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


till he reached the mansion of his friend
and chief, Lafitte, which was heneefor-
ward to be his welcome home.
SPEECH OF MIR. LEWIS of Harrison,
In favor Of TIE amendment proposed to he
taz 6U, to exempt neat cattle, sheep, and
hogs from tazatiOa.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN This discussion has
taken an extended range. Those gentle
men who addressed the committee in op-
position to the pending amendment, have
introduced topics foreign to the issue le-
Ultimately presented, which may tend to
elicit sectional feeling and arouse section
al animosities, but cannot assist the judg-
ment in guiding us to just and proper con-
clusions. And it may be, sir-I will not
make the charge-it may be that these
extraneous matters have been introduced
for the purpose of mystifying the subject
and biasing the minds of members. What,
let me most deferentially ask, has the sub
ject of internal improvement. the basis
of representation, or the relative amount
of tax, heretofore paid by Eastern and
Western Virginia, to do with the merits of
proposition to exempt neat cattle. hogs.
and sheep from taxation =? Absolutely
nothing. Why. then, have gentlemen
thought proper, in the discussion of this
question. to make long and ardent section
al appeals Why, at this time, and up
on this question, has every Eastern gem
tleman, who has thought proper to ad-
dress the Committee in opposition to this
amendment, and in support of the bill.
as it came from the Committee of Finance,
sought to arouse sectional feeling, and
called upon sectional interests to rally p
l, in common with others from the West,
had fondly, but fear vainly. hoped that,
with the closing Of the labors of the late
Convention, and the ratification of the in
strument which was the work oftheir hands
by signal majority of the people of the
State, and by majority, believe, Of
the voters of each county of the State,
with one exception,) these unfortunate
sectional controversies, which, if persis-
ted in, promise much of evil and nothing
of good in their results, were to be Gin the
deep bosom of the ocean buried" and for
gotten, and that East and West were to
meet upon different field and for wide
| ly different encounter. That instead Of
continuing this gladiatorial contest be-
tween themselves, the East and West,
North and South, would stand shoulder to
shoulder, knit together by indissoluble
ties, with common interest and COM
mon destiny, indicating to the world, that
as unit, Virginia stood prepared to resist
external aggression from whatever quar-
ter threatened and that each section of
the State, in the future, would vie with
the others in the advocacy and adoption
of such measures as would tend to pro-
mote the comfort and prosperity of the
citizens and the glory Of the State. But
this was not TO be. 1t was not So order
ed. The pending amendment presents
no sectional issue and yet it has been so
represented by every Eastern gentleman
who has addressed the committee, mani
Testing on the part of the East fixed pur-
pose to avoid, if possible. the true issue
by exhuming and agitating sectional is
sues. They may succeed in calling forth
from their tomb and again agitating Sec
tional questions. Let those who are fond
of and have sought such an encounter,
take the responsibility. But, by such
means, the true issue presented cannot
and should not be evaded by those whom
interest or inclination has operated upon
and caused them to desire to do it.
The amendment under consideration
involves no sectional issue, either directly
or indirectly Its effects will be upon
citizens, and not sections. 1t will operate
upon individual, and not upon sectional
interests. Its friends desire to place each
individual pursuit, throughout the limits
of the State, upon the same equal footing,
regardless of its character or locality
They ask, in behalf of the grazing inter.
est. that exemption from taxation, and the
protection consequent upon it, which the
majority of this House are disposed to
award the growers of wheat, and tobac-
CO, and other agricultural productions
and that if, in arranging tax bill, you
shall not be disposed to discriminate in
favor of this particular industrial pursuit,
you will not discriminate against it, by ex-
empting the profits arising from the 9th.
er departments Of labor from taxation,
and thereby causing more heavy and
unequal tax to fall upon it. This amend
ment exempts the cattle. sheep and hogs
of Eastern as we'll as Western Virginia
from taxation and it proposes and seeks
to place the farmers of the counties OF
Meeklenburg. Fauquier. Nansemond, Al
bemarls, Halifax. Amelia. Prince George
and Accomac-counties whose delegates
have preceded me in the discussion Of this
question, and each of whom, both by ar.
gument and appeal has sought 10 array
the East against the West-it proposes
to place those of the farmers of these
several counties, whose land. whose capi
tai. and whose labor. either in whole Oh
in part, are devoted to the growing ol
) live stock, upon the same equal footing
with those farmers of the same counties
; whose land, capital and labor are devoted