Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-12-21

passed thTougn the IOfm oil repaymt nj
every year from December ls40, when
they amounted to two hundred thousand
dollars. to December 1912, when they
had risen up to three hundred and fifty
thousand, the treasurer for this purpose,
and in obedlence to law, taking in the De.
c-mber ofeach successive year as much
of the newly paid revenue, then m hand,
as would pay up the banks their loans to
tho State, and Immediately thereafter
commencing these loans afresh, and con.
tinuing them just as before. So again in
the present month, the three hundred and
fifty thousand now on loan to the State
and due to the banks. will be paid up as
usual and such balance oil that snm as the
additional revenue Of the present year
will not be sufficient to exiInguish will be
borrowed again, unless it shall be thought
best by The legislature to provide for it
otherwise.
1t was Tor the express purpose Of arrest.
ing this continual resort to the banks TO
replenish the treasury with daily sums,
and to give it the independent command
of whatever means we're required for the
public service, that the present revenue
law, as already stated, was intended. and
this purpose would have been carried into
successful effect had the revenue yielded
according to expectations, und the State
been relieved from the payment Of years
interest on her guaranteed bonds. Should
the James River and Kanawha company,
for whose benefit this years interest was
paid, be required and be able without in.
jury to refund it, should the dividends Of
the State stock in the Bank Of Virginia be
raised from their present TO the ordinary
amount, and the new rates and subjects Of
taxsiion yield an increase OF only one
half more than the sum already received
from them, the whole amount thus arising,
if appropriated TO the payment ofthe tenn
porary debt, would leave scarcely ves-
tige Of it behind at the end Of the present
yeor. But tina revenue alone, if left un-
impaired by any act Of the legislature,
will in all probability be quite sufficient
Of itself to extingush this debt entirely
within the present and the succeeding
year. In the meanwhile, however, it
will be necessary to anticipate the funds
which may be relied upon in this matter,
by authorizing the executive, as hereto.
fore, either TO borrow from the banks, or
to raise upon the credit ofthe State 10
some other form, such sum, not exceeding
two hundred or two hundred aud twenty
thousand dollars, az existing deficiencies
After saying thus much upon particular
objects and applications Of the revenue. it
will be almost super1uous to say, general
ly, that no diminution of it can be recon-
mended as at oil compatible with the
public service. That service, whilst il
would well justify in some Of its branches
ali additional revenue, cannot be properly
conducted, at present, with less one; so
that if the Legislature should deem il wise
to change, in any respect, the modes,
rates or subjects Of taxation, it will be
hardly possible TO contract it in its gener-
oil range and results without infiictiDg
upon the public interest, at some point, a
serious disadyantage.-There is no one
branch or department oc State concern
now resting upon the Treasury for its
support, that could be stripped of il with
out more or less of disaster TO the public,
whilst there are many objects Of benef-
cent influence receiving little, il any thing,
to which parental succour could be safe.
" and wisely extended. The commerce,
the schools, the administration Of Justice
and the police, upon which, for the most
part, the revenues Of the State are now
expended, are all Of them fundamen tal
to government, and cannot be impaired
without correspondently impairing al III.
innate purpose ofcivil organization itself.
If first one and then another Of these OBJ.
jects we're to be thrown aside upon the
ground that it would be better to spare
them thar the money which supports them
SO irrational a muilation could only result
in the expensive and ruinous economy Of
supporting Government incompetent to
its ends. And il ~ with Government as
with every thing else intended for human
use, that IS cheapest and best which bes,
answers the purpose for which il was pro
vided. Taking it for granted that you
would be unwilling TO abridge, in any
respect, the salutary action of the Gov
eminent, and that therefore you heartily
concur in the wisdom and experience
which have so long prescribed the gener-
al objects OF our civil list as essential to
its nature and to the general good of the
community, take 1t for granted also,
that you will as heartily concur in provid.
ing for these objects the means which
shall be necessary and sufficient to sustain
them. This you will no doubt consider
it your duty 20 do. II is, however, no
more necessary TO an efficient and useful
government to maintain it in Q suitable
capacity for service, than TO have that
capacity suitably directed, and hence the
legislative duty which overlooks the ad-
minisiiatlon OF the means which it is yet
both liberal and careful to supply, is but
partially accomplished. Whilst there
fore, you are laboring TO maintain the
government in condition which will rem
der it blessing to the State, and are, for
this purpose, freely extending your de.
mands 10 the people, il would be a sea-
sonable exercise Of duty to look into eve-
ry branch Of the public service and see
whether the administration OF il could be
altered; whether it would be practicable,
without producing more real evil than
real good to dispense with any existing
nj vlr,Isn ,o,,sa