Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-04-07


This. four and a hall cents moro Elus' U Z uudeu y ''
property tax. ,,,d, of
tho James River and kanawha Company, whicn may SUI
further increase our expenses by the ycify "a's' '"
sl35 600 and our taxes by three cen:a.
In these estimates, | have supposed the whole increase Ua
,oration To be made in the property tax, which need not oe
.aised 40 HIGH. if the licencc tax ia increased; but that tah
alsn comas!in most cases out of the consumer, anu ~ a.'
would b. q measure OF doubtful policy. 6hnniu VS. -
,b,t [ hay supposed The amount OF taxable property W
main al what the Auditor estimates il iu' Inc heA' yoi, a.
that I have made no addition 10 his estimate OF olV.1I"u -
that may be expected from the now unp'o1ncu'e -. ~
,,bIic works. In most Of our financial exhibits, u" e4HurN
value of our stocks, as II IL called, Is dcdncleo ion us ~ ~
NAL public debt, and The difference IL represented os ,he u%t
mount OF our debt. / have not followed this pian, LOT u y u
ave been ont Of place. when the object was 10 CI'sa
no, The debt only. but the amount oil interest we sna, ~. , -
n provide for. | would gladly believe that t'eSe s.ocA vi "mr
.,r,c day wine out cur debt, and l Kao" 'na' ."em
r,r value is about equal to The whole sum. But we al u
liza, they would bring a p!ice below par, II 10" iuI ,n " t.y
market, end whether they are ever 10 coh''hu'u WA ho,"nd
ave cost us, or yield a much lager income mus ~ !" Nv
mon the policy of ourselves and our sueces7o,s' 80
rsmembarcd, sir, that the public works may De nloAem on"o'
and their stocks made permanently uhp'oous ia,o,naI i'm.
s'oonl and inLiscriminate appropriations 10 ln'cthu. 'n
rroyemcnls, iusl as certainly, if not more ceitaih'y' tnsn ~
= complete refusal OF any further Stale ala 10 comi'p7 's
system. .,Lr.ho, ,h,, NJ cyist.
;,g liabilities will require the Legislature OF l53o-o to raise
,hs nroDcrly tax from lis present rate OF ~ cents ON ''e 'iua ~.
AIRED dollars to at least 30, and probably to 81 or even 81
rpUtS, ultS > i|GtNhhiS
r,snsc In our present suufccs ot Income.
Now, sir, | appeal 10 the House to say whether, IN ing
condition of a.iIrs, i: does not become rs 10 proceed win
treat caution in the work Of APPROPRIATIONS: appeal 10
Inc people, east and wcsI, TO dste'InlEe whelhrr they wiz,
tolerate a reckless spirit of extravaganza, "hlch "ot'i
L1pcIy adj 10 burdens, already SO heavy. Tie appropriations
liked for at this session have not been lar short Of twenty
millions, and at one time, il seemed not Improbable 'hHt oil
would be granted. believe such a policy ~ouid nave De-
p,.cia!ed our bonds below par, and go put a s!op &c lheif
saIs; The effect on company stocks and bonds wonll nave been
It'll worse, and the consequences uinous 10 al lne "o'hs ""
in proqrcss. Nay, sir, the Covington road alone, while II
asked fr five millions al this session, would nave ins0iseu
an cyucodi,urc in the next few year; Of Sl0, 5UO,UUO loF
tic construction OF n single track, according 10 ne Gs'i"'4't
nj Its engineer. Adj for its equipment )! oVO.U o0' nm;
81, COG, 600 to complete the Central road with me Ilnn"i: ana
canal, to meet il, and you have a total OF Sl5UUV UUt Tor
this one line in the next five years. Aud thiS, lei the housc
remember, Is only an estimate, and everybody KNOWS no"
commonly the actual cost exceeds The estimate OF the best
enuinecrs: This annual Incrcaae Of our debt by three mil.
lions Of dollars would require an annual increase oi or
cents taxes, until the end OF the five years found lhnm near
l. GO cts on every hundred dollars worth NJ property, lSu cents
% every slave over IL years Of years, and l2O cents on eve
~ free white adult male. ! ask gentlemen 10 pause ana con
slider the effects OF such taxation.
Nor would this have been all. | say nothing oil what mas
been alleged by SO many, that the Coying!on road would
cost twenty millions instead of ten. But ] ask where would
all the other works ofinternal improvements have bsca ~hlle
This one line swallowed up the Treasury Would lhey nave
been content to deter their claims and sacrifice themselves
TO this mammoth procctY Nc, sir. Rely upon II, they
would have cIlmored Ut our doors, eager to secure tneiI
share Of the last crust of the poor cid commonwealth. And
their demands would have been granted -ior have FOL Inc
conditions of the division been ann0uncedl Has not The
gentleman from Smy,h Mr.. Cn9cKETT) Just Informed us
tnat sonic OF the peculiar friends of this Coringion line told
him that If he would place his vote at Their Glsposaii ht
miYht command thcirsl And has not the same ptincinie o.
action been openly and unbiushingy a"Owed on This llooii
These fifteen millions Threatened 10 carry Along WIN
them other hileen-a still further depreciation OF the otltt
credt-a still further Increase Of the load OF taxat,on. Ou'
debt, now larger than that Of any other State. except Penn
! sylyanla, would then have exceeded here, and reached the
enormous sum Of sixty millions. Our taxes, STATE and Fe'
derai, would have riyulled the oppressive system. Of Europe
I-r t,"J ,E nrnlnninn Thp aOnTr Df N l,t Sucl u {.
