Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-11-25

by the individual Stockholders themselves AT eacn
but 1 am unoffcially informed that such appoint
ment has net been recognised sufficient, and the
consequence been that the State has been unrep
resented in their meetings. The right OF represcn-
tation provided for in the Charter, and It's exer-
else does not depend upon the assent OF the ndlvld-
ual Stockholders Therefore, to make this question
perfectly clear, it is only necessary to PROVIDE Dy
law, the manner in which such representative snail
be appointed
In all cases where the State makes a subscription
to corporation, she ought to retain the right to be
represented in proportion to her stock.
The construction of the Wilmington and Manches-
ter Railroad has been prosecuted with much energy
and enterprise, and the improvement is aHordlng
important advantages to portion OF the State. AS
far as have been informed, the Company having
this road in charge has not officially acted on the
amendment proposed to its Charter by the last Cen
eral Assembly 1t is believed, however, that the
amendment will not be accepted.
The States subscription to the Neuse River Navl-
CATION Company has been paid. The report OF the
President and Directors in relation to the valuable
improvement under the charge of that Company, is
herewith transmitted.
The subscription authorized by the act of the last
session of the Legislature to be made to the Cape
Fear and Deep River Navigation Company has been
paid upon compliance with the conditions prescrl-
bed. The improvement under the charge of this
Company is a desirable object and when completed
will afford important commercial advantages.
The appropriation for the improvement of Tar
River has been paid to the Commissioners appointed
to superintend that work. 1t is believed that the
appropriation will be found insufficient to complete
this deSira BILE Improvement. =
The Fayetteville and Western Plank Road has
been extended This valuable improvement has pafd
good dividends and affords great facilities to the
public. The report of the President and Directors
of the Company having that road in charge is here
: with transmitted.
The Western Turnpike has also been extended,
and is a work affording great convenience to the
portion of the State in which it is located
no oft no Mel md YanceV IurnDlk6
haSbeen subscribed, and part of the States SUBJ
scription has been paid.
The Reports of the Cape Fear Navigation Com
pany, and the Western Pankroad Company, are
herewith transmitted. Also the Report of the Pre-
sdent of the Petersburg and of the Greenvllle and
Roanoke Railroad Companies; and the Report OF
the President and Directors of the Roanoke NaViga-
ton Company.
Agreeably to the provisions of the act passed at
the last Session of the General Assembly, to incor
porate the Atlantic and North Carolina, and North
Carolina and Western Railroad Companies, arrange
ments were made with the President and Directors
of the North Carolina Rail Road Company, for the
Survey of Railroad route from Beaufort Harbor to
Goldsborough, and also for the Survey OF route
from Salisbury to the Tennessee line. In pursuance
of these arrangements, COL Walter Gwynn was APP
pointed Chief Engineer superintend their execu-
ton. The Surveys Of both of these important i'm
provements have been made. The able Report OF
the Survey of the Eastern Route has been made,
and is herewith transmitted. The Report of the
Western Route will be transmitted when finished.
The attention of the General Assembly is respect
fully invited to the subject of common highways
Good roads are very important in every community
The present mode of assessing the LABOR, to con-
struct and repair the common highways is unjust
and unequal The labor pertorlnediS tax. 1t ire
quently under the existing law, that persons
possessed of large estates, contribute little or no Ia
Dor in repairing roads, while heavy exactlons are
made of others whose means are limited This IS
wrong. Persons ought to contribute in proportion
to the value of their estates.
The amount of public debt, on the 31st of Octo-
Der, 1924, was two million, eight hundred and ninety
six thousand two hundred and seventy dollars, thir
ty cents C$2, S9627 81. This docs not include
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, ($25o, OOO)
of the Bonds of the Wilmington and Raleigh Rail-
road Company, which were endorsed by the State,
because the Company regularly meets the interest,
and from time to time is paying portion of the
principal of the debt
The Report of the Public Urea surer, showing the
condition of the finances of the State, will, in due
time, be communicated.
The Report of the Comptroller, for the fiscal year
ending October 31st, 1858, is herewith transmitted
In regard to our Revenue system, repeat the re-
commentator contained in my message at the COM
mencement of the session of the General Assembly
No more money should be collected from the people
than is necessary to deray the economical expenses
of good government. Taxation is indispensable;
but it is one of the first duties of the statesman to
endeavor to equalize the burdens, as well as the
benefits of the system. Of late years. the demands
upon the Treasury have increased, and financial
tax for county purposes is collected entirely land
and pols and the amount paid into the Public
Treasury, on these two items is small, when COM
pared with the tax paid for county PURPOSES An
examination into the existing laws will show
that they operate unequally. In many cases, the
discrimination made between objects of taxation is
strikingly I'M ust.
As general rule, it is believed that the tax on
the of each person should be in proportion to
its value subject to such exceptions circumstances
and fundamental principles may justify. Inasmuch
property, the one hand, ought not to be made
the test of public privilege, neither, the other
hand, ought the absence of property to exempt the
person from bearing just share of the public bur-
den Therefore, capitation tax is imposed. Slaves
regarded, to some extent, both persons and
property. The following wise provision Of our State
Constitution which ought not to be departed from,
defines the power of legislation on this subject:
l. " Capitation tax shall be equal throughout
the State, upon all individuals subject to the same
2. "A free males the age of twenty-one
years, and under the age of fortyve years. and all
slaves the age of twelve years, and under the
age of fifty years shall be subject to capitation tax,
and no other person shall be subject to such tax;
provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent
exemptions of taxable polls, heretofore describ-
ed by law, in cases of bodily infirmity."
1t will be seen that slave property must form
exception in framing adj UGlorem system of taxa
ton. White males alone are subject to poll tax,
while poll tax is imposed on both male and female
slaves and the period of taxation begins nine years
earlier and continues five years longer the latter.
Thus, it will appear, that, by taxing both sexes,
the amount of revenue collected from the tax
slaves is double the amount collected white polls,
in proportion to the entire population of the two
races and the difference in the duration of the
hundred per cent. more. 1t is therefore, obvious,
that. in promotion to the whole number of each