Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-27

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TIC purpose of asceraining whether it be necessary
give to property representation for the purpose
securing It, | understand the gentleman from Fat
! Guler, Mr.. Scorr concedng the proposition tla
adoption of the suffrage basis; that the taxing pow
or might be abused: that if the west should have tn
control OF the Legislature they might be induced to lii
pose oneros burthes upon slave property ior the pur
pose OF raising fund for internal improvements NoW
think this argument of the gentleman was met AM
luiiy met by the first gentleman who addressed TN
Committee from RockbrdSe, by both the sentleme
from hanawha, by my friend from Berkeley, and b.
many other gentlemen from the west, Wio nave partl
cipacd In this discussion. think II was trlumphant
and cocluslvey shown that the east have JUST us muc
danger to apprehcnd from large number OF eastern
aeleSates-the abuse of this power IN aPproprIatin
money for internal improvements they have from
large portion OF the west and should not aetain tn
Committee with single remark on the subject IN al
diton to what has fallen from tho gentlemen to WHOM
have referred but for the course taken BY the gentle
man who addressed the committee yesterday.
understood that gentleman undertaking TO conrover
the arguments which have been presented to the Com
nittee by western gentlemen and W urge with grea
zeal and with pausibility that the east would hay
great cause to apprehend danger from an abuse of pow
or on the part Of the west if the Legislative puwe
should be committed to their hands, i'll raising fund
and pp:GPrlatag them to objects of internal Improve
Ments Now, what was the course of the argument 0
the gentleman that subject Why, that The none,
which has been appropriated already in Virginia, to in
terna improvements, mainly tor the beneht OF thu
west 1t is true That more than twotrds OF the money
appropriated by the State has been expended III eastern
Virginia. 1t is true that large portion of 1t has beer
expended in the Piedmont district, but the gentleman
says that it was all for the benent OF the west thai
none Of these improvements can reach the west with
out passing through Piedmont that the west are to b
the sole benelciaries OF these improvements and that
therefore the are properly chargeable with them
/ pretend %
am only cndeRvoring to repeat his argument. The gen
tcmGu should have remembered 10 tell the Committee
one thing: that these improvements have not beel
completed; that the west has yet derived scarcely an.
benefit from them; that so far they are confined al
entirely to the east, and that therefore nll thu
, benefit s derived by the Gust The gentleman cou'
no. the it seems to me. have properly commended tina
the west should be charged with these improvements
But that which astonished me more than yth5 els
III the course of the gentlemcnts argument was this
that although this money had been e1pendcd-oi whicl
he complained so much--in the east, III making eastern
Improvements many OF which not intended to pene
trate the west although the fact IL notorious that ou
few Of them have yet reached the Blue Ridge, and bu
enc of thcnl-the James River and kanawha canal
has pas cd through IT, and that is not completed al
thou I'll the western people have not had the bene
fit OF that canal for an inch above the town OF Lynch
burg vet the gentleman calls upon the Convention 10
only tn give him the mixed basis to protect slave pro
pertv against burdens To rasc fund Tor inter
nal improvements but he calls upon the Convention tt
give hia. in connection with this mixed basis glaran
ties to lie up the hands not only OF the west but Of The
east and prohibit them in future from tXpcnding ont
| dollar towards the extension completion Of those
improvements That would be measuring out yistlc,
to the west with vengeance and Is because gentle
take this ultra ground IL Is henrln. such arguments
as these from eastern gentlemen which cohFilceS he
that my contucnts and those sill west ." u, can"
expect Justice from any legislative Body Organized upoI
such principles What sir nearly the whole und which
has been expended on internal improvements has al
ready been expended i'll the cast none OF those improve
uents :ve vet been completed the west are deriving
rs vet no benefit from thcn and We are called upoI
bv gentlemen not only to give Them the mixed
basis for the purpose of protecting them against the np
preparation Of money TO complete these improvements
bit guarantees and restrictions to tie up the hams OF TIT
4 legislature as 10 prevent them III future rom aP
| propriating any money to complete There Improve
ments think this would he taking the lions snare
! with q vengeance on the part OF the east.
