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

sustain the conclusions to which he arri-
we'd. We seek to carry out the true intent
OF the Constitution by equalizing taxa
ton among the industrial pursuits of the
State at large, without regard to section
or locality; and the gentleman, fearing
to meet the true issue presented, talks
about divisions and sections and seems
TO suppose that, if by adjusting an ad va
loren tax bill, he can make section of
he state owning small amount of pro-
perry pay as much tax as another section
holding a larger amount, he will be with
IN the pale Of this Constitutional provis-
ION, and that no injustice will be done in
diVidual citizens.
We have no means of ascertAining pre-
cisely the relative amount of live stock
held by citizens of the different sections
of the State, But we do know, that, for
the want of facilities for getting grain to
market and other causes, almost the en-
tire agricultural capital of the trans. Allie
ghany section, and a very large amount
OF the capital of the Valley, is invested
in the growing of live stock, because it
can be transported to market without the
intervention of rail roads and canals
And, Judging from the past, we have
good reason to believe, that the imperious
necessity by which the West has hereto
fore been compelled to look to live stock
or nothing, as the staple production of
their country, will exist for an indefinite
period in the future. We know that the
East is not operated upon by these ne
cSssities--we know that the East have
railroads, canals and the finest water COM
munioaton in the world, by the means of
one or the other OF which their grain to-
bacco and cotton, can at all times find the
best markets of the country. We also
know, that labor is abundant and land
scarce in the East, while labor in the
West is comparatively scarce, and land
plenty. And, it is we'll known, that
large amount of land and comparatively
small amount Of labor arc necessary to
rear live stock and that to grow wheat,
corn, tobacco and cotton, comparatively
asmall amount of land and large amount
of labor are required. Looking, then, to
these well known facts, il is reasonable to
conclude that, by far the largest amount
of agricultural productions are to be found
in the East But in the absence of certain
data, let us make violent Suppositon,
and say that an equal amount of each
species of property is TO be found in the
East and West.
What then would be the practical opcr-
alton upon sections of the State of bill
taxing the one and cxGmpting the other?
Upon investigation, it will be found that
each provision will operate in favor of
the East and t. the prejudice of the
West.
First, as to taxing live slock-and in
tend to be brief on each of these points
HV a rpIprpnpn y. tlo N-f,lur,n ,,f lnoI,.
ments furnished the Convention. it will
be seen that the land Of Eastern Virginia
il assessed at S155,75 on So, and that,
according to the assessment of 1850. there
werO in the East 2I0, 587 taxable slaves,
which, for purposes of taxation, arc to be
regarded as that many dollars worth of
land multiplied by 500. Looking to the
constitutional provision on this subject and
for purposes of taxation regarding slaves
rs land, VIC have. then. an aggregate
amount of S2c1,527,151 81, which by
the stern provision Of the Constitution,
is to he taxed al vaIorcm. The land of
the West is assessed at S1ts,929, ia sc,
and the number of taxable slaves owned
Is $4,000. And, by making similar cal
culation, it will be found that this species
Of permanent taxable property in the
West amounts to Sl29, 37l ,87l 86. BY
comparison, it will be seen that the tax
able value Of land and slaves in the West,
is to the taxable value of land and slaves
in the East, as one and small fraction is
to two, or in other words, for every dol
lar paid in thG West on land and slaves,
the East will pay a small fraction less than
two dollars, If, then, we tax live stock,
which il estimated at about E$33, GO7,9G2,
ASSuminr that mn pnual amount of IL is
found in the East and West, and YOU should
exempt it from taxation, the ratio Of tax
paid upon land and slaves would remain
unaltered; but tax them, and you will
make the West pay in a greater ratio, and
the East in = less upon these important
subjects of taxation, the mode of taxing
which is unalterably fixed by the consti-
tuition. This being true, the question may
we'll be asked. why should the West in
sist upon the adoption Of this amendment?
Tho answer il ready. We do not offer
the proposition as an independent provi-
sion. We arc willing that live stock and
agricultural productions shall both be tax
cd And if you will strike ont the Agri
cultural exemption, you will take with it
the live stock exemption. II you had
never made the one proposition, we would
never have made the other. 1t will be
observed that from the facts statcd and
the arithmefcal demonstration made, this
corollGry is dcducible. Every exemption
made in respect to properly of which
Eastern Virginia holds less chan twothirCls
will operate Rgainst the East rs section
of the State and in favor of the Vest
How is il then that the East seeks to eX
empt agricultural productions ? The an