Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-03-27
VOLUME xNNaV.---No. l05,

""y WHICH, lht H'uE ol hnlournment arrived
sary that should throw myself upon yonr INDULGENCE
Tor portion Of to-day. He said trust, Dir S,eakpr
that satisfied the House yesterday that no p,inci
pc OF abstract right does exist under the social contract
which conraVenes The Constitution, and of course that
the act OF Legislature appropriatnr the public re-
venues 10 The construction Of public works docs not
Violate any right operate any ninstice of course
that the ingenious sylogism of the gentleman from
Campbell fails 10 prove that because upon the State
system there would he larger appropriation OF the pub
lie funds lrzn under the joint stock system that there
fore ii was unjust and objectionable Having dis
posed of this branch of the gen.lemans argument in
favor OF the two fifth and against the State SYSTEM it
brought me to another on the same subject, in which
he abandoned in some measure his metaphysical ab.
o,ractions, and treated the subject in m"re prac
teal point of vew.-The aculencss OF that gentle
mans mind. said MIR. Pryton, enabled him present
most imposing view of villa, he considered inherent
evils in the plan Of improvement State account and
after maintaining himself most ably upon general
sonng, and entering his formal protest against dcduc
tons in favor of either system from isolated instances
OF from any continuation CT cases. where all the ccum
Stances moral political ana physical well un.
dersood he proceeded to adduce in support Of the two
fifth plan, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal the Baii.
more and Ohio Railroad and several other Joint stock
improvements; thereby forcb!y illustrating by the false
conclusions to which they led him. the truth Of his pre-.
misses. Mr. z. said, agree with the gentleman, tina.
partial statistics than useless. II is true that
il is impossible 10 draw comparison between works Of
other States, made upon the Joint stock aud State prn
ciple, without intimate acquaintance with the opo.
gnphy Of the countries through which they pass-the
character OF the works, whether they temporary
qurinr expensive repairs short intervals permanent
and subsanIin-their relative natural advan,ages-in
word all those influences, moral, political and pysi.
cal which affect hem-and hence, would depend
upon authority short Of it. AS then Mr. Speaker,
there is dscordanCe in the views OF the gentleman
and myself as 10 the character of the testimony which
should influence the decision Of this question, have
only 10 apply the And at the Threshold would
ask whether the gentleman from Campbell, any other
friend OF the partnership system has offered parti
Gle of testimony in support Of it, coming up to the grade
which have established? Ii is doubtless fresh in the
recoIectons Of every gentleman within my voice, that
the gentleman from Campbell did not pretend 20 it.
The truth is, said Mr. p they have none: while abnn
dant testimony OF the most satisfactory character can be
produced favor Of the Stale and in condemnation Of
the Joint Stuck System. Look. Mr. Speaker, at the
operation u the miserable crippled and inefficient two
and three fifth system, which has been in operation in
State for the last age Behold its glorious results
See the exlensves lines Of Railways and Canals pcHe-
traring every quarter of the State, and dispensing
wealth, prosperity and inpPiness I" lis citizens! See
YOUR noble port ut Norfolk crowded with the canvass
of every cline, and towns and cities sprnging mp
rs If by magic, in every quarter OF The country!
Behold the birmingham Of America! Your own
cnpita parsimonluuSIy hushandng every drop OF her
almost bnundless waller power, aud applying It to ma
chinery for manufacturing the cotton Of Alabama, the
wool of OHIO and the minerals n Western Virginia -
See your Treasury filled to repe!on and the great State
of Virginia advancing abreast OF the Sntes oil Pennsyi'
ousIv cLov,ed system Of Internal lmprove on State
account! In the eager anticipation OF beholdirg all
these glorious results of The system so much auded BY
the gentleman from Campbell we ask. where are they
where are they; sand echo answers where are they!
