Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-08-07

|
transportation of Tobacco; whilst the plan-
'ers o. ONO, who are their competitors In
.'le gn markets, (the controlling mar
ke's.' ENJOY the same facility fortransport-
ing the'r Tobacco, by paying toll Of ono.
and one fourth cent, per ton per milo
we say So because The table exhibits ,b;.
fact also; that the Farmers of Rockbr;ac..
and Botetourt, pay. 2ac. per ton. per mile,
for Transporting their Wheat and Flour-
on the canal from Lynchbarg to Rich
mond now; soon it will be from Buchanan
to Richmond; whilst the New York far
mers who are and forever will be. thu
competitors, Of the Rockbridgc and Bot
etourt farmers, pay only six mills per
ton per mile. Only six mills is paid in,
New York as tax on labour and capital,
for what we pay in Virginia % cents for.
We hope our readers will stick pin here,
that they may ponder over this fact.
Again we say 50, because tho Forge
Masters of Pennsylvania, pay one cent per
ton, per mile, transit charge or toll. for
transporting their bar Iron, on tho Canals.
OF that State; whilst the Forge Masters Of
Allegheny county in this State, pay two
and half cents per ton, per mile, for the
same boon. The Bar Iron Of Pennsylya-
MIA, not only meets the Bar Iron Of
Virginia, in the Northern market, but it.
has actually driven it out Of those markets
and has taken possession, to a great ex-.
tent, Of the Richmond market. Let no nd
vocateof high tolls question this statement;
because the statistical records Of the coun-
try sustain it; nay, the records Of the James
River Company sustain it. (See table 4
in the 10th annual Rcport) 1t is there
shown, that during the fiscal year ending
3lsi October 1850, there passed dorn the
Canal only one hundred and twenty six
tons of bar Iron This is less thun ono
fourth the quantity required at Richmond
alone, TO say nothing OF the whole country
cast Of Lynchburg.
These unnecessary burthcns should not
be imposed, without being required by
some great public necessity; indeed no
taxes of any kind can righ,fully be imposed.
unless they ejusiifed by public neccssi-
". This we hold to be "a political axiom.
which even the advocates for high tolls.
will not attempt TO gainsay. Keep in
mind the position we take, that Canal
tolls, and Railroad tolls, are taxes. II
they be, the same rule should govern those.
who have the legal right TO levy them.
that governs when taxes arc levied for tho
support of government by direct Legisla-
tive authority that RULES, that public
necessity demands, that private property
should be taken, to the extent Of the taxes
imposed. We have now the main qucs-
ion, fairly and plainly stated; and the lc-
climate inquiry suggests itself, does the
public necessity demand, the sacrifices
which the producers Of tonnage in the val
ley Of james River, are required by the
Stockholders of the James River and Ka-
nawha Company to make. We answer no,
emphatically no.
The advocatesfo for high tolls avcr,hot this
public necessity does exist, in this wise;
first, in the great advantages which will, MS
they assert result to the mhoic peoplc
of the Commonwealth, by the construc-
ton Of Canal, from the Tide Water Of
James River to the Ohio. Secondly, in
H. LII. a. 4
nawha Company to pny tho interest ON
debt, for which the State is ultimately bound
as security, or in other words, to pay inter-
est on the bonds Of the Company, guaran-
tecd by the State In answer We say, that
the case Of public necessity is not only not
made out, but that the injustice and opprcs-
sion practiccd by the James River and ka.
nawha, Company, are made even moro
odi-us by the very reasons, if reasons they
can be called, for their imposition. Let us
examine them, very briefly. The whole
people Of the Commonwealth are to DO
benefited by constructing the Canal,
say the Stockholders of this Internal I'm
provement Corporaiion-grant it, for tho
sake off the invest CATION, and is it reason
why the products Of the labor and capital,
employed in agriculture, manufactures and
commerce in the Valley Of James River,
and held by mere fraction Of the whole
people of the Commonwealth, should be
taxed TO secure this general good? No
man, who has any conception Of right and
wrong, can contend that there is either
soundness or justice in this position. The
second reason is equally at war with every
principle Of justice and good government.
as car. be shown in moment.
BY the law organizing the james River
and kanawha Company. the State was
made the principal stakeholder or co-part
ner, and she now, and always has occupied
this position in that corporation. Nay wo
may safely assert more than this; that
practically the State proxies now and al
ways have controlled the policy Of this cor
poration in all respects whatever. II is tho
State then acting through its lawfully con-
siituted agents, that has created this debt;
il ID the State, acting through her proxies
that creates this pubic necessity, 10 impose
most onerous burthcns on portion Of her
citizens; and the advocates Of high tolls at
tempt to palliate this public wrong by the
plea, that the faith Of the corporation is
pledged to the State, 10 impose such tran
sit charges on the tonnage Of the James
River Canal, as will render certain tho
payment Of the interest on the debt, for
which the State is bound, as security for