Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-14


It being so ordered 4, read 6rst and by consent
OF the House. second time, and ordered be cngross
cd.
Mr. Ds,sg moved to take up tho Covingtou and Ohio
| railroad bill. The motion being agreed to-
lie moved that Il be laid on the table and mado the
special order ios tomorrow, tfdayJ at IL O'Clock.
II was so ordered.
Mt LIKE said that having inmacd bis intention on Wed
nesday, OF offering preamble and series of resou.
tons to the consideration Of the House. he would do
at that time.
The following preamble and resolutions were then sub.
mitted:
Whereas the Legislature Of Virginia has at various
ume appropriated large sums OF money towards the In
erua Improvements OF the State creating thereby con.
siderable amount Of and making necessary
TO Increase the rate OF taxation to her liabilities
account OF said appropriation; and
Whereas many of those works upon which large sums
have been expended, and yet Incomplete aud sound poll
cy as well as prudent economy requires that s further
Aid should be expended to finish them, with view to
their ultimate profit; and
Whereas, still further appropriations to a vast and
alarming amount have been asked for the present
son towards works in some instances Of exclusively
local character aud of rather doubtful benefit which If
iavoraby considered and passed on, would involve the
necessity Of still further taxation aud
whereas the people have borne their burdens hitherto
with eommendable patience aud patriotic SPIRIT but
unwilling that these burdens should be increased at the
present session, by undertaking schemes by app
pn opauS ,uore money towards works, which, when nm
ished would yield hut little return in the way Of
dividends. Therefore
LIST Resolved. As the sense Of this legislature That
il nerpcdient this time to make any
for new improvements
End Resolved, That they will exercise sound jiscro-
ton in aPpropratng for the early completion Of mpor-
tant works already authorised.
Srd Resolved That in discriminating they will endca
'or 10 consult the true interests Of every portion of the
commonwealth and will adopt system that WILDE equal
just and liberal.
Mr. PATRICK desired to know from tbs nj
resolutions what he meant to accomplish by their adop
aon were they even unanimously adopted by the House.
he was confident they would not control the Of
member, when the bills TO which these resolutions have
reference shall come up lie opposed TO the resolu
tons In every particular. He did not believe il fair or
proper that particular works Of Improvement should be
advanced to the exclusion of others IL the duty
every member of the House strictly the merits
Of every proposition which should up and upon
them as their Importance and utility demanded He was
sure that every member in casting his upon bills
Internal Improvement would pay all due consideration
the condition OF tho commonwealth But the effect of
these resolutions, if they would have would be to
letter gentlemen, who should hold themselves free to
ercise their Judgment in voting upon all bills of the cha
racter referred to in the resolutions For his part wheth
er the resolutions offered he should exercise
his Judgment and he controlled by that alone in casting
his vote upon bills Of Internal Improvement
MI MARTz moved to lay the preamble and resolutions
on the table The motion Withdrawn by request.
Mr. LEE made an explanation of the motives which iu-
dueed him to Offer the resolution. The foregoing motion
renewed.
Mr. CARTER, OF Fauquier asked that the motion be
withdrawn for the present
That request being compiled with
Mr. CARTER said that the gentleman from Orange (Mr
Lf favored hlm with the privilege Of reading his pream
ole ana resolutions last evening, whereby he afforded
an opportunity oil canvassing their merits strictly. He
Tor one should not vote in favor them a. he conceiy.
ed their tendency was TO hold members committed only
those improvements already in progress, regardless alto
geher OF the merits OF any schemes which NAV have
been or may be presented this session the consde
ration oil his House lie would be that duty
which he owed his constituents and the high trust
which they had conded him. he TO agree TO those
resolutions aud thereby fetter himself when Le should
be Tree to exercise his judgment in voting for such bills
OF internal improvements, whether old new as he
should conceive beneficial 10 the interests of his constt.
