Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-06-02
For the Enquirer.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT

For the Enquirer.
| INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.
| Il IS not TOO much 10 ask serious attention IN
the policy of Internal Improvement now adyo.
| catea-the financial embarrassment il has al
ready produced, and the ruin likely to ensue
from It's further prosecution by the Legislature
| The time has arrived for some determnate
course OF action TO be settled upon and pur.
| sued; and when further acquiescence by the
people, to usurpaton of power BY the Legis.
ature, would merit all the evil consequences Of
system, destructive alike Of individual and
public prosperity. few, although depreca-
ting the effects # a wasteful and cxtrayagant
expenditure oil the public money, consider any
| effort hopeless 10 avert the storm; and. with a
strange consistency, throw aside, without a
struggle, vel! founded and long cherished prln.
ciples and claim portion Of the i'll bcgot,cn
| spoils. Is this the value that we should place
upon right and justice: Is this such devotion
| TO principle, as becomes honest men and Repub.
licansl This rule OF morality would make il
proper TO divide booty with the robber and the
| pirate-this doctrine, carried out, would be, in
its practical effects and consequences, deslruc
] tive Of free government, because it would make
the Legislature omnipotent-thc fundamental
| law nullity-and the Constitution anything. If
this be true, the old ground should not be aban-
doned; but the obligation is stronger, to resist
the lurking spirit Of a mama, that threatens
| such dread consequences 10 the country.
Has The Legislature the authority 10 create, in
! The ordinary discharge II lis duties, a heavy debt
for posery to payl Has ii The authority 10 in
vulve the Safe 10 any amour, il mag deem pro-
| per, By reckless and ipdiscriminae appropria-
tons for works u Improvement The power is
denicd-and il owes is existence 10 the much
| ahu oil M hp 4, sc
lion in The first place. AM in rs prac,ica results
il has violated that provision OF the Constitution
| which prohibns Inc passage OF 'any law where
BY private property shall be taken for public pur-
poses without adequate ompensaticn." il is
! plainly inconsistent with the fundamental princi-
| pies OF republican government These positions
! are true, and can be sustained by evidence The
| most positive and conclusive; and in truth, bur
few are bold enough 10 conuover; them The
legitimate purpose Of eovernmen. is saeiy and
justice; and any further interference leads 10 au.
| hoTy and extravaganza Incompatible with the
rights and happiness Of the mass al the people
| That government is best and mos republican
which imposes the iewcst number Of restrictions
consistent with is righul obJects-whch is mes!
economical : and which takes the smalles,
amount al The proceeds Of mans labor in dis
charging lis proper duties Government is not
The eiver OF all good ii should leave mans en-
erges unrammelled-it should leave him in The
enjoyment Of he fruits OF his intus,ry-and
should leave him 10 pursue his own true and SUBJ
slaD,iai happiness. Ii is mol The business Of 90.
vefament 10 eIpend The proceeds Of abo. Tor lis
citizens, and il the administration Of justice is
pure, and personal security exists the rest should
be LEI. Tor Individual sasaciiy and enterprise.
But, some suppose The power OF The Leeisla-
ture TO engage in system OF improvement be-
cause 10 express prohibition is 10 be found in the
Constitution. |. everything granted that is not
in express terms denied in that instrument By
no means. There are right. which belong 10
every man, that no authority on earth can take
away rghliully. The natural right OF man 10
he proceeds OF his own abor is very clear; and
il will not be commended, except by tespots, that
by entering into society he makes an absolute
and unconditional surrender Of this right 10 the
head oflhe community. Deny The power and The
government is poor and powerless and the PEG.
| ple pfosperous-admit il, the government becomes
| supreme and unlimited IN lis action-lhe people
poor, and ground 10 the earth by taxation 10 sup
| port The magnificent views OF schemeIs. To de-
nv the power is safe and repuhIcan-lo admit il
| is dangerous and monaEchca!. II il IS grained a.
| all Il must be grained u The fullest extent as I'M
limited. There is 10 point al which lis exercise
| must stop; and who viii maintain that those who
peried everything in The sacred cause Of equal
| rights and Liberty could have been guilty q tie
unexamplei folly OF establishing government
upon principles opposite 10 those they esteemed
equal 10 lel
The Legislature, then, has OF right no anhori.
