Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-06-09

ask that you shall not tar the unappro-
priateo products arising from our indus
tilal pursuits, and exempt from taxation
the unapproPriated products Of another I?
And l, with equal confidence, appeal to
the fairness and candor Of the Committed
to know whether the advocates and
friends of this amendment have not lust
cause of complaint, growing out Of the
most extraordinary course ofargument-
if argument it can be ealled-indulged
in by the several worthy gentlemen of the
opposition who have spoken upon thisques'
ton
I do not intend. sir. TO be guilty of the
consummate folly of consuming the time o.
the committee, and wasting my OWE
strength, in fruitless effort TO follow
these gentlemen through all the winding
paths of ratiocinatiOn which, to suit their
own purposes, they have thought proper
to pursue. 1t would be an impossible, as
well a. an unnecessary and fruitless labor
But some remarks have been made. not
pertinent to the issue, and repeated so Of
ten, and by different gentlemen. that ]
cannot, in justice to my own feelings. or
that section Of the State which ! have the
honor, in part, to represent, permit longer
to pass unnoticed.
It has been said, sir, by more than one
of the very worthy gentlemen of the op-
position, that the proposition to exempt
neat cattle, hogs and sheep from taxation.
comes from, and is advocated and sup.
ported by that section of the State which
produced our present State indebtedness.
And some gentlemen, assuming this curl
Gus declaration to be true, have openly
charged upon the friends of this exemp-
ton desire on their part to avoid the
payment of an equal and just proportion
of State debt created by their own vo.
tes and for the benefit of their own con.
stituents. And my highly esteemed friend
from the county of Halifax, (Mr. Hover.
ton, adds another count to the indict-
ment, and charges that the peculiar friends
of this amendment are even at this ses.
sion of the Legislature. seeking to in.
crease the existing debt of the Common.
wealth.
Sir, some Of these ore grave charges.
and deserve, nay demand, at my hands.
passing notice. In this discussion, for
the first time, since have occupied seat
upon this floor, have heard proposition
objected to and Assailed in consequence
of the geographical position of the gen.
tlemen who made it, and the friends who
advocated and supported it. Has it come
to this. that Western gentleman cannot
make proposition upon this floor equal
izing the burdens of taxation among his
own constituency. and the lAboring class
Of citizens Of the State at large, without
subjecting himself and his constituency
to unjust charges and dishonorable impu.
tations 1t manifests on the part fthose
who thus speak. degree Of sectional jeal.
ousy and sectional rancor, which never
have thought existed among the people
of any part of the Commonwealth. And
until have better evidence TO the contra
ry, will believe that the representatives,
and not their constituency, are responsible
for this gratuitous reflection upon tho un.
offending West.
But, sir, if it were true, as asserted that
Western Virginia 10 responsible for the
present embarrassed condition of the State
Treasury. and for tie pressing necessity
for an increased rate of taxation-Were il
true, that the appropriations heretofore
made from the Treasury of the State foi
works of internal improvement, had been
expended in Western counties, and thai
Western citizens were enjoying tho ben
efitS of increased facilities for travel and
the transportation Of their produce to the
markets Of the country-and were il true
that the Western delegates were now seek
ing other appropriations. to bS expended
among themselves for the exclusive bens
fit of their own constituents and, with
all, were endeavoring. at the same time
TO avoid the payment on the part of theii
constituents of just and equal portion
Of the State Revenue-W0re each Of these
several specifications well founded, then
might Eastern gentlemen well complain
of, and denounce the action Of the West
a. selfish and unjust. But, sir. l submit
that it would not justify the course pur
sued by the friends Of this bill 1.-THE po
Icy heretofore pursued by the West. or
the subject of internal improvement could
be shown to be wrong. it would not justi
fly the Aagrant injustice and outrage nov
sought to be perpetrAted upon the graz
ing community in the Tide water anC
Piedmont districts, who, according 70 the
giving out OF these gentlemen. have nev
er offended. Nor could it be held to jus
tify them, as to tho grazers Of the West
unless the Mosaic doctrine Of olden times
ian eye for an eye, and q tooth for &
TOOTH" should be Te-enacted as the law oI
the Bible. There is no class Of people II
the Commonwealth, who feel less person
al interest in, and would realize less per
sonal benefit from the construction o
works of internal improvement. than thos'
engaged in the rearing Of live stock. /
is your cities and commercial maTtS, ant
the growers Of wheat, corn and tobacco
who advocate and demand, and are to b
peculiarly benefited by these improve