No. MIR Speaker instead Of this anmalng picture, we
n hold the acera,ing effects OF this Joint Stock system
We brhod depressed, hug-ridden Commonwealth, upon
which this incubus has fixed itself so long az TO pnrayzs
all her eneigies and almost dry the fountains OF hope
svscm said Mr.. P, which should be entitled system
OF financial phebolomy, as 1t is merely used t" depee
the body polite, and relieve the Treasury when II DIS
covers INV symptoms Of plethora 1t is fifty dcscrib
ed, said Mr.. Peyton as silent, insdious, thieVing
system, which plumbers the Treasury without prom0
ing the public welfare. Millions upon millions OF the
public funds are vested in the companps. and many
of Them are so utterly unpruduclire that il has been
recommended to abandon them that the Sule may
save the expence Of printing the annual report OF
their condition; and the whole Of them taken together
do not average per cent upon the capital vested
Such Mr.. Speaker is the true state Of The testimony
atfded by our experience in the POINT STOCK system-
After having lived through age the cherished policy
of The State it has not been able TO rear single monu-
men ha,terpg The pIide crediiahe to the enterprise
or in any respect worthy of the ancient fame OF this
renowned Common wealth The friends of Internal I'm
ment having acquesced during this long period IN
the hope that Of the promised benefits would be
realized and finding every hope excited The mere pre-
cursor Of ruinous disappointment they determined II
possible 10 revoluonlze the system And alter The ina
lures, ton aud patient and accurate examination
into the systems of those States which have been most
successful they have decided upon and recommended
the State system In doing this, said Nj T., we take
in. broad ground that State in this confederncy has
ever carried sys.rm Of Internal Improvement sue
cessiu!ly except State account II Is difficult 10
form u system in any other way. For that, said Mr.
Ppyton. canno, be called a system which depends up
On the disconnected influences and conflicting interests
of an n6nily Of localities. 1t wants an all.pervad-
ing eve that will embrace within its vision, the whole
State and hand Of judicous bounty that VIII aomn
lister to It's wants and necessities SUCH imParllaly-
Such said Mr. p, is the State system in theory and
such has been its operation III practice In I'VE" fnrh,
their great State work egIby situated. rs 10 dis
tribute its blessings over every portion ci Inc otae anu
The signal and wonderful OF this improvement,
with which all are familiar renders it unnecessary for mo
IN dwell on il, In lbe Stale of tan'
drrs of this controversy-we ohtr such testimony j"
SUPPORT of the system recommend as the gentleman
from Campbell and myself have agreed upon as alone
admissible We offer the testimony Of the Governor OF
that Common weaNh, wbo in his Message OF iooo, says'
that when the works then in progress, sha nave peeh
compile ted stretching into every quarter ot her
and bearing her immense agricultural, manufacturing
and mineral wealth to her own proud metropolis and 70
every State in the Unionit low estimate, he says,
when these works completed and IN full operation,
that her clear annual ncone from THIS source alone,
will not fall short of three millions oil dollars: sum sui
Gcien 10 reimburse the whole debt incurred as II be-
comes due, continue her improvements 10 any e1-
tent and 10 authorize the application OF one million Oh
dollars annually to the purposes OF education. Aho
all this he SAYS, with moderation prudence and Gnu
ton is not more than eight ond probably six years dts
,an, We offer to you the testimony of the Canal COM
missioners which read to the House on yesterday in
which they state that the from the canals and
railways regularly and rapidly progressive and 'hr'
Tho f,od arising from them is becoming the main rell.
ance of the State We offer You the acts of the LegIs'
la,ure of the State, who sustaining and upholoins
this slupendous fabric by prompt, bold and generous IT,
gisation: and by implication we offer yon 'he testimony
,c the neope of the Stae-lhey who are supposed 10
hc The victims of all the oppression and grinding eSac
ton which is nseparable ii ON an expanded system OF
Enforcement, and whose mseres and dist,ssses under
the system taxation which it !, ssd WIN n6w ', ."a
e;.Liv .ensbillies of gentlemen on this floor.
All these said Mr. P, are persons, who am sure The
| n,Ism,n from Campbell will admit, aye familiar with
,be influences, moral political AND physical which ehsc