State journal & flag., 1846-12-18

Lei me stare it, therefore, as a reliable
fact, that the ladies' of our city ale already
taking The initiative in a project TO assist
land that in a small way) in the payment
of the principal aud interest of the debt Of
the Stale OF Alabama. Their main hope
is in the co operation of the ladies' through.
out The State; and, indeed. without this, the
plan must fail oil execution. The plan is as
simple in lis details as it is memorable in
its object, and consists simply in the sub
mission of one or TWO sacrifices of do
nestle and ornamental character, for the
sake Of avoiding the calamity and reproach
OF State Reputation. In short, it is pro.
posed as general resolution, to be adopted
throughout The Safe. that The ladies', for q
given number OF years, say Eve, will alb.
stain from The wearing of silk and worsted
fabrics, ard, coate lling themselves with cal
icoes and muslins, will pay over 10 the State
Treasury, yearly, Through their own agens)
contribution Of moi less than five dollars
each, to be appropriated 10 the payment of
the principal AMI interest Of the State debt.
| am Tree To say that look upon the project
as one of the mobiles, that could be proposed
by that noble. sex; its details are suscep.
lible of the most simple arrangement, and
of its feasibility and practical usefulness
the accompanying statistics leave no room
for doubt.
The aggregate liabilities of the State, by
the report OF the Committee OF Ways and
Means, to the last Legislature, is stated
at $l3,l46,765 81, the yearly interest on
which is five hundred and sevent.six thou
sand TWO hundred and sixteen dollars and
fifty eight cents. The available assets OF
The State are estimated by The commits
tee at six millions Of dollars, leaving ba.
lance unprovided for of $7l46,765 Sc.
which, with the interest thereon and the
expenses of Tue. State will have TO lie paid
by taxation. To pay the interest and ex.
penses alone, five hundred thousand dollars
will have TO be raised yearly by taxation ;
and thus after nearly doubling the present
taxes forever. the principal of our State
debt will remain unpaid. II is proper to say
that the cnmmittee recommend the impo.
sition of taxes TO the amount oil five hundred
thousand dollars only.
Let us see now what the ladies (who can
do any thing they may attempt) can do in
this matter by the contemplated project.
There are, by the last census, one hundred
and seven thousand one hundred and eighty
one females IN Alabama, over the age OF
twenty one wears, and sixty-four thousand
one hundred and eighty under that age.
OF those over twenty one, we may suppose
that one third are in the habit Of wearing
silks and worsteads. and of those under that
age (not including infanls) one fourth.
These amour, to SLIGO; but we may as
ume fifty thousand as the whole number.
Now, if these fifty thousand contribute to the
State five dollars per annum money saved
by the curlailmenls of their personal expen
ditures. they will raise the sum Of two hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars yearly, being
one half of the taxes proposed by the Com
mittee of Ways and Means.
We shall watch the progress and maturity
of the above project with much interest
We attach great importance to its mora
bearings. If only ten thousand OF the ladies
adopt The plan it will by mere moral force
independent Of pecuniary results, strike o
blow from which Reputation will recol
The movers in the noble enterprise will be
ella ,sed with those valiant women OF ole
who gave their flowing tresses for bow
strings, and submitted to every sacrifice be
fore National dishonor. would pursue
the subject farther, Mr.. Editor, but you have
forewarned me that your paper is nearly
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