Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-15

that we are to determine which OF the repor. 49,
plans shall be adopted and thus 1t resolves itself n,
the enquiry shall the minority the majority have b
1 power to control We are to form republican gov
ernment and the inquiry naturally presents itself On
what ground is this theory to rest Of minority
controlling majerity4 We taught by high autu;
ty that government is instituted for the n
cit, protection and security OF the people nation CT COIN
munty that that for of government Is best which i,
capable Of producing the greatest degree OF happiness
and aafey, and is most eectually SECURED again H.
danger Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and that when any go;
eminent is found inadequate, contrary TO hes ON,
poses, majority Of the community have right 10 r..
form, alter abolish it, in such manner shall /.
Judged most conducive to the public veal Is the Justice
and wisdom OF these great political truths sanctioned bv
nll free governments to be departed from in Virginia
What is the pretezt upon which this monsrous propo,!
ton founded They tell u.s. that at present they hay.
more property than the west pay greater amount ot
taxes and that if the power OF the Legislature giyea
US unjust contributions may be esactei from them t,
carry works OF internal improvement. How lar the
introduction OF the subject Of internal improvements in
this debate by our eastern friends is proper will not
now stop inquire. For long time an mprcsson has
been attempted be made in the east that the system
of internal improvements prosecue, for years Was
prohgate worthless, aud often corrupt and that the
west responsible Tor it and this - offered as rc..
son why YOU should withhold from the power in tie
government 10 which our numbers ent.le us. As this
has been referred TO- feel that il is proper to
give brief history OF its origin aud progress in the
State that all may if there be fault the policy
(Which do not beeve,) who are bamsble for it. By
your governmental majority Of twenty-five in the lower
house Increased to twenty three by the annexation OF
Alexandria and six in the Senate. might in all fair
insist that You should be held responsible Tor Iii,
Legislation OF the State since you had the power TO
troll it. But let Us look to the record Prior to the last
session of the legislature, the internal improvement debt
Of the State 5s2 II. OF that sum- there
had been advanced to Companies, Sll ,s5S,1I2. witch
had been expended as follows In Underwater Sl.s7S
759 30; Piedmont s74l7.lTl; Valley, ,69e I09; aud
in the Trans Allegheny S56a,S5I During the last
son the appropriations were increased So,59S,42 Is
about million and half Of which, by the reports fur
nishrd, was east OF the Blue Ridge. By whom were
these debts created AS early the year 1916 the l
legislature provided by law that is all companies organ
zed for purposes of internal Improvements whenever
private stock the OF threeiitths OF the CAPT
tol stock had been subscribed and paid properly
cered the Board of Public Works We're authorized Ia
subscribe behalf of the state, twotths. Under lie
Operation of this law up TO the year 1872 the inter
inamprorement debt OF the State was less than 81 CO.,
1000. About that time the State entered upon
largcd sys,em-charercd the Roanoke and Petersburg
Railroad, and shortly after, other improvements all OF
which, believe, in conformity to the referred
to- On the 18th OF March, 1892 the Incorporating the
james River and kanawha Company was passed, with
II capital Of $1,000 600 majority of eastern members
voting urit On the 29th of January 1885, the charter
amended and the STATE increased its subscription to
threcfths OF the capital stock shortly after which, the
company was organized Upon the passage of this last
act, the vote in the House Of Delegates seventy
eight to fty-forty:two eastern members voting for IT,
las think but the Journal is before and gentlemen
may examine for themselves. BY the passage of the
rios connected with that Company. it appears by
reference to the report Of the Second Auditor now betor"
me- that the is stakeholder creditor and cdor
ser of the company TO largely U000U-making
as will be seen half than half of the entire
sum advanced by the State for works OF internal i'm
provemen; and this done, not only in Disregard OF the
act OF 1916 but by majority of the |
apprehend that upon the passage Of other bills appro-
priany large sums TO the east for her works OF
nul Improvement, if gentlemen will examine it will be
found that your governmental majority have unornly
given them large support know that such is the
fact i'll reference TO some OF them.
