Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-02-26
correspondence Of the yirginian.
HeusE OF DELEGATES,
RICHMOND, Feb. 10, 1852.

lie improvement in the state, made their
report on Monday. and after some spar
ring between Mr.. Rives Of Albenarle, and
Goodc OF Mccklenburg, upon proposition
submitted by Mr.. Segar TO fix upon the Isl
day of March for the consideration OF the
report, j, was for the present laid upon the
table The ground taken by Mr.. Rircs
was, iha, some early day should be agreed
upon for the consideration of the report;
that intimation should be given TO the
country. how far the Legislature would
go in making appropriations for the Pur-
poses embraced in the report,and that more
definite data should be given upon which
TO base the amount oftaxes TO be raised.
Tie report provides an appropriation OF
one million Of dollars for the partial COM
pletion of the Central road TO the lead Of
water navigation; loan of 100000 TO
discharge tie existing arrears ofibe james
River and Kanawha Canal, and 100000
for its extension TO Covingion--a loan of
100000 to the Richmond and Danville
Railroad-an appropriation of 100000
to the Soutli-yidc Railroad; $4,000 to
the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad;
$3.50, coo to the Orange and Alexandria
Railroad; 100000 to the Manassas Gap
Railroad; SIsO.000 to the Norfolk and
Petersburg Railroad; 100000 TO the
Richmond and York River Railroad, and
Sll5, GOO to the opening Of lower james
riycr--making in al! four millious,six hun
dred and seven thousand dollars.
1t is very evident that the amount thus
appropriated is but mere drop IN the
bucket. scarcely suficien. 10 complete the
Central Railroad. But when ii is consider
ed that our Indebtedness now amounts to
about fifteen millions Of dollars; and that
by the provisions ofihe constitution seven
per cent must be set apart as a sinking
fund fjr the extnguishmcnt Of the public
debt, Itch will Of itself amount to some
thing upwards Of million of dollars; and
hat in addition 10 that, the ordinary ex-
penscs Of the government must be dis
charged, | think it viii be apparent 10
all, that larger appropriation cannot at
this time be made, without increasing the
public burdens 10 a very alarming extent.
The ella must crawl before il can walk,
AMI hence these main leading lines Of i'm
nrovcncnt must bidc their time, and
such aid must from time to time he exten
dcj, as The public cxiscnces will admit
What will be the flc Of the report is Of
course in the womb of the future, and |
must add that its fate is rendered still more
doubtful by rcccn, Developments, which
the pending discussion ofthe bill providing
the various subjects of taxation has made.
The House has for the last two days been
engaged in committee of the whole in the
Of that Bill, and when the
discussion will end no one can predict.
The Bill cxempts from taxation ''all ass-
ricultural productions and prov isious, "bnt
makes horses, mules, asses and jcnnlcs,
neat cattle, hogs and sheep, taxable sub
iecrs. Mr.. Price of Grccnbricr, moved on
to day to add after the word provisions
the word meat cattle, hogs and sheep"
the effect of which would be to exempt
from taxation all agricultural productions
and provisions, meat cattle. hogs and sheep
Upon this amendment, the House is now
in a full blast Of discussion, and as alluslon
has already been made TO that vexed qucs-
lion of Basis, and the fires Of sectional hos
tlity begin to burn fercely,it is expected
stormy debate is to be kept up for several
DAYS. can see no reason why, if agrl-
cultural productions in the form OF corn
wheat and tobaccoarc to be exempted from
TAXATION neat cattle, hogs and shccP,an agri-
cultural production also, should not like
wise be exempted. They are all alike the
natural production Ct the farm-all alike
subjects easily convertible into capital and
all alike should be either exempted from
or should bear like burden. II
stock should be taxed because it is the lea
ding productive capital of one class ofthe
community, or one section of the commu-
nity. then it viii be nothing more than
Justice, that tobacco and wheat (morc par
ticularly tobacco) should lie taxed because
they constitute the leading productive
capital Of another. The Constitution pro-
vides that taxation shall be uniform, and
that cannot be uniformity whichbcars une
qually upon any section Of the state. Be
sides the constitutional enactment which
forbiis the imposition Of any tax upon
slaves under twelve years old operates
now uncqually upon him, whose produc
tive estate consists in stock. Young slaves
are not taxed because they are regarded
as unprodnciive, when in truth and in fact
there is no species of property more easily
convertible into money, than slaves from
eight to twelve years old. Young stock are
not exempted By the constitution, but are
liable TO taxation. " lille no species ofprop
erty is so utterly valnclcss and unproduc
tive. The House has now been engaged
for a part Of three days upon the tax Bill,
and has SO far made but little progress,
ard much progress viii not be matlc until
a good deal of gas has been blown off.
There is some little speculation aaoat
about the probability Of recess, after ar
have been made for putting
the machinery of the new Government In
to operation, to await the action and the
report oftbe Commissioners of the Reven-