The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-09

comfort OF the population. But as Il
waste lands contribute a little in the wa
Of pasturage, we put the value Of the pr
ductive lands at s70.0O0,00O. To III
add the value OF town lots and houses
say &c, 100000, and we have a cash val
allon Of the productive real estate amour
ing to s10O,000,000.
The wealth Of Virginia is known 10 COZ
Slst mainly in land and slaves. Bot VII,
shall we say Of the slaves as an element {
wealth How much richer are the CT.
zens Of Virginia by means Of their slave
than they would be with an equal popull
ton Of free white laborers in their stead
Experience and observation tell us TIA
they are no richer, bu, poorer. Yet for III
reasons before mentioned, the slaves ar
valued at large sum. They are mar
ketsble commodity-a chief stsple Of ex
Pouation. Richmond is now the creates
slave market in the world; and half III
State is sort Of general SHAMELESS, il
which this human live sioslS is currently
bought and sold, both Tor domestic use anC
Tor export. We must, therefore, conside
the slaves Of Virginia as constituting
part Of her available wealth. though il mus
be admitted that she would be weather
and happier, and ere long twice as popq
lous, if she had not a slave within len
bounds. As breeders for expectation, il
not as laborers, the slaves OF Virginia con,
tribute to the wealth Of their masters. We
wall, therefore, value the whole stock OF
Virginia 100000, at $500 dollars head,
including all ages. sexes and qualities,
which will make the large sum Of $780,
100000. This estimate is too high, we
know; bat we will let it pass. IL agrees
with MIR. Fishers. if the 100000, 600
printed in the note before quoted, be, as We
suppose, a mispnnt for 100000, 1000,
at which he values the 252,o00 slaves
this being an average of nearly $500,
which is rather above the average price Of
healthy middle-aged slaves. Those not
taxed are a charge, and no small one. upon
their masters. Therefore $4,000, 600 is a
liberal allowance Tor The slaves OF Virginia.
Ii is impossible to make an accurate estl-
mate Of the personal property of the State.
But as the object is to compare the wealth
Of Virginia with that of New York, we
have in the New York assessment criteri.
on 10 which Mr.. Fisher cannot object:
for he uses that assessment in his calcu.
lation. In that assessments the real estate is
valued at five hundred and nine and hal
millions, and the personal estate at one
hundred and twenty-one millions,-consid.
erably less than one-lourlh OF the real es-
tate. At this raIe, the personal estate in
Virginia would be less than one-fourth oil
one hundred millions, but let it be twenty.
five millions.
If this be thought too little, because il
allows to each free inhabitant an average
personal property Of only thirty.one and a
half dollars, including poor folks, free me-
sroOs and ShiidTrII, VIC admit riTat IL Is APP
parently less than the truth, but not very
much less; for the class of poor white folks
and free negrOes is very large, and many OF
them are not worth five dollars a head
But, on the other hand, We are confident
that the New York assessment Of personal
property is equally defective. Let Us remem-
Der that the inhabitants of New York city
own an immense amount Of movable wealth,
including house furniture, carriages, horses,
ships, boats, machines, materials Of manu-
facture, goods, wares and merchandise,
money, bank stocks, and other stocks, &C.,
&c, &c.-and that the State contsinssev.
eral other cities, such as Albany, Roches
ter, Buffalo, Troy, Hudson, Schenectady.
&c.,-larger and wealthier than the Viz
ginia cities; and that New York possesses
in her canals and railroads, fund IL wealth,
probably equal in value 10 all the personal
estate in Virginia; for her grand canal alone
yields the State a clear revenue of 8 ,50O,.
900 above the interest Of the canal debt. =
This proves that the assessment Of personal
properly in New York included only GER
tain kinds, subject to taxation, or else that
the valuation was far below the truth.
Having discussed our data, let US now
calculate the results.
Value Of property in Virginia exclusive
Of waste, unproductive lands, viz; real es-
tate, 100, 000, 900; slaves, 10000, 900; per.
sOnal property. rated proportionally with
that Of New York, 25,000,O00-totsl
215, 100000; which. divided by the popu-
lation in 1910, 1,24O,000, gives Sl73 q
head, The New York assessment gives,
by Mr.. Fishers calculation, 1920 head
for the average wealth Of the New York.
ers.
If, like Mr.. Fisher, we improperly omit
the slaves Of Virginia as population, while
we add them as property, the result will be
an average slightly over that of New York
instead Of Mr.. Fishers absurd eT59 q
head. But this way Of making property,
but not persons, Of the slaves, is insdmissi
bic, as we have shown.
MIR. Fisher endeavors to bolster up his
extrsvsgant calculation of VIginian wealth
by reference to the census returns of annu
al products. .s isT
On page he says, According to the
census Of 1910, Virginia with a free popu
ldtion Of less than one-third Of New York
and capital something less, produced
from the various branches Of her industry
more than half the product of New York
and as the total population, slave and free
is only about one-half that OF New York
il is clear that, after delucting the dnmtIa
consumption of both, Virginia will have q
larger proportional surplus remaining, e
augment the stock Of her permanent prop
ery.' e. 90 =rslte - e. 1.ar
For the 'slipshod' assertions of this pas