Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09


d and eloquent Our weston brethren tell US !" ttG*t
z their maguanmity, to their Of justice anu homes
ty and generosity. But think we may learn iesSo
from this unfortunate king, and DC rather cautious hoy
We give up our interests into other lss tlnsii OF
e own.
will linsten on with my argument. The gentle
man from R"ckbriLge Or aoonE) admitted that pro
pcrty was entitled to rrotttticn Many gentlemen have
gone far Offer protection And ! propose
with Your PERMISSION Mr.. Chairman and the inulsrlr.
of the committee to examine for few moments ON,
kind of protection which is offered to lis. Now what
sit2
! may be little singular, for I am the very FIRST
man on this floor who has opened his mouth agains
this principle. Gentlemen tell us that al raforcn
taNatcn Is to be the great paracea Id paicrm tax
alton to protect Your slave property from any cte,
tax than that which imposed npon any other property
IN this commonwealth l object to dd rhortm sys
TEN of taxation to'o.caio Ny objections to it. tinl
are we'll founded, and beg this committee not to com
init ltseii TO proposition like that without the most
careful inquiry and scrutniziu inv csgGtion. Why dc
object to i Because believe Of all the systems o.
taxation 'lpcn the face Of the earth it is the one which
operates most mequally. Property Of the same kind
"i equal intrinsic ralue-irom difference ct 10
Gallon Is valued at different price. Take for instance
Ia iorse-a horse Is worth more intripScav IN tn
CITY Ct Richmond than he is in the county o! Harrison
or III some OF the western grazing counties oi the State
lie Is worth io more ntrscay, in Your city, than h
is III those counties yet every knows that ha
horse II bought IN the mountains and brought mere
solo at double The amount lie would bring there.
One great md controlling interest which We have Isl
slaves. Do We not know that the valuc OF slave on
mnishes rs his locality appr0xmates to Z free State:
DO VIC not know that his value increases the iGrther Ia
Us removed from the influence of those free states D
that upon precisely the articles OF properly me
quality exists by afrai0rm system OF taxation be-
cause II difference i'll value-rom mere position VIVA
reason is there Why lo:se, in the city OF Richmond
should pay double lie lax that paid upon horse ii
tie counties If Fayctte or Greenbrert Tell me wia'
reason you can assign for il. Yet horse that in thu
county Of Greenbrer is worth fifty dollars, would pro
baby sell here for one hundred dollars He is Of II,
acre intrinsic value in Richmond, than in Green
tut may lave higher market value He may sell fol
more account of tie place st which he is sold, Tn
he Intrinsic value remains unaercu This system striker
1t The root OF that very principle that each man shout,
contribute according 10 liz ability Is the principle
be adopted in the State Of Virginia that the necessary
articles OF The poor to pay much tax la,
GNuilcs OF tic rch ask, gent emen, and ask il wit
some feeling of the majority Of the Taxpayers OF
THIS State mean the majority i'll numbers-wEo own
horse worth nifty dollars, cart worth ten dollars and
COW, and calf that aid III supporting his wife and chill
drenl ask if these artclesf valued altogether perhaps
lat one hundred dollars to contribute to the support
might cd to the improvident extravaganza of this gov
ernmct much as M watch! Is it fari Is it rgh'
that The poor from his poverty, should contribute a.
much is the rich from their abundance and luxury
Never, so he Gid, will consent to tax the neccssa
ny articles of life to the amount that would !aS
he Injuries and supcrnitcs of life 1t is not just
is not right 1t deserves 10 favor at the hands of TIL
body OF at the hands Of any body Are your taN-gt!h
commissioners of revenue to 90 through nil thu
novels Of the land taking inventory of the poor pit
tancethe cradle in which the child of the poor
rocked the bed upon which his wife sumbers the value
OF all which 10 contribute to TIE support of the COY
ernnent, equally with the watch and clock plate
c'Tels Of the rich man do not speak this in the spri
oi ucnagogue, and If were known here as well rs
an known elsewhere srch feeling would never DC ii
ributed to me BY any But speak of it mat
Ger Of uiccof mere simple plain justice in the exer-
else OF the taxing power of this government for wish
not to the time when all the property Of all
the hun bier classes Oh his State shall be taxed, asmuch
the uXuries and superluties of the rich The :cl
pay without feeling it. They do not feel tho
blrthcls Of government. But when you come to tax
the nec.ssaries of the poor be they few many
equally with the property Of the rch you do that which
No just government ought to DO and to which the peo
pie will not and ought not quietly to submit.