licy would crush Gil The springs Or enterprise, and stay ioi
long years 10 come The onward march Of our Industry.
which This CcTingion bill has presented Itself. First, 1t was
an annual appropriation ct about two millions td' an inoe'
fnlle time, until III. wors WIZ E.i1t.e4, and lis DARK mites
of runneIling completed. Then /. becaian 4 danlInd Tor hve
| millions, and gradually dwindIcd down TO twci but through
all mutations, two things remained constant-l vas 10 DC a
narrow gauge, thereby exposing its trade to the chances OF
| being drawn OF, BY the CONNECTING roads running NofHi'
ward; and moreover il was TO be built wholly on State &c
! count by the 3 Iard OF Public Works, without restriction or
real responsibility. Cost what It might ana we were aSaea
to vote in The dark, before even the engineers estimates came
in, which proved 10 he aevcTal millions more than tHe spc'
cial sdvocatce Of the road had assured Us would be the whole
expense. Cost what IL might, | say, withAil regard 10 TAX
alton or public policy, we were urged In no! haste, 10 plunge
bIindly and irretrievabiy ia!o what might prove the most avs
astruus extravaganza. And yet 1ur resistance was Stigma
Used aS The narrow minded prejudice Of nntI internal I'M
provcrncn. menl But | am happy 10 know That inc nrposi,
lion was peculiar to TO sccl!nn, but that from the far hills Of
The Northwest, from The fertile valleys Of The soa'h, anu lhe
broad plains OF the East. arose one common ict!inS ano
voice of condemnation. Al! felt how moTientous "elo the
hDPaneiaIa s sas psl'is IL, eS %nss @as pf G5 snsid "e Ts i isoarA o
Public Works was 10 borrow and cXpend ten TO twenty mil
lions in The construction OF q rail road between Covingtor
and the OHIO river, without further restriction or Limitation
If law. Everything va7 left 10 their sole pleasure and dis
raise up armies OF dependents and subordinate whose mp
p%ointments. aye, sir, whose very Offices existed but ct the
pleasure OF the Eoard;, armed with the right 10 make any
landhnlder, or town, or county rich BY the choice OF route.
with the authority TO adopt any gauge they ihinh proper;
and SO determine The course of Virginia traLo ard commerce
for generations to come, and with the unlimited disposal Of
1ur Stnfp bonis and crpdjt. Wiih0ut The HnDlrSnme restraint
Of publicity: with a Legislature but once In two years, and
then only for ninety days, TO investigate OF control their
proceedings, where, ! ask, would have been the real rcs2on-
sibility, where the efficient checks Oh ins Board2 | say
and mean nothing against the three gentlemen who now
compose II, bit who knows how long they may continGo in
office, or who may DO their SUCCESSORS? Our laws must
have references to the nature of the Office, not To the charac-
ter OF It's temporary incambenls, and Virginia has never
known such n power as this triumvira! dictatorship would
constitute. When future Legislatures met, they might find
your roads extended, your tunnels boring the soila noun
tains, aud your bridges spanning The abyss; out along thcse
magnificent achievements Of The tax. gatherer, along these
new Appian and Flaminian WAYS, would advance, not The
richly laden congoYs OF q free commerce., but Inc cohorts OF
the triuInyirale, the professions Of officials and Contractors
Of brokers and storkjobbers. md land SPECTATORS, bearing
The ensigns Of their proconsular authority, and ready TO be-
siege the Capitol aed dictate the laws By the lmporiunate
clamor and eieclioneerins of which We have already scen
and heard the beginning. Let the House take warning BY
other States. Witness Pennsylvania, whose public works
were undertaken on State account, and placed under O
State Board. They have cost vast sum- they fastened on
the State a debt 30 heavy as 10 drive her 10 reputation, and
to make her people emigralc to escape the tayc'i yet theli
income does not pay their expenses, and they are 10 worth.
less for trade, that a private company has o'il: Il ROAD &c.
tween :hc same points 10 su2erccdc them. For party and
political and personal Influences directed their construction.
The route t~iated ils sinuoua course 10 This mans Jorge, anu
that mans mill, go "a to accommodate the personal and po-
liticaI friends of the Public Commissioners. and The patron
age and contracts were controlled by similar Influences, ua-
I'll the whole construction Of government became II system
of spills and corruption. Beware. sir, les: a slhe destiny be
ours. If we escape, we shall o"u il 10 the virtue aud mode
ration CT our BOurd, not 10 Ito prudent vigilance OF our
laws.
The want OF proper legislation TO deGde and guard The
powers Of thil Board, was excmplfied in one oil is llrsl act5
They had not time, we are informed. 10 discharge the dulles
of 4 President and Directors for the Covington and ONO
road, so they created the tfico of Superintendent, and ap.
pointed q gentleman 10 supernteod this road: whilei II was
yet not even surveyed. This step may have been very OK
pcdicai, for al! | know; bat where was the express authority
of law7 If frcsiden. and Directors are needed on lhis
or any other Stale line, then | claim Tor the General Assem-
bly, some sharc In their orglnizilion.
The same want OF controlling legislation Is fiji in The
management Of our bonds. Ths House knows that no III.
formation was given us at The beginning OF the session Of
the disposition which had been made OF the bonds ol m:
Slate. We were lefs ignorant ci the value OF our credit,
and OF the obligations We had incurred. We asked The hu-
dit0,; but he too was ignorant. and il, was only ai!er repeat
ed c~ills-calls, 100. Tint were resisted in me most eSirao'di.
nary manner-thatw we have even at this late day succeeded
-, rbt,injnu n renIy n q all defnifc II sill e3yep much To