Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-08-28
Tur CAPACITY OF THE STATE TO COM

VI
rur CAPACITY OF THE STATE TO COM
pI rTE HER INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
rb, next Legislature will have to determine whetll-
or like their immediate predecessors, they will leave
! ,h intcrrIu improvements Of the State crippled and
.,s.ionary for the next Two years, whether they
will not grapple manfuy with the difficulties of the
subject, nnd, "by opposing end tho,n." Let us have
determination Of the question, way the other
Anything is better than uncertainty. Rather than
live from hand to mouth, dependant on temporary
c1pediepS to maintain snuil-llke progress and often
to the honor of the State, had better stop
every work and discharge every hand. Give us sys'
TEN, if it be bad one, for wo can then accus-
tom ourselves to it and prepare for the future.
For our own part, We believe thnt the people OF
Virginia wish to complete their ncs Of improvement
aud are ready to endure any reasonable ta1aor Tor
this purpose II impossible that AMI reasonable and
patriotic man should desire TO the system o I'M
provemeuts left III its present condition. lie hea'I'
eat portion Of the expense has been incurred, hh'
most of the roads arc just attaining profitable stage
in their progress. To stop short now would 10 10 per
peuate the burden aud deny ourselves the 6oneit
Of the system. These benefits seem TO ns 10 be two
fold in their character.
Tba auprccia,ou in the value OF lands, the cheap
cucd trans porntiou Of agricultural products ana n
nures aud the Increased aren and Improved qra!''y
o.! cultivated lands consequent hcreon arc ben MS
of an agricultural character These have been arca
,lv attaed to considerable extent.
But there is another species Of benefit, purely com
marcul not less impuruut than the former, and Who'll
| ,n,I,., ,I,. linn tl.
We mean the carrying trade ot the States DHc u H
The magnitude of this trade may be easily estimated
The Central Rail Ros,l now trarerscs nearly "hG''''
| of the State, and enjoys quite onc-h"' "i ''ic "'
mesl;c trade appertunins to the prDtc'c" Inc io'
! Richmond to Guyandotte. Its revenues are "oo'''
| : .Oo Ono n wear, cons, quently the revenue l" te
.rnccted from domestic trndo and travel may DC
s.,;r,,od M Ss0U,uOu But the whole trado and re-
of tho rond will greatly exceed this sun,, and
~, x... ,nust be derived from the carrying trade of
other States.
There are four through lines that We now remem-
Der tapping the Mississippi valley-two III New l"rE
running to the Lakes, which mny be regarded "s the
Northern outlet Of that valley; one in Pennsylvania
and one in MARYLAND. Each of these lines ipssessos III
annual revenue of two and 4 half or three millions
! Df dollars. S'"'-'
and rl:u,te we may expec, equa! rrrcanc for "'l;
Central lire, and, consequently, we may estimate the
:eceip,s from the carrying trade on this line at not
less than two millions year.
The imporan: feature in this trade H. that It's pro.
fits Are additions 10 the wealth Of the State while
the charges for domestic transportation merely trens
Ter money from one clgss Of Our citizens to another
HENCE it is that the carriers for other rationS acquire
wealt! So rapidly. New England and Holland Gre IN
stances of communities accommodating iTmrnse w"aii
by CARRYING the products OF tho world AMI simply
from tie charges Of transportation.
But will, Us these charges not the Only source
Of wealth. The products shall carry will pass
through our own cities bu handled by our merchants
and shipped in ports. They vii! be the pa"nIun
of domestic commerce and manufactures and the sti'
muan,. to the growth ot our cit'es.
Heretofore We have been purely agricultural. Our
puraui,s uced diversfyus. We must have commerce
aud manufactures. We mast no !on;r. depend on
abotonists for every thing We USE Moreover w'
need population to restore our relative strength IN
the Federal councils to its former dimensions.
Railroads will do all this for w, Gnd will kill abo
ton in the Congress Of these United States. Give u'
tho carrying trade of the Ohio and Mississippi valley
or fair share vf it, for five and iwonty years. mud
with the aid of our sister States Of The South. We vii
drive the monster from tho capitol and pacfy the ma
ton.
But railroads require money, aNd money require.
the imposition of taxcs. We have done much in ,hi.
wsy yet more remains to be DONE and the question re.
solves itself simply into IN estimate Of our c"pacy
to endure taxation. We may stcy say that what
our ne.hbors flourish under will not cxterminee ~.
Pennsylvania imposes tax of ,. 10 cents on cve-
~ hundred dollars of her taxable property Ohio the
same, Illinois ~ cents and Virginia 20.
II our taxes be increased fifty per cent. they vii!
be still two cents on the hundred dollars less than
those Of PENNSYLVANIA and Ohio, aud onc-haf those
of Illinois. But We have IN example ut home Of our
capacity to pay taxes. Richmond, one OF the mort
hourishing cities in the State, le,rs tax Of one per
cent on her taxable property, for corporation purpo-
scs FIVE times rs much as that imposed by the State
Our taxes now yield about sl30O,O00, and al i'll
croase OF fifty per cent will consequently give
s75O,OO0 enough to pay the Interest and establish
sinking fund on a loan Of SlO,tai0U0.
We have $io1 ,OO0 900 Of taxable property, and nn
increase Of the taxes to 80 cent tho 800 will give
us surplus Of siG' 900, the basis for loan OF
$G,5O0.DG0.
Either united to private subscriptions will COM
pIete some of the through lines and very much ed
vance the most important Of them all.
We trust that the Legislature will not finch from
the difficulties of this grcat Question: Considerations
of economy require tha: they houd adopt iude'ons
system of expenditure for the advancement and COM
plcton of our roads 1t vii! be cheaper in the end
and Infinitely more satisfactory and crcditabie tnah
the present wrctched abandonment of the whole SUI
ject. They have precious opportunity t" reuvc'
nate this blessed old mother of US all and to make
her wha. nature intended her TO be- the first State IN