But it is Offered as peculiar protection to slave
property will examine this question little, becaus,
believe have been denomnated the representative;
of negroes" laughter, and as have been mcaA t.
take of them ut any rate of tho interests q!
these people who sent here and who possess thcE
Before do however, wish to pay my respects tc
ny friend from Preston Mr. BRowS,) n gentleman fl !
whom entertain the very highest respect, because
lbou, things he has very Just notions. He W.T.
ieporinS the condition of Grccllsve. and said he
Thought that Greensvilic and We<tmorelani might yer,
operiy contend for holcng the present organza
tivl nsmuch as they were very small and insignificant
cDuDtcs, that now have delegates and would like t.
hold on to them. WIZ it ia true thcy are very small
insignificant counties, but the little county of Greens
vile has taxable property to the amount of two millions
of dollars. That is little more than the county o..
Preston containing 600 inhabitants, possesses Pres
ION pays now under the new assessment twenty.esh
cents head taxes; while. "a l remarked short
time ago the county of GrecLsville pays about Slo
per head. We are in Greensyiile, rich people
neariy every white inhabtant in that countT j.
worth property The average wealth ofits citizens being
not less than from twelve to fifteen hundred dollars &c
each person But does not the gentleman from Pres
Oh 20 70: the white basis for the h ascribrs f.
eesvilie and We sim ,reld! Let us lcok at the matt
line county Of Preston is given by the proposition t.
which the substitute of the gentleman from Fauq uiei
offered two delegates and contains 900 persons T
county of Pttsylyana contains 49, GOO white persons
and has two delegates and Halifax, containing Is 81
white inhabitants, has only two delegates Franklin,
with 1000 inhabitants, has only delegate and Car
! ,iine with 500 Inhabitants has only one so that
Preston has half as much influence under the white
basis the 90 600 inhabitants of Halifax and Pitsyya
MIA, and fuy much a. the $4,000 white nhabitant.
Of the counties OF Franklin and Caroline combined.
10 charge to him. however that he is going for
the white basis because it gives him power.
i Mr.. BROWtN. think my friend from Grecusyille
would be doing great injustice he supposes am
going for the white basis because of thereby acquiring
power 1t will be recollected that under the old con
stltuton Preston had two delegates and that she went
for the convention of lS29-30 expressly for the pur
pose of equazng the representation of the Stat She
sent delegate to the Staunton Convention for the
purpose Of assisting IN preparing memorial to The lcgs
ature to convene convention for the very purpose of
equalizng the representation Of the State She knew
she would have to lose delegate. Being small
yonng county she knew she would have to give up a
delegate, and confer it upon of the larger counties
upon the county of Fauquier that then more than
doubled her in pa?ation-Fauquier getting three
delegates. And, yet Preston never complained when
,urrenderng power to the principle of the white bas.
whereby Farquier would have three delegates, and
1920 and certainly when she laid down power for
principle she cannot now Justly be charged with going
AXE this occason TO say that my friend from reensyile
l:dn's quote me correctly with regard to 'ay aluson
MS cou,ty did not call her insignificant.
/ Mr.. CHAMBLISS. No. did not understand you so
Mr.. BROWN. At the time the gentleman made the
Statement. wished to discain having said 50, because
/ I have the highest regard for little Grcensvlc
Laughter I did not make ., any sl!nsion to the
numbers there :aew that her people were well off
out she has not mere than two thousand of them Pres