Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-04-30

A bill fixing the terhsol 'he Dis'''e ooo 49, "
h - allow Thos Ash of the county OF Gloucester 10
,rch for and recover the guns, anu any pr .,,,
- h,ro boen sunk with Englsh ifgae " ioA'o"H'
ag nav hing the Commemorative night thereto;
= Iii authorizing the establishment OF D'a' :"
omfeld in Hardy county; .. S,eomboat Com /
A bill TO incorporate lie O'n po''''
any! Yin; :, iocorporate the Atlantic Mining Company
i;i - Incorporate the Great Sandy Mining anu 49,
a,n,ina (;ompany, in Wayne and Logan; c,m
,nr 0ranpc, Spotlsylvana FauquIer Cuipepet, ~ .;
hill to authorize 'ne .nd Taaswe counties;
KIN IN incorporate the Junction Turnpike hoau u"'
,ridqe Company IN botetou'. ,1.. J;,r,,aa
On motion Of Mr. MASSEY, 'he. House o'''u'"so'
REPLY OF MR. BARBOUR OF culpEpEk,
>, -L. IF NJ, Robinson, dtlirered in the House
! "'' ''" of Delegates April 2itt
NJ. s,yaxEs: These resolutions rs explahca ~ I
from Richmond City, (alr Robnsnn ce,m
av crave subjects. If correctly understand nun
h nhn,ocs that in negotiating this agency, 'ne oa'n
p,hI;n Works have sacrificed the puohc INTERESTS no ~
u ~ enormous pccuniary advantage on a urn "
;a;,JuoIs without any corresponding service "
,ba Sror and have done All this oy gross ~; ~
Nav more He seemed 10 array iacis 10 sho" ma
~ rith such haste and prccpltancy, ou's'slpPI
. n,sescnpers and Geographic dispatches rs 49,
ms,iCv suspicion that other inducements nun
for the public interests had been operating md II
his transaction These are grave charges, I'll, a
nv the proofs il is our duty 10 expose oIt ~ w
nubic GAZE whatever of natcasance here may 49, ,hn
and 10 hold up for public celsnre win unr}} ni,h II I'm
,,ns,worhv lducaries who are connec'eu WIN H.
ssd wh this sense of the duties oil my posi'lo, NV.
rrar.ullv examined oil the facts that nave pee VIZ fn
reach and have arrived at Civ Mr. Robnson
Gl II IN he NV duty 10 present 10 Inc House MI ~
the subject If possessed OF one ha' c x
the skill in arrayng evidence WIZ SopJ present the
,s nnw in NV possession in such ight as 10 co'nu '
"Jament Of every unpreudiced man in thus housc u
NIT spsaE aasRp 10 q no He eS"gn S ne
gentleman has thought proper pursue on this subject But
be allowed express regret that he did not choose
TO bring this subject attention earlier period OF
the session. 1hcla Governor, (Mr Floyd who was the
principal agent these transactions has been soounlng IN
this city during whole session. until week or TWO ago,
when he returned to his home in the West will not say
that it would have been more liberal and moro generous
in the gentleman to have opened HE attack wnen
the party assaulted stood full in his presence But viii say,
that if suited that gcnemans convenience and compor-
ed with his of his public duties have introduced TINS
subject while Governor Floyd in this city, there would
have Been farer opportunity full justice done to
all parties than there after he has gone to his distant
home in the West.
by the report of the finance committee and oReed me
resolutions very shortly after had examined that report
presume the report made after Governor Floyd had lett
| the CITY,
Mr. BARBOUR. That report states no important fact that
not generally known before The gentleman OF course
informed that this contract had been made ana no
doubt knew material facts which his resolutions
were founded. But repeat that make no complaint
The propcy of genemans must be decided BY
himself, and not by only regret the deay because az
justice be done might be if the principal
agent these transactions here present TO furnish the
for his defence But the facts that are furnish
10 documents before ample 10 rctute the charges
brought speech and resolutions Of the gentleman and
solicit the attention OF the House while nuke plain In
artificial statement OF them.
