The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-17
Interesting from vxBtnia.
GOV. wIsK ON THE OYSTER rRADE-NARRIAGKs,
BIRTHS AND DEATHS IN THE OLD DOMINION
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. III, 1856.

hicHsosp' va reo' H. 1906.
Can Virginia bear more taxation7
maintain that her taxes are mot az great a. they
ought TO be in proportion to her wealth and her
necessities for taxauon; Inc per cent upon ner
sessed is not as much by 100 per cent as 1t win
bear ad valorem; not as much, by more than that
amount as the State requires; and not as much by
more than that amount, as many States, of less
wealth in proportion TO population are successfully
and prosperously taxed. And the enumeration and
assessment of our taxable property are exceedingly
defective, owing both to the law and its executi
An amended law, properly executed, would produce
q larger amount OF revenue, with less burden tp the
people:
She has vast and inexhaustible sources of revenue
untouched and unnoticed. She has an eastern mine
OF wealth, part OF her emin.n domain, public pro-
perry, belonging to the State. which yields per an
mum more than five millions Of dollars to indivdu-
ais, and to the State not one cent Of revenue, be-
cause it has heretofore been wholly overlooked and
neglected for fiscal State purposes. She has from
the Potomac to Lynn Haven bay, from two miles up
the Eastern shore creeks TO twenty miles up the
Western shore rivers, IS miles from North to South,
by rs miles, say, from East to West on the Chesa.
peake Bay; and from Chincoteague Island to Cape
Charles, rs miles from West to Sout1; and from the
Islands to the mainland miles, say, from East to
West on the Atlantic front-in the whole 1000 miles
OF salt water fundum, covered with the matrix of
oysters. Not less than fifty thousand toms of H.
censed and other ressefs are employed in taking these
The oysters are worth, in the market, not less
than fifty cents, and. at the rocks where they are
taken at least twenty cents per bushel. Each ton
takes about thirty bushels trip, and about eighteen
annum. Thus not less than twentyseven millions Of
bushels Of oysters are taken from the Virginia
fundum per annum. worth. at twenty cents per
bushel, the sum of SIS 400, 900 per annum. About
one.sixth only are taken in Virginia bottoms and
fye.sixths in vessels chiