Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-24

We were next told by my friend from k;lawLa II-
SUMMERS that We imposed in 1915 tax Mon a;t "a
that there was dAnger OF its being imposed crar -
far as am informed, the production Of sal; is co.
to three counties of the west, aud no basi, will ;
these three counties majority 10 ETo.rc; Them
|, cannot therefore be sci down to the account RI S
srn Legislation. Proceeding with the sins yT. ,n,b
commit he next told Us tha. We might lev u 49,,
captatiou tax upon tho white population uf lie S,.
that would fall most heavily upon the w.s. anil ..
cally upon the non property holders lie las cr..
ten tina: IN the eastern couute; there u,;E!r -
persons who hold little or no property | rather ;h,k
that any such heavy captaon tax would DO quite Oh
ectionable majority OF our people i coui! I-
to the west The delegates who voted Tor il wou! soon
find their places filled bv others, who would repes!
The interests the in this regard in both
tIuns.
Next he comes to specific tax upon land vii! ol
nit that ut Inst have land. Here is :omc,h.,
that might be- done The east might impose spscif
tax upon land that would bear unequallv upon tie vs
H. however You examine even this matter. yoa will Gi
That such tax would IL just unequal amongst he
eastern counties. Therefore it would be cxce.,iiy;
difficult TO obtain IN eastern sectional majority for til
specific land Yet am willing to give gus.-
autee against such dangers these. The oer. :
guarantees sufficient security Of course the cauo
object to receive them
Such are the REMOTE imaginary alno.t impossible H.
jur!e5 which the fear from Ill eastern l,i.ity
But there Is u sin of omission laid aceous, AMI
enough. that we have not spent all our substance in
covering your country with network Of Railroads and
cnnals and IN giving every man roat 10 his door
Now sir regret shock gentlemen by the conis.>i.u
but this ID a sin which wish 10 pcrrc,Ga,r. i .
one of our leading objects in claiming majority in the
General Assembly. TO secure the power Of procc..,
ourselves against inordnate taxation for such purpose,
hat is the true character Of this internal improve.
Ineut policyi You take portion Of one man property
aud Of the earnings of his labor to improve ano;h.-
mans land. and increase his facilities in coming to ag,
krt. What ri yht, what natural right have You Ia 10
50. If Correct before, in defining the obj ..
government be simply to prevent one individual iron.
interfering with the natural rights OF another to hL life
liberty, the acquisition OF property and the pursuit
happiness, certainly you have such right YOU Al
exertlaing admit that there may be political he
ce-SitT i'll order To Increase the political OF III.
State. and to make il independent and sovereign 10
its ghbor., which may justify certain works q:
nal improvement but there IL, i'll my opinion, other
sufficient justification. know that differ in this 0,i
ion from large number only of the whole Cnnvtn.
tio bu; of my eastern colleagues yet think i, DIE /,
my constituents and to the cause nj truth 10 state tie
which entertain Ii you pass law totakc
II portion Of As property and give i, to b. TO be- e.
pended in the Improvement of his land would there not
be- 4 genera! outcrv against your tyranny aEi in
usticei And yet is not the principle oI Your IN
ternal improvements by the State th. sane: You
excuse it by saying that the appropriations ara 7 axe
il amounts tn the thing Tor the section is made I'D
If individuals. You plead that Of the Underwater
blessed by nature with advantages Won DO No, 10.
,css but You forget that We have paid for those alvan
ages The price which paid for our lands The value
upon which We pay taxes, is determined BIZ their natu
al convenience 10 market. On the other hand if Your
ands are less accessible, You paid much less for them
proportion to their fertility. So nr equal i,
I jus. that should be forced 10 paw an additional
price in taxes in order gratou-ly to mak" Your prop
.rty worth more.
iou cannot pretend that is but YOU evaie ,l.
question Ly telling us that these works will crease tie
alue Of Your lands and enable You to pay larger cor
rutins tn the State and thereby relieve from our
present burthcu OF taxation Now, how is thIs proce..
II increasing the value of lands effected might tell
that you had no right TO take property oia
Class section of citizens 10 increase the value 81
he property of another section but pass bv this agu
nent OF right
There is only certain demand for land in any com
~, and certain amount of capital to be devoted to
purchase and its value Deepen is the ratio be1we,
lie capital which represents the demand Tor it, and the
AMOUNT Of land in market 1t the law of srppy and
cmaud. Now. BY taxing one section to make improve
nents in another, you do not increase the amour, OF
apta at ALL and therefore, unless you attract foreign
Gpta (Which. agree, is done to some exrentJ to tie
purchase OF the land i'll the market. Won merely in.
rease the price of lands in section by diminish
ny its value the value of other property in another
ientemenmay answer ME that the value Of hand has in
reased everywhere; but the general increase il! ,l
lue OF lands IS due to the increase of population and
ther causes. Where land, Increase IN value faster
Il one section IN consequence OF internal imprnv.
et- it results that the natural increase of the valg
# lands in ohcr sections ID retarded proportiors,.y
take part Of the income Of one section for ;ayr,
had taken it, the holders would have nv..;-
i it in whatever euterprize they thought most rro,n
lie. But you ize it and invest it in internal improve
Il -tyrn 4
he aggregate wealth Of the Slater You have ma,!ra
rau-fer, made capital change hands and that i s
he increase OF the wealth Of country depends upon
he OF its labor. But do your works of nyrny,
nent increase the labor in the country and if moi h,w
m they increase its real wealth. Cousauuentg, III.
Increase in the value of lands is partial tirtc,s sni
omnal. We Of the Underwater are taunted with or
edgecovered and barren fields but why are they bar
TN Why has their original fertility Diminished. 1t
because the means of improving them an! of keen.
" up their fertty-the artificial means ALWAYS r..
ulred IN all old country, have been exhausted iv taxa
tou federal and Stats-which has all goue to increase
he value Of the property Of others There L. the r,a.
on. suppose your twelve sixteen millions G; ,:o.
lrs whrA have been and are to be exnanl.i IN n,,~.
ri improvement had been expended in improving tie
ands. No gentleman who knows any,hiuy ah,ut III,
griculture of the Underwater section Of Ln ,tst will
blink me extravagant in saying that il lhos. .ix,en
billions OF dollars had been expended in the imyrov.
lent of the Underwater lands after making all ucluc
IONS Tor al management and waste they would Weld %
lie Commonwealth an annual ircome of nrr millions OF
oilars. Can il be pretended that this great sum rx
ended yields any such profit
The surplus earnings Of any country after the "rc-
airy expenditures OF living are comparu,vrl. small
ct they constitute tn. only fund fvr Improvement.
Md 1t las been nearly exhausted in our sla .nnut
Idle water country by taxation all 10 be spent in other
isrlcts. First the federal taxgnlh-r.r. 20, III
Fit though unsc-u, and but little did their heavy exar.
IONS, aud swarms Of increasing taxes for the hcre
t oi the north, leave And that little ruur STATE
Ulcers seized for your western improvements
THAT which the palmer worm hath left. hath ,hs
ocnst eaten; and that which the locust hath Left hath
he cariker worm eaten; and thut which cuu4r.
rorm hath left, hath the caterpillar eaten"
And, s:r, while am replying to these taun;s ssa.,:
ny country, will say that there has becSye; aaoth
atse retarding the improvement Of the Tide waeryr
on. | mean the want Of labor in MANY l;r.i |
t, which has even affect ed the price Of land We are
peculiar condition in tlsregard Our clinat. and the
evers peculiar to certain sections Of the country PIE
ent the introduction Of white field labor to .fg great
xtent, and must forever forbid any exe,,ivc Oleg.
The consequences Is that the suppl o
lc!d labor Ia confined to the natural ncrcaee @; Ms
lave population, and thI is carried oT to The 'l B.
he higher profits OF cotton and sugar planting. IT,
lave trade had not been abolished the condition 81 ~ la
Tide water country would have been verv diftcren. =:
whatever the other merits of that measure which r
rot pretend to discuss, cannot doub; tina: Z:
fleets was retard the progress of TIE whole -c's:'-
,,a,r f., 81 l.. =