Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-02-22
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.

,s.s To tell us where you lie.
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
SUBSTANCE OF THE REMARKS OF MR. STUART OF
Upon the State principle, This state OF things could
never If the appropriations were made directly
out Of the fund.- the Legislature would be more cautious
in making their investments. They would exercise a
sound discretion the subject They would make only
those which seemed 10 be required by the public 'nle
ess, and which promised reasonable return upon me
investment. They would make no work which was cal.
culaed 10 break down those in existence There would
be danger Of those fluctuations in The value OF pro-
perty. which ore now constantly following the nuc'ua
lions in the system-or rather, the want OF SYSTEM IN
our public improvements The State would never De
made her competitor There would be no SUCH
multiplication of officers, and no such unnecessary e6
penses exist on the various lines when an I'M
provement is suggested the eyes Of evey body will be
turned it, and merits and dement's fairly canvassed
But how different is the operation OF the partnership
principle Sir it is odi"us principle. II IS sly. IN
sidyus, theving principle lis approaches |" the lrea
sury imperceptble. II secretly and silently steals
its march upon u.s. and plumbers the Treasury of its
stores, before of its approach One gen.
teman brings forward project and another gentle
another All they ask is the iw",fifths This, I'M.
der the general principle they are entitled TO- me
House acQuCsces and nothing more is thought OF 1t.
Presently payday cunes, and we find the Internal I'm
provement fund bankrupt
IL this the fiction of The Imagination, Mr.. Spenker,
is il melancholy fac, Let call your attention, Sir,
to the legislation Of last Winter Is there any gentle
man here who can tell me The amount appropriated, and
for which the Stale was pledged last Winter? Sir,
will venture 10 say, there is II" one who VIII not be
taken by surprise, when tell them that the amount of
the appropriations is 600. aud the pledges Of
last Winter are near 5000 0u0! Yes, Sir the
founding Of S30OOUOO! The direct appropriations
are 81 O26 000 and the pledges 10 the Junction Road,
the Lynchbure Road, and the Falmouth and Alexandra
Road amount to much more. Sir, this thing came
upon like like thief in the night. None Il" us knew
it. Is not this single fact enough To shew the dangerous
character of this partnership principle and the absolute
necessity Of abandoning ?-l Gail upon the advocates
of economy 10 pause! Where is this thing 10 stop;
What is the remedy' ! tell them the only remedy is,
10 adopt the State principe-a principle which operates
openly and aboveboard-a principle which advances to-
wards the Treasury The face of day, and which
be successfully resisted when the public interest requires
ia principle which will enable US to lrgislate under
standngy and to proportion our undertakings 10 our
fiscal means
Blu, gentlemen say we are able undertake the
sche,ne proposed by The Committee. They sudden
IL sln.ten with holy horror Of public debt Let ME
ask gentlemen where their fears were last winter when
we were involving the State in such enormous amounts:
Did they raise their voices then in favor of economy
No. Sir, their lips Theoretically sealed Now for
the rst time hear the alarm sounded. Now for The
first time we learn that the people to be loaded with
taxes-tha property is to be depreciated by burlhen
some emotions and the State left in bankruptcy and
ruin!
ces call upon gentlemen to proht by the experience
of our sister States point them TO Ohio New York.
and Pennsylvania and ask them if they find fulfil.
men. Of their predictions in those Sta,es-Sr, they
have all embarked in magnificent schemes Of Internal
Inproyefent, and instead of intoeIable bur ens md
wide spread ruin find all their resources devel"ped
their industry slimuaed-teir productions augmented
their taxation in fair way to be entirely aboIshrd
and the whole country smiling with prosperity Sir an
ounce of such facts these is worth pound OF the
doleu Arguments and prophecies of gentlemen on the
other side
But, Sir, we need not look beyond our Stale for
evidence Of the value Of Internal improvements Even
regarding them US investments OF capital, believe
that would hazard but little in saying that there is no
line Of any magnitude in Virginia. which is finished.
shat has not Yielded fair return on the amount sub.
scrbed BY the Stale Many of the works. true, ore
unuro6iable-but it is because they are mere local
works and have in many instances been inudicious.
ly located, and badly constructed
Sir beg the attention Of the House, whilst advert
TO the present condition of Of the public works OF
Virginia.
First Sir let US look the Petersburg and Roanoke
Rail Road-That work has been in operation but two and
half years, and what has it accomplished: Turn TO
your Second Auditors report, and you will find that il
10 yielding per cent IL has in that short period
kept down the interest," and supplied fund OF $50 800
towards the redemption of the cost of its construction
Turn next 10 the Fredericksburg road, aud you will
see Sir that il is yielding than per cent and
before the arrangement Of the currency which has ope
rated 30 dsastrousfy every species OF stocks the Com
monwealh could have Obtained premium of nine per
cent on every doar which she subscribed towards its
CONSTRUCTION
Look even at the imperfect graded road from Coving-
ton 10 Kama wlla-you will fnd Sir, that that road i'm
perfect as il is and constructed il was at most exor
btant price has, under the most unfaVorabe ci,cum.
stances WELDED clear dividend OF near four per cent
Sir, might continue this review, and show that
of the local ,urnpikes yield from 10 per cent;
bu, am aware Of the value of the time OF The House,
and will therefore fotbear from consuming unnecessa
sily.
- But Sir, is the dividend which road Yields the mea
sure Of it's value to The public: Is this Satesman.ke
view of the subject? Is the Commonwealth 10 place
herself in the attitude Of stock broker, and look
exclusively to the per cent Sir, humbly conceive
consider that there other and higher
10 of this character You bound 10 look
tbe influence which will be exerted the Industry
abe production, and the property Of the Sinte.
Cir let me illustrate my idea on this subject by
frence to the Kanawha and CoVngton road. Upon the
narrow view of the subject taken by gentlemen,
ns,muci a. that road does yield the interest the
os, of its construction, it ought never to have been
made Bot let those gentlemen consider The effects Of
fh,s road on The public interests. Sir, what was the
condition Of the country through which thai road passes
Sfore is constructions il was ahnosta wilderness II
v.s with difficulty that any vehicle could pass through
n Property of every kind was worth lille or nothing
s,sd the traveller who osd through the mountain paths
mi no Al the risk of his life. What hasheen The effect
.,oduaed By the construction of this road at cost OF
- than 2O0 000 At every turn IN the road the eye
=. I.-a AL 1ooEsn