property OF the Stale. Who are the
''"'t
intelligent and vr!n"ns czens-und these most inter-
ested in the public welfare:
This system eGuaIizes tn" burdens Of TIM original out
law BY It's returns and pGGts-f'r we, by IT. obtain the
ava of the Of private ns'eE, TO aid us
i'm choosing among the many projects which are con
sant.y offered The public u guards against the I'M
pruvidpnl schemes If those VIII" would involve the State
and who mean take share in the bDrdens of their
own projects In short Sir, 1t is system of mnI stand
ing in this Common wealth. which the people value
they do their iundansnuiI law. We told that the
Engineer the profits "f one ct these works to
be done State account at lofty per cent Now, MI
Speaker do not think that any EeTnhP On h's flunr has
the frs, idea that The people anug this profitable irr
bepye nup word The Of such estimates
Is IT. no, CLEAR that an intelligent proud wealthy, and
people would take atonce lie stock o any
Improvement that would pay hall such pr"hl:-l'iey
certainly would. Sir-ihe State would not be allowed q
sba,e Of such stock Such estimates these cannot
null the good people OF this Cominon@raih Whilst
il is fresh in the memory OF the House, mDst notice
rlarng inconsistency III the defence 81 the gentleman
from Augusta, nt scllsms which he hos so ably pre-.
sen,rd 10 ,hIs House; an Inconsistency, which, IN my
opinnn is fatal TO that beautiful scheme OF FINANCE
which is only 10 pay for all these works, but to
sink the debt both principal and intereS!-ie hIst de-
cries . fund fr Internal Improvement rs bankrupt,
from The nHusncp Of this hisvng point slnck system;
and then akrs this vIls unpr"hlnbie and bankrupt sys-
TEN, rs The foundation ri this great system o hnonce
which il 10 work such wonders. The profits OF ihs
fun6 oe counted large 10 meet The clargeS
of increasing loans pay lhr interest and redeem the
p,ncipal True be aGhs In thus resource. the surplus
fund deposited with This Stale by the United States
Now should like To know how 3, IS, that this fund IS
thus appropriated, before this House has passed upon H.
This r,nd is a sacred dcpos,e--nnd shall we il?
And suppose shall never ne chilled Tor by Inc Unlted
S,aes-sre there not other claims upon this innd: The
area, cause Of Education has claim; and ihs House
has before this given signs of another disposition Of it,
And this The only error in this financial arrange
mon, The urcna Of our loans heretofore made, begins
TO fall due in the year I5I0, to do so
ont the most of tie years TO which the gentleman cal
citations extend. Those payments are nnprGSided for,
and of they mus! subyer and destroy lhs system
aope,her The completion Of the great James River aud
Kanawha Work, and the trmands upon The State for
carrying out all other important works already begun