Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-04-01

POSITION of Western land is compensated In the
of assessment, they paying tax on the average
b. s per acre, while the Valley and East paw
the average OF about So per acre.
has been insisted that the aptitude for the sus-
ance of live stock, is the ouly element ofvalue
Western lands; and it is taken into the estimate
assessment of values but this is deemed to be
nded in error, since lands of greatest fertility,
of highest assessed value in the West, are
propriated to uses other than grazing, or the |
eding of live stock. But if the position were |
be, it would not follow that the cattle of the |
est, bear to their agriculture, the relation
hich agricultural products bear to ours. pro-
se to bestow on that subject a candid conside- |
ton.
What is the relation which live stock bears to |
estem agriculture! Let lis endeavor to ascer- |
n by looking into the actual condition of things |
hm farmer and planter in the county of Neck
nburg. own landed estates there; but in their |
.tural state unassisted and uuimproved by hui
an efforts, they yield no revenue or income
hey have capacity for the production of tobac-
b and the cereal grains. That capacity is est-
atedin the assessment of their value. and carries
lem up far above the average value of Western
ands. But without manure without the app-
|ation of skill and force, they yield no income.
% obedience to the divine mandate, we earn our
living by the sweat of our brow. | pay heavy
AK these lands, and hope, not grudgingly.--
o make them valuable, | am compelled to en-
Ploy on them proportionatey large capital, ex-
eeding the assessed value of the land, invested iu
abor, teams, Improvements, fixments and what
over else expense demonstrates to be essential to
Buccesstul tlage. All this proportionately large
capital Is essential to cultivate my crops, to mature
Ehem harvest, house and secure them, to prepare
Them for market and effects their transportation
and sale; and it all, | pay another heavy tax.
How different the condition of the Western
hgriculturist His country, fertile in soil, deli
cious in climate, beautiful in scenery, is the pro-
fuse and bountiful gift of benevolent and benef-
cent Divinity. The spontaneous productions of
nature cheer and animate his joyous existence
Grass is his crop. The green heritage springs, We
getates and luxuriates, on the margin of the limp
ed rivulet. 1t spreads out over the undulating
fields, climbs the mountain Sides and covers in
velvet green the beautiful SUBMITS which rest in
the skies. The teeming abundance of the rich
harvest invites the sickle and woes the husband
man. And he does what have done; looks out
upon the wide field of nature to avail himself of
the best mode of securing the advantages within
his reach. And again, he enjoys the munifcence
. of Heaven; nature has fashioned for his use the
appropriate machine to secure his harvest. The
i focks and the herds obey his command-the
bleating lamb skips in the lawn the sleek OK gam
bols DER the rich pasture. The lamb is his labor
Ier-the OK his McCormck-the bullock reaps his
to the barns, prepares them for sale, and carries
them in his strength to distant markets; perform
ing LII the process the part or function of the man.
ufacturer converting the raw product of the fields
into useful and delicious food for man. And
here, sir, we behold the recip ient of this great
munifcence instead Of eherishing a sentiment of
gratitude to Heaven, straining and struggling to
avoid his just contribution to support the govern
ment of his own creation, protecting him in the
enjoyment of the highest advantages known tothe
social state
In this narrative, I have exhibited the relation
which live stock bears to Western agriculture.
They stand in the place and perform the function
occupied and performed by our labor and teams
We pay a tax on our labor and teams, and they
should cheerfully pay tax on live stock | am
anxious to make this idea perspicuous. propose
to present it in its simplest form; and I to
illustration. Let us suppose two young men, each
selves in s d hpllars about to establish them
land in Meeklenburg, on which he pays tax.-H=
Without labor and skill his land is Improbable,
and he must invest his remaining capital in labor
and stock, on which he also pays tax. The sec
ond vests one half his capital in Western lands,
which yield spontaneous crop; but that crop
must be mown and secured, and to accomplish that
he invests his remaining capital in live stock,
which perform the important office. To place
him equality with the citizen of Mecklen-
burg, must he not pay tax on the second invest
ment
The cattle tax is violently resisted in the West,
because they insist it will have sectional opera
ton, disadvantageoust to themselves. Now, if this
were true, would it constitute valid objection to
the imposition of the tax! The fact that tax is
sectional in its character nuriously affecting the
East, is no valid objection to its assessment. The
slave tax, furniture, coach, income and interest
taxes, are all sectional in their character, and
mainly collected in the East; yet no gentleman
from the West, on that account, proposes to re-
NIT them. With what consistency can they in
sist on the remission of the cattle tax-the only
tax which ever they can suppose will be collected
mainly in the West!
But it cannot be shown that the cattle-tax will
have sectional operation dsproportionately OPP
pressive to the West. The census tables of 1910
exhibited the fact. that there were eighty thou
sand more in the East than West. And we have
no reason to apprehend that those proportions
have been subjected to changes SO important, as
to operate oppressively upon our Western breth-
rem. On the contrary, when we looki into the
ganization of our society, find this desert pton
of property generally and equally distributed
and diffused, to constitute equitable and eli
gible subject of taxation; well when consider
ed with respect to classes, to the grand divi-
sions ofthe State.
Sir, there are other topics which I earnestly
commend to the solemn consideration of the re-
representatives. of the Western people-topics
which I hold of far higher moment than any tenn
porary financial expedient. The great and in
tense struggle which distinguished the history of
the recent Convention foundits origin in the prin-
ciples of taxation and appropriation. The deep
solicitude, the tremulous apprehension which
pervaded and agitated the Eastern mind, found
their spring in the dread these great powers
When the legislative department wrested
from the East, under circumstances which | con-
template with pain but never describe, the bitter
spirit of discomfort was to some extent appeased
by the solemn assurances rendered by the West,
as guarantees against the abuse of those vast
powers. The principle of equal and uniform tax