Here then appears that of the paid for inerna
impror eneuts four fths have been expended east
Of the Blue Ridge, and in BY majority oi
the votes and this without reference ~ the
policy contemplated by the act of lSl6.
have referred to this ubject with any wish or
intention of complaining Of any part of the State bu,
IS Of justice to the wet, who have been So fire.
Iqueuty charged with wasteful expenditures DC HAY,
been the advocate of liberal and judicous sys.
TEN Of internal improvement -rarey ever voting against
them whilst member of the legislature; and nm sat.
-fed that if the State had carried her great lines
Iof improvement, especially the James River and ka.
nawha, which believe far the most important in the
State she would long since have been rcaping the rich
rewards which such policy in other States has uni
tiorny produced. do not agree with the gentleman
from Essex, that the appropriated have not been
profitable TO the State cannot believe there is mem
Der Of this body who would be willing f it were posi-
be) 10 wipe out the present internal Improvement debt
and leave the State without the improvements Does
follow that because the State has not received returns
in the form OF dividends from her various works of in
Iternal improvement, that therefore, they are worth
lcss Let whether that is fair mode of reason
ing. hold IN my hand report made to this house
showing the quantity and value OF lands and other
property Mt various periods, in the several grand d.
visions of the State together with it, increase and
reasoning from it, ask what might fairly have been
expected, if these improvements had been carried on
Scarcely mud turnuke the State that has not been
more or less valuable, as the increased population in
addition TO the vast increase n all the Of tax
alton, both III quantity and quality, in the west will
clearly show What has produced the Improvement
in wealth and popuationl Why is il not because IA
ctes have been Afforded that immigration has in.
creased and continues TO increase developing with pro-
gressirc rapidity, its various resources and establishing
in every sense its individual and aggregate wealth and
prosperity
Does any suppose that ii the country had be.n
permitted to remain as 1t was fifty years ago. that the
augmentation i'll its wealth would have been 81 crsa.
and Is 1t not fair to say that the results are TO at
itrbuted mainly, if entirely. to even .Ais limited
system OF internal improvements In Tie Trans ALLIE
ghauy country We have land by GEAR four millions
of acres than there is in the BALANCE Of the State Ac
Icording to this report there is in the frat or Tide
water district, 6,l757l6 acres in Piedmont 99i5 sGo
Valley, 6,527,36 Trans Allegheny &c. 81 .-ak
ing in the west 33274,7o9, aud in the east l632lO.
Thus it will he seen, that Trans Allegheny has s7s2
s95 than the other three divisions of the
State The value Of these lands was in 1919 in Tide
water, IS 49, in Piedmont, So o6 in Valley 81 3d. in
Trans Allegheny, 80 cents per acre In 1883 lst dis
trict. Sc ISl I'd district, sc sl4 in the 3d. Sc a.
md i'll the fourth 81 A. In 1850, LIST district IS O2
second, s. Sc third. 80 49, fourth So o. From this
it appears the land in Trans Allegheny has gone up
since 1879 from less than Seoo0oOoo to over $4,000
600 The population in the period has increased
from 1912 to 1856 free white persons; and the
taxes upon lands increased from $4,000 to G2 OO0 dol
lars With these exhibits, will any man say tie i'm.
provements in the west have been Of value to the
State in that most certain and reliable Of all forms the
great increase in value and number of every subject OF
taxation. Fruitful the subject u.s. will not weary
the committee BY further details My only object hn,
been, to vndicate the from the repeated efforts 10
reproach the people with desire to plumber the public
treasury Nothing but the most unfortunate fatur
will prevent the State from going with her improve
ments, until proper facilities afforded to develop
the immense agricultural and mineral resources Of the
west Sir, not our brethren of the east deeply in
tel n at,ut ct;opo md