cuts and the state at large The gentleman Nr LEE) on
former occasions intmated disposition to favor what
he conceived to he the leading lines in this internal i'm
provemen scheme. The operation of his resolution II
adopted, would be exclude virtually all works of mi;
nor character from any consideration when upon n pro.
per investigation OF their merits they may be found as
useful and important works of much greater extent
These resolutions set forth that general dssa sfac
ton exists among the people because Of heavy taxation
aud that to meet the Indebtedness OF the State nv
her appropriations to works of Improvement within be
oorderS hat statement was perfectly inconsistent with
the general sentiments of the people, as reflected bv the
numerous resolutions and petitions which teen in from all
parts OF the state in favor He de.
peu That ere wasihe great grodng beneath the burden
OF taxation spoken OF in the resolutions of the genms
and IN that denial he was fully sustained by the proclaim
ed views oil the people, in the form Indicated lie WAS as
much opposed 10 increasing the Of the peonle
necessarily the gentleman from Orange or any other
gentleman On this oo but he to agree 10 hese
uuons his constituents could well say that he had com
United himself 70 policy the effect Of which would he
10 impose heavy taxes upon them works from which
they derived no benefit, while he permitted himself Inv
supporting these resolutions to be etered and therefore
unable to vote questions bearing more
upon their nerests He did did he desire tho
to he thus trammeed He wished 10 be free 10 consider
and vote upon these and every other question which MIGHT
come before this body, his Judgment might dictate nm
influenced by every other consideration than desire To
guard and promote the those he had the
70 represent on this oo and as he might deem be for
the best interests Of the whole State lie felt assured
this House was not willing commit itself to the policy
embraced IN the preamble aud resolutions offered nv
MS friend from Orange, and he had huiedly prepared
preamble and resolutions which he hoped and believed
were more in consOnance with the views and wishes of
majority OF this House and which he would now beg
leave to offer substitute for those offered by his
friend from Orange.
Whereas the Legislature of VIRGINIA has n, yar;or,
times, aud with commcndablc beraiity made apnronria
tons Tor works Of Informal improvements in various paris
OF tue state whereby her people have been greatly bene
nteu ana her aggregate wealth and prosperity largely in
creased, and whereas in order to the full
her Agricultural Mineral and Commercial resources and
to meet the just and reasonable expectations of the CON.
suent body IL will be necessary for this General
bly to make additional appropriations both 10 works
in progress and which in the opinion Of this Legislature
and IN the exercise OF prudent economy should he
red on TO state OF completion and to such other works
as 10 their wisdom may be adopted the present session
and whereas msy be requisite increase the amount of
Naon ior the purposes above expressed, and proper
regard LOT tue interests othose we lead
l.
dence so that the burden OF taxation il at ALL shall be M
slightly as possible increased. Therefore Resolyed-as
the sense Of this Legislature that they will exercise
sound discretion and proper discrimination in appropri
ang money for the completion these works of Internal
Improvements now in progress and to such other Works
as in their wisdom may he adopted the present
sion. "
End. Resolved-Thst in discriminating they will on.
deaV1r to consult the true interest OF every portion ofbe
commonwealth, and will adopt system that will not be
equal nst, and liberal.
Mr. WALLACE stated that both the resolutions and subst
tne merted the serious consideration Of the Legislature
large number OF bills before this BODY involving
an appropriation OF no less than eleven million and half
oil dollars while there hundreds nd ninety nine Io
solutions which we're not yet acted upon The member now
reported involved appropriations the amount lust stated
and what thst amount would increase to after the other
resolutions would be acted upon he would not undertake
to estimate
Mr. w referred TO the uncertain state Of our financial
operations IN view OF the prospects Of a general war
through the world which would necessarily affect the
financial relations Of different countries He however
believed that there would be railroads one hundred
miles long constructed which would not yield ADVANTAGES
fully commensurate With the expense incurred in their
construction He did not undertake. at that time 10 saw
how his opinion would be recorded IN regard TO either of
these documents There may be proper medium be.
tween lhe two schemes which mas be fixed upon but