Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-07

occupy this po,itiar theY do not m: question Is an
swercl and We have ano.he. proof that Il Is power not
principle for which ther content ti:nk nave thus
.ieary show, or the part Of western Virginia an utter
abandonment, Of the principle" iwhen attempted IT, be
carried into prac,icc) Tor which they have clamorcd
loudly in theory aud think proven that this i, not
struggle on the par, Of the vs.. ior principle but for
oou.r-nakea power Bat !h" gentleman from Green
irer Mr. SMITH said that he would not tax" issue with
gentlemen from the cas-, that justice and Iibcraitv had
neon exercised by tho east towards the iii the nj
minis,raton Of the power OF government /, is easy 10
he shown that only justice bat .ibsralily has b,r,
exercised by the east and WAS III hopes that the gen;
5lcman from Augusta would have avoided that issue III
regard the character al Inc power that has been *
ercsed by the east during the las s.yenty years and
would not have charged It yrannoi-. BIT he says
the continuance of this principle which has been III eNi-
since the first commencement Of our State govern
nen:, IN nns! exercise of power AMI ia. the pr
cplo itself theoretically and practically tvr:nn"u-
have looked at the recent dehnitio"i thiswnrd tyr.
aous AZ given by Webster. :ii call the gentlemals
attention to il, find that Mr. Webster defines il to hr
IN unjust and arirar exercise Of power over the sub
ect in not authorized M law for tic just nr
pose, Of government: hence tyranny often synonymous
with cruelty and oppression. Now ask has there been
evea sing instanl. tie part OF eastern rnia o
exercise Of this power in manner not III acc"rdac"
with the constitution Of the State in conformity wiz!
the law and with strict sense Of jnsre. The gentle
from Grcenbrer says that he does not ani will not
ercise of power b. eastern Virginia b tina; he will al
nit that that has only been just bat grIier
Gus and liberal III uch exercise. leave the ;ssu" be
them those two gentlemen tn settle II a. they
inly For fear the gentleman is not satisfied that we
have been liberal and Just permit IL .'l his aiic
III 10 the amount OF whic!, paid under the
assessment: of 1919. Whole amount pai'i hy tran lie
.hav on lots lands slaves horses. watches clocks coz,
stages. carrya!s, gigs piano, haFs plate. interest
lecs over 500, attorneys. doctors, denils., bridges
S91ao. In the Valley districts, sam. subjects sa
4.J41. Making the whole amount these subject,
paid by western Virginia. sl3l3i3.Si. The Piedmont
district which gentlemen sav is so much more Likely IN
punier Tide Water. paid these ccta, sl''2
aol &c: ani this Tide Water district, which complain,
tha: she has been 80 uniu,;iii.v p!unerei Ia Al TIE
rest OF the Commonwealth. p.Ts Sl16 5ia;1. This
makes the whole amour. paid these sb ac:s III eastern
Virginia s5aS, I5 20: exceeding the amount :r.ii ny
Virginia by S.sl,$,%G or more than '!' 'hi"
And vet hcve been unjust aniil,iherai when We ay
absolutely paid into the treasury upon these subject oi
taxation tax more than double The amount, that ,1u
have paid Bu' l." III 20 on little Further. ant iaa'
the aggregate Of these subjects and connect them with
the tax OH law process d. The trans ilrrhaHv district
in this conn. ion of subjects pas; Sla! o3s - III" Val
ley ds,rc, paid SOS Sta4:; making thea ut paid i,
the Two western districts sa2 goo o.. Tiu Water paid
S2Se,; So.I:. and Piedmont S2l!6t'3. maxim; = *
cess paid l.; the o; x30i:i l.. o: more than o:e
again Now, is this Injustice l. this tyran!c9l cXev-
cis. Of power on the par, 81 eastern ir.na Is il not
More than Justice Won. Is il not more thai liberal
We minority of the ncupe Of Virginia tax" upon "u'-
selves the burhca OIL the governmental al "Xc; more
than wofol.i that which impose upon You Bat :"
resume the anl tax If the State uner this assessment
was :lv5 2a5.54 exclusive OF improve! bots Of this
tn. trans Allc ,hany district paid :3S@l69a and the
Valley district S oi.5t making the total amount .:t
by western Virginia sSo,9o3j9. The Piedmont d-trle
paid upon the item. :Gl,12ll9 ana Tide Wafer
$3.50 making the tota! eastern tax on land eyclli
siyc Of improved lots, :: - 5u2o5; excess paid 5y the
east of S:33S56 On lots the in he proportion
much greater it being the whole sum c sda.o95
ST. an amount of $50 6,39S The whole liz favor
OF tie last that is real estate therefore S6Iia35
Now let me refer 10 another sub cci just here. The
tax on slaves is ISL HIS or this the trans A!i,hly
district PAYS S43oii4, and the Valley *6S66 y. max
ing III whole paid b. western Virginia on slave
$lll10.Ss The Piedmont di>trc, pay, S"9 @oa II. or
u.arl three times ni,ch both the western sections
tocet.er The Tide Water distric; pass s3o96:.is,
making the whole amosni pail b.; the east o. ,!avcs
S7o273CG, excess OF SJ9,l9 IhGs ;hr whole *
cess upon these three subjects al taxation is .6. 10 III
equal to one quarter 81 h- whole al the al The
State oil ic proI tax. ind more than oacsixh 81
III. rty,n,. from ali sources. V, ii i. -a! III The
9. I have been tyrannica in his government Weavc
given from our pocket. most literally a: Eio generous
" without murnur or eTcn the ir't w'-'r 81 com
plaint. We have paid upon three subjects 81 taxation
aone NOR. than fourth of the Whole Of the property
tax Of the state OF which w.: haze g, equal yo;r
proportional. share in the distribution; And thyy charge
i,s with tyrannical exercise al The Iocr If taxation.