| But u great deal has been said about lcsrollihg
1t lus all been set down to the west They have beel
held responsible for the whole of it. Now With dut
Difference to gentlemen would beg to dissent iron
them on this subject have had at dlt.I,'': times
some little experience in the Legislation of Virginia
have had opportunities OF knowing how this system org
mated. | know that western gentlemen VINO felt &
deep interest in liberal and udicious system Of in
'crnal lmprovements-such system they considered
necessary the prosperity of Virginia made strong ap
Underwater gentlemen, and the South-sidc gentlemen
of high intelligence gentlemen that am pr,u! to &C
kn"wedgeas Ergnians and friends-yes, from tIrn'
10 tne, they We're appealed to, to unite with the rem
internal Improvement party Of the west in fror OF
! liberal and udicous system Of mprov emeL:s, such
system as would promote the great interests ' the com
inouwcatl and restore her from that fallen position
she occupies, and place her in TINT rank the con!
lrderacy to which she is justly entitled And What was
the Course Of those gentlemen They could not vnt'
onehoar of appropriations They adopted tat policy
which the gentleman avuwed Yesterday with an I'll
OF so much triumph that do nothing that let alone
policy, that policy which is about century behind
the present age Ies tell the gentleman that Wills
/ will not 90 the length to which some of my ren'
haze gone Of assert ing that it is the duty Of the legs
ature to make roads to every mans door ana to cdu
cate every mau child, vet dissent MS WILDLY from The
proposition which he maintains that it is the duty o.
Legislative body to keep hands off to let alone, and
let every man struggle on in his way. can see
very little advantage from government, If government
is not to do something promote the public veal
think that 1t Is sacred obligation upon every govern
nent 10 do all that is in its power to promote the pub
nc veal anti general prosperity of the commonwealth
That have always ccntended is the duty of Virginia
and think il ia owing to the doctrine taught by tn'
gentleman on yesterday, that Virginia is now so 1t"
hehind tie age 1t is owing to the doctrine that 'heS.
gentlemen have always taught in the legislature, una
the friends of internal nprovemen in ell parts OF thu
State, have been compelled from necessity combine
together or the State would nve been left without any
improvements whatever. The gentleman ascribea 'n'
won out and sedge-grown fields Of old Virginia to th
cause OF internal improvements. that it was the hea',
contributions which eastern Virginia had been required
to make which had impoverished her.
Did not the gentleman know that the internal I'm
provement debt has not been paid that it IL get t" b.
paid. 1t is the first time that I have ever heard "i
man being impoverished BY debt before the payr'en
of it. Why that debt will fall as heavily upon my con
stltuHnt' as it will fail upon his. 1t will fail rs heaT
on the western people it will fall on the people
the east very small portion Of that debt can be pa
IN less than twenty years and by that time, Judel
from the past there he doubt that the west VII
have 10 pay at least moiety if not majority OF Id
taxes as whenever that debt is paid the west VIII have
pay according to The amount of taxes which viii then
levied rpont. Why, sir, in 1929 Western Virginia on
pad about one fourth the taxes Western virgins
contributes about twofths Of the taxes and In twenty
:ears more if her population and property increase
they have during the last twenty years she WI" at leas
pay noety of the taxes and it will be our Postefit
some twenty thirty years hence who VIII nave to pa
this debt And what will be condition II the POI
ICY recommended BY the gentleman from Essex ls car
red out There will be the grossest injustice
+; On the west Whilst they will be required 70 pay u
least enc half if not more of the debt created In max
ing these improvements in the east the names OF TIL
legislature will be tied up and it will be prevented iron
arpropriating dollar for the completion OF these I'm
provements in the west.
How the gentleman from Essex ascertans that 1t VII