Ii is fair when passing the conduct oil me Board oil
Public Works under review that should Judge them not
by the lights which have al this moment but by The
lights which before them at the time mat ms contract
made Our enquiry not whether would be udlcous
into upon the terms of this IN April
1882 but whether it was udcious TO make me contract IN
April 1851 The condition Of the public credit and OF The
public treasury is very different from what was then,
this beneficial change has been of The results OF this
contract with Sedcn Wilhcrs u Co question much, sir,
if there has been for many years period when more OF the
public interest and the general prosperity OF the com
| muny depended upon the wisdom and energy Of an
conduct of the Board of Public Works. Under the
influence Of the large increase of the public debt au.
lhorzcd by the Legislature at us last session. ana ol
stocks had rank below par in the markets, and were
sold at par In public Offices only because the law pohb-
lied their sue on than par On these terms sni-
6cient sales could not be effected the accumuatng
drafts the Board for payments which the State had
engaged make 10 works of internal improvement SO ra
pdIy these draft, accumuang that win all the eiors
of the Board the which they were unable 10 meet
reached by July nearly four hundred thousand dollars The
Stae had made actual subscriptions 10 the stock Of inter,
nal Improvement companies amounting TO Sb 4Uo, ana
liable be called on for actual payments TO mat extent
pa, passu with the payments made by OTHER subscribers
~ authorized provide the money necessity FOR fntef
payments was by loans and sy were not authorized 10
sotac these ZONES less than par II that Board had fail
ed effect loan of the necessary amount al par, failure
pay the subscriptions by the State works OF Internal
Improvement wOud have been The inevitable consequence.
suspension temporary reputation Of these public
gagements must nave ensueo Every company IN tho State
that dependant for any considerable portion of its
upon the payment Of the States subscriptions would
have been dissbed from meeting its engagenanls and would
have been forced 10 suspend lie operations Gentlemen who
represent counties penetrated by these improvements
appreciate the disastrous consequences every class Of
lie business community That must have followed The
0f nd n
called session OF the Legislature must have been held. Un
der snch circumstances the public credit must Decline and
the State stocks fall 10 low price in the market Will
gentlemen who gloes the accounts OF the high
premiums which State stocks selling estimate the dis
which those stocks would at this stand If
that Board had failed in ts efforts 10 negotiate the four mil
lion loan part An unsuccessful negotiation Of that loan
would have been fatal blow the internal Improvement
system 10 this State The internal improvement party would
have stood denounced and lmpOen the mercy Of its OPP
ponents. This result am aware wod have been dis
agreeable To gentlemen here and is il astonishing
that they should be chagrned at the which has
crowned the udcious and energetic efforts Of the Board to
the Stale credit from the er n which i, then
placed? But surely Mr. Speaker the Board had right
expect fair hearing and liberal Judgment from Rich
rnond community and representatives Of Richmond ia
ieresls Richmond is The pet Of the internal improvement
system of this Stale which p0urs all It's richest treasures in
her lap The maintenance of her present prosperity and
her future growth depend upon the maintenance OF this ss
tenn No place in this mOnwcalth had stak.
the success Of the operations of The Board OF Public
Works last spring Than this city of Richmond Instead Of
sending its representatives. here file indictments and
ray charges against that Board ought
them, and express their thanks in every form in which
community applaud public who has rendered
signay important successful and beneficial services and
Richmond reprcsena ought 10 be the las, Of all others
TO "shUta of SO good with such pay"
Can any candid deny that the documents before n
ford the most ample proof of the great difficulty indeed the
apparent impossibty, AT the time, Of negotiating par,
loan OF four of mons2 Before referring The
evidence that point choose, this moment meet The
charge that The Board erred in fixing The of the loan
at four millions As have before said rlero were actua
subscriptions by the State the OF nearly six mil
lions and half and authorized subscriptions actually
made amounting TO little than Million The
preparations thus amounted 10 about millions and n
half and the Board of Public Works authorized by
loans 10 that What portion OF this
they would embrace in this Grs loun question which
Board had to decide in view of all the facts then before
them. Upon this subject there have been
difference Of opinion among the members OF the Board
None thought II ought TO be Iess than millions Two,
three and four millions were The amounts suggested and
sidcred BY the resolutions Of the 9th Of pill; which
The Governor Washington and contracted with
Selden, Withers e. Co.. four millions fixed as the
amount Of the loan Events have fully justified the estimate
upon which that conclusion founded In order nego
late the loan successfully necessary embrace
hiatt no