and of al the other powers which We have exvrri.e'
lIr FULkEn5OE Will TIE gentleman allow me TO
call his attention 10 ore example c this imnrc iii.
ral:ty of which he speaks Since /. - virginia has had
thirty three governors. out Of which nmbc- Western u
cna has lad lire. W. have had al" twoni four United
States Senator'S CIT of which nu:n-r wr-tcr. N.rgin
ha, had but three.
Mr.. PuRkiNS Really that was hot ;lu;,. il W.
lad better material for the Offices than the w-t"n
;aen i,a,i wv in the E:nc al it:.vc: ID quar-.
with us about IT, Laughter Why the Federal Cow
ernnent Virginia has had anosi al In" Presidents.
She has had almost MAJOR y OF the Senators and III
cy.rr session Of thu House OF Representatives She ia
had long ways than double hcr snare Of he. OWN
IONS there And will you abuse Virginia for this;
Mr. FCLkERSOA. Ii the gc..: Imam will pcrr l,e.
then an to understand from his remarks that We ."
the west are not iirg;n;ans: Laughter
Mr. puRKINS Twill recur 10 that. viii y"n conn.
plain Of Virginia bccauac pic he well rcar" he: sens !:
VIII ;cr. In complaint because nature has been more
liberal IN the distribution Of e; powers 10 the sons
Of eastern Virginia. Will v"u ..pain Il TIA; which
y"u Yourselves have nide.l in bringing about: There
has not been within my own recollection, governor or
senator, no; who has not be" elected rs well ~
western -: hy eastern votes, aud Tor hca.cn SAX" when
y"a buckle The honor- upon backs do not ,r.n.e
with ~ II ". Wear h"ia Let them N peace
"ie YOU rnpos" tnem upon us. hope thu gentleman
answered lie asks ne, however, If do no, regard
the west a. portion Of Virginia ! ic. snI ~ one oi
ai whose people deserve all cred. and conucn, a,
for their enterprise ior their prosperity AMI for their
Intelligence. But The gentleman spoke Of United
States Senators md complained that eastern Virginia
had had major. ii the ,cnsi,- AMI = majority OF
he governors, AM, my rcp to him that Virginia eth
er eastern or we,ern- ana not prepared with he data
70 prove which section has the ,naiory-has had mos,
of the Presidents many of tn" Senators and many Of
The members of the House of Representatives and why
Because they emigrated from virgins, to Other States
and have been hnnored IN al .i State Mary o them
have gone from western Virginia. and vna hav, IN
equal proportion of western Virginia represented in
The Congress of the United States.
4 MEMBER They had TO go oil; Of the State to
20 get there. Laughter.
Mr. PURKISS Not that. You have ao' -ail with
- TO SEQ whether you world ct there. Laughter
You have left II. in your youth before You worthy
TO receive the hnaor and now you quarrel with ~ be.
cause. while YOU were in the 1reenncss Of youth, WE
would not confer those honors upon you.
The gentleman from Augusta, (Mr SHErFEy preferred
most unwisely thought TO period in the history Of
Virginia from which he derives precedent for the g.
tabli.hmen; Of the principle for which western gentle
men on this floor arc conteading He rec:s I" that pe
riod in the colonial history of State commencing n
1921 and running down to lnGn
Mr. SHEFFEY. There ara great mary remarks