" 10 exercise AMI such power Tor any such pur-
pose. and its exercise has been like all usurped
authority arbitrary and without regard TO
equal rights and privileges. lis PRACTICAL ope-
ration has been 10 take one mans property
and give j. 10 another, without any compen-
| saIon-to make one section OF The State pay
tribute to the olher-to make one.hali OF The
people 'hewers Of wood and dfaw Of water"
torthe oher hall. Is there he smallest return Of
good for SO much wrong and irIufy2 The Lee
| gisa,ure has expended upwards Of seven millions
OF dollars upon works .! imp!oyement-and it
NAV be considered a so much sunk-as SO much
expended, not for the convenience and benef, Of
The public, tut Tor particular sections, corpora
tons and persons. The taxes OF the people nave
| no, been diminished their money has not been
returned; but, on the contrary, they have been
| involved deeper and deeper, and The taxes must
be increased, burtensome as they are, 10 sustain
| the character and credit OF the Stale. In word,
| an arbitrary and reckless Assembly, By contracting
an una wiu and Uni Isl public deb. has enieredu
charge upon The sweat Of mans brow" Tor ge-
! reralions 10 come. Besides nc want OF intepen-
dence AMI magnannity 10 call upon The presen.
| generation 10 pay the amount eIravaganily
sauanderel by is governors what RICH. have
,hey 10 expect posteiiiy % pay in |, is extreme.
" foubrlnl whether il will ever &c, up 10 the dig
nny OF deb. OF honor. The resources Of he
S,ale are bY no means adequate 10 meet The la
| bi,i:ics Taxation must be !esoHed to. WIN
The people bear III How shameiuly have they
! been tria.d with before in This connection. When
The credit OF the ate several years ago, was be-
| low par-when every resource had tailed 10 pro.
| cure sufficient amount, even 10 discharge the
in,eres, OF the public debt, the people generally
sanctioned heavy and bGrtensome taxation 10
restore her credi, and, al the lime 70 eIt'i-
1 cate themselves forever from similar difficulties
| Insead OF using the means a. promised and m
tended i. has been used 70 SATISFY new sec'ioha!
| aroeti.cs-as The basis .: new Isans aDG aPpfc-
| pria,icns. until il has been exhausted aLc AKA
| lioo mus, be resoriei 10 again w III t0e pe"pie
! submit, 10 ia They are taxed 10 ne ears now,
and The mex, blow will BE aimed al lhslf heaos.
| Sernreseryati1n i0rbis that they shonlG make
| -. Re, e.crsce. Visionafes AMI experiment
,srs NAV laugh now, bul he day Of retriou'on
,r,II come when he simple republican doctrines
ofn ,r fs,hcrs will triumph. Lei US remember
| Gcorss Mason, and bear in mind the language
~ inc 18Th sec ion Of the Bill Of Rights, "Iaat
M n &c eerernment or The ilessiag Of liberty, can te
preerrea 10 am seors but ty firm adisyence 10 JUS.
| IRE nodcrGtloT temperance, frucalty, ard riTtne,
and b. treFaent -ecurrenc< 10 Fundamental prinet
pl<s A CITIZEN OF MECKLENBURG.
May II, l54s.
Hunter Hill who was convicted in Inc Sope-
rior Coun Of Nansemond County, 10 October,
ls45 OF he nu.d.r Of Robert r. Smith, and
| uho vas sentenced 10 BE- hung, and has since
b4.n confined in the jail OF Nansemond county
nnder respite from Gov. Smith, has been par
i