Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-19


required 10 subscribe two.illhs of Tho c,n;,,l
stock? Why suppose that ii was The intention =,
gentlemen 10 embanass the bill by amendments a
There was no other opportunity afforded FIR ,be
gentleman from Halifax 10 propose his plan a
motion for indefinite posponcmUnl had been mad
and the good feelings OF the gentleman from pin
sylvania had induced him 10 Withdraw il. III.
present course was perfectly fair. We are Told
on all occasions, il This measure failed Of success
no other schemes OF improvement should succeed
Is this The proper spiril7 Have no other compa
MES been required TO subscribe portion of the
capital stock. Indeed, has not every Company
for the construction of a railroad or canal beer
required 10 accept these conditions? Let the
friends OF this bill place themselves in the same
condition with others, and then there would be
more reason in their views. The great central
improvement, 10 which this is designed as a lri
bulary is on this principle, and the Southwestern
Road should be constructed on the same plan.
Mr.. Ia 1LOR was in favor OF The amend
ment proposed By Mr.. Broadus. The friends Of
the Southwestern improvement should BE- willing
10 construct their road On The same principle re.
quiIed in other State works. They could not ex-
pect 10 succeed on any other terms
Mr.. GOODSON said, that applications from,
the Southwest were 10 be treated like the aboli-
ton petitions in CongEess-laid upon The table
and not even considered They had not been
treated with The courtesy which was extended 10
other sections OF The Stale. They are poor and
cannot subscribe the proportion required. Their
monied men are engaged with their capital in
shaving, and were unwilling 10 invest their funds
in stocks, where they must wait Tor years for re-
turn We ask tor legislative aid, and they reply
with their acquisitions of lwo.flIhs, three ffhS,
&c. We require road 10 render our produce
available. We will abandon The application, il
il can be shown that il will not be profitable in
vestmcnt All works Of internal improvement
in Virginia should be undertaken on State ac-
count For what have We come here7 r" look
10 the interests OF the State. What will be the
value Of the central improvement, of your canal,
without this connection with the Southwest?
Mr.. THOMPSON OF Boleoun hoped The bill
would be permitted 10 progress 10 its final passage
and then decided upon its merits.
Mr.. EDMUNDS was surprised al the views
OF gentlemen with regard 10 parliamentary cour-
tesy. Have the gentlemen proposed any amend
ments? The bill is now as perfect as they design
TO make it, Theydo not propose any postpone.
men The question was announced BY the
Speaker whether The bill should be ergfossed.-
There was no progress towards perfection made
By engrossing The bill. His proposition present
ed the question directly, whether the Joint Stock
measure Of improvement brought forward and
therefore The first on which this question has been
raised. He denied the right 10 lay general
tax for the purpose OF appropriatng money 10 par
licuar sectional works; especially when there
was inequality in the taxation itself. Thirty per
cent. oflhe Taxes wa paid by The West, while 20
per cent. was paid by the East OF $500, 600
to be raised, 5000 900 would come from the East,
and only $1,000 from the West The amount
of lakes paid BY The West is barely sufficient
10 meet their proportion al the expenses OF Go
yernmen They would claim unlimited power
oil taxation, because they have larger proper.
lion Of white population on their side of the
mountains. There is not such poverty in the
Southwest as has been stated. The present scale
OF taxation is objected 10 in many paris OF the
State All appropriations for works OF internal
improvement in the E.a>, have been on The prin-
ciple OF Joint stock companies. This is purely
a financial question, and addresses itself solely
10 our judgments. If there be any proposition
for amendment or posponement, he would with
draw his proposition. He wished 10 meet every
measure OF improvement al once and decide this
principle. We should be willing 10 compromise
on the two-fl,hs and lhree-flllhs principle.
Mr.. LEFTWICH was not aware that The gen.
lleman had extended any courtesy 10 him. II the
gentleman could be regarded in any lish, as a
lTeHu Ol lHe plll, lHcll Ht pldtc al
upon his course.
Mr.. EDMUNDS said he would vote for the
bill if lhey would adopt the principle he proposed
Mr.. LEFTWlCH did not desire their aid on
such terms 1t would do no good The people
of the Southwest were too poor 10 subscribe the
amour; required Had the gentleman duly con-
sidered his assertion that there was no power in
the Legislature 10 impose 4 tax Tor such pur-
poses? Was the proportion OF taxation IN the
East and in the West, as stalled by The 9entIcmanl
II such were the proportion OF taxation, the dis
bursements had not been in the same proportion.
The West has not been the recipient oil The meres
pi,tance. He would be satisfied with disburse-
men. OF The revenue in the West in proportion
10 their taxation. Eight millions OF dollars have
bee expended in The Easi. a work 10 which
this was designed as feeder Was there no OH
legation 10 Law tax in order that The lands IN The
Yves, mig be increased in value, that their re-
source, might be developed and thedisproporton
in The amount of taxes raised from the West and
from the East reversed? They should not keep
the Yves, in eternal "assalage. II evinced
want of ibcrality in the views OF The gen
teman who was The peculiar guardian OF The
purse strings Of the Stale. Ii was most eXra0r-
binary that, when they applied 10 The Legislature
for the means 10 construct most important
State Work they should be mel with the question
of power. II the powerdid not reside in The Le-
eislalure, he would abandon the State and ad-
wise every gentleman from the West 10 90 where
there was a more liberal and enlightened policy
The gentleman from Culpeper denies our rIghtio
impugn the motives OF gentlemen We have
right TO infer the intentions from The acts OF gen
tclncn. He must take the positions of gentlemen
as he found them on this floor Did not The gen
tleman from Halifax make The proposal 10 vote
for the bill! as amended, because he knew its
friends would mol accept III He wished 10 be de-
lvered from such friendship. Let them defeat
This measure on lis merits, and not b. HGe wtnd
increment.
Mr.. EDMUNDS replied, that the gentleman
from Wylhc was mistaken in saying, The Ne>'
had not received their proportion OF the disbnrse-
nents OF the revenue II This bill should be
passed they would receive more than their pro
portion. From Inc Auditors Report, il apreaitd
that Of the disbursements there wtee expended IN
the Eas; three millions; in The West one million
seven hundred thousand; and in the East and
West, Jointly, three millions OF dollars. The Au-
dilor also reported the expenditure for improve
ments on the East and on the West OF The Blue
Ridge, and i appeared that the West had receiv
cd two out OF the seven millions. He would not
in the disbursements be guided solely by the
proportion Of revenue raised in each section, but
he thought they should be required 10 furnish
some portion OF The expense ior WoIks inleiiceo
for their own benefit. The enhanced value OF he
lands OF the West would afford but a small re-
turn to the ,reasury-only eight cents ON every
one hundred dollars.
MIR. LEFTWICH said the improvement
would enhance the value OF all other articles.
Mr.. EDMUNDS replied thai other articles
we're taxed specifically The only remuneration
was from The enhanced value OF The lahds.-
There was no subscription TO this work from The
West Are all Improvements 10 tie West Of The
mountains 10 be on these principles? II would be
unjust in the extreme 10 the people he represent
cd, and 10 the State.
Mr. LYONS proposed that the gentleman from
Halifax adopt The amendment proposed by The
gentleman from Culpeprr II the friends OF The
bill could not se, all they desired they should ac-
cept that proposition which was the nearest APP
Proclamation 10 ii. The positions Of the gentle
man from Halifax, as 10 the rights OF The Les,s-
laiure. could no, be sustained. If such were the
case, We would at once be reduced to state OF
nature, in which every man must &C, Tor himself.
liz ,pould moi nou 1iscusS the merits OF The bill.