Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-05
LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.
OMITTED DEB.iTES.l
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.


should be pad for their past services Int that hereafter
TIC Board should be abolished lie addressed the House
oil some length IN opposition 10 the Board and denied
that any great focus of light would result from It's la
pors VINO, he asked, to constitute the i}oard3
gentlemen, politicians or farmers: Ii politicians were
to form H. surely value would result; and if farmers
what information would they convey which could not
he oplahed IN another way: The Board met short
time SINCE IN this city, and informed that they had
turned ther attention TO the Geology Of the State and
several other matters connected with its agriculture
Iher hrst demonstrations however that they want
ed iheir pay. Now he took the position that the nfor-
nation, which the Board Of Agriculture designed
70 collect could be obtained in a more tangible form
lfoni o'hcr sources. 1t true that the people
anpps On tue suh;sct Of agriculture; yet they could
gather from the papers all they desired to know all that
useful and all that the Board would be able To fur.
nIsh II the members Of the Board would hide their
light under bushe unless appointed, if their wisdom
would depart from earth with them, there would be
some reason tor putting them this Board and paying
them for giving 1t 10 the world But So the agrl-
cultural papers in the habit Of receiving all the
benefits Of the information possessed by these gentle
men
Mr.. kESSEDY was sorry TO witness so much opposi.
ton 10 the now before the House. Especially
did he regret the whence il came. From his
knowledge Of the gentleman from Rappahann0ck (Mr.
and that gentleman ; known exemption from
all that i!Iiherul contracted, he had relied
against the measure that il wonld do no good.
Now, Mr.. X. thought that II must be manifest III
who would take The trouble 10 examine into The matter.
The operation Of the Board was plain. 1t gave a SIT.
nlus and encouragement 10 county societies. and they
afforded The means Of obtaining information for the
Press, Which reacted on the people al large The
Press, Mr.. II said, had done much and had manifest
ed lively zeal in the Of Agriculture. STILL it
had over and again declared that know ledge was
not 10 be acquired in 80 eectual through
a report from Board Of Agriculture.
Last year State Board vas appointed. Recently it
met here not much to give 10 the world the facts It
had collected 10 organize plan oiuurc operations
They propose 10 establish correspondence will! every
sre.on OF the State with gentlemen Of information and
peEfence-cach man giving the experience o!himseli
and nciglbors BY reference similar Boards other
States, idea might be formed of the utility Of
which this Of ours would be productive. The
books they had published contained much valuable in.
formation. For the purpose Of showing the benefit de-
rived BY ncighboring State, Mr.. X. instanced the
county of Washington, in Maryland separated from
his county (Jeilerson) only by the Potomac-a
county possessing the soil and advantages Jet
the same distance from marke,-and in
fact difference existing between the two, except that
the taxes in Maryland are four times high Vr-
gina where land brought nearly $40 more per acre
than it did in Jefferson. Nothing caused THIS but the
system of cultivation, which resulted from the esab-
lishment ofihe central Board of Agriculture.
IT. u.
out expressing his deep regret, that Virginia should
present such spectacle as she did, of barren
fields and deserted lresides She had moi improved
with the tmes. She had not kept pace with her neigh
bors. She did not maintain her stand among The other
members Of the cnntcderacy, and ne greatly feared
that she was losing the dignity of her position. 1t
only necessary 10 refer 10 her and 10 her
journals to perceive that her character her
talent and her wealth fast leaving her and going TO
the parties Of the West. lie appealed 10 gentlemen
TO Dis something TO resnscatc the glory Of the Old Do
minon and asked them il they willing 10 stand by
and see such this fall the ground for
the pallry consideration Of two three hundred dol
lars. On such subject this, he would not make
appeal 10 their sympalhies, but to their libcraliy, 10
their sense Of justice. and TO their intelligence.
Mr. BAyLY regarded the ryder as incongruous. The
bill provided for the future pay Of the members of the
Board whilst the ryder repealed the bill itself He
should not vote for the ryder, though lie might pro-
per time be disposed 10 vote for abolishng the board
After some remarks from Messrs SrEornER and
BAiLY,
Mr. LryErEs addressed the House in support Of the
bill aud particularly in reply TO the gentleman from
who, lie said, seemed determined 10
xiii the bull with hard rding-"head it or die. When
he heard that gentleman dcnouncing this movement ~
n lumbug, morus multcans rs hnmbug, all kinds OF
Conventions, even the Edned'on Convention hum
bugs he could not help coming TO The conclusion that
the gentleman himself had been sufferer from the
papers would render sufficient aid the Of az
riculture. Whilst Mr.. Leyburn admitted Their utility,
he still contcnded that superior benefits would result
from Board of Agriculture, collecting information
from everywhere, and onrding that information TO the
TO be condensed and placed in attractive form
before the people. All had heard OF the American Al
manac-a publication containing vast number Of mn
notant facts and bought by mutl,udes oil the people o
The United States Now, he thought that Farmer 5
Almanac, such they have in some Of The States, got
len nm By an en.erprzlng man, and cmhodyIng the IN
formation derived from the abors of the Board Of Agr
culture, might succeed very wen, ana DC oil eminent
service 10 the people.
Mr. lIoLLhnAy said The question was now pending
on the ryder by which il proposed In abolish the
Board Last year, the Board established without
pay Now, it was proposed 10 abolish II and pay us
members for past services. This he considered slngu
lar If the Board ought 10 have been established, il
should have been continued, and if so, II should he
mid He hoped gentlemen not prepared 10 de-
clare by ihci. votes that unwilling 10 do any
thing for the of Agriculture. Virginia was es-
seniiay an Agricultural Stale That was the main IN
terest and occupation Of her people Was it not there
fore our duty 10 do something for IL Were gentleman
willing to say the first, great, foremost interest, Eve
fold our arms ard deny that can aid ycu. How,
he asked, did the gentleman from Rappahannock (Mr.
Sirother) came to The conclusion That good would
result from the establishment Of this Board Did he
on according 10 experience i'll his deductions II 80,
where did lie find proof Of the InutiIy and nei!iccn-
~ of such Board Where there community,
IN which there was Board of Agriculture, that had
not improved in its soil and IFS agricultural productions
j, was he thought vain to say that the proPrley of lie
Board was not demonstrated by experience. On the
contrary, If we were guided by experience, why could
no, the same results BE- achieved here in own State
AZ elsewhere Did own experience show That no
good had resulted:
Gentlemen had laid great stress upon the advanta
rcs to be derived from the Agricultural papers. These
journals were established by who had given their
attention 10 the subject in lis principles and details.
They all conceded in declaring that Board OF Asrl-
culture should be established As we had their advice
10 this effect, why not take IL The present Board oil
4 agriculture was composed Of men of high reputation
and experience. They had testified strongly IN favor
Of the advantages which would be derived from IT, D'd
here know better than they: Could they
reasonably gansay the opinion of these gentlemen for
tilted il by facts and experience They had no
interest in the matter, but the high and holy motive Of
patriotism They could derive no advantage from ii,
They could gain nothing for their repu,a-
TONS unless they did something for the State, by re.
forming her condition. and enhancing her agricultural
interests
The House had been told that they should be econo-
mical in expenditure. This Board would cost 5000 a
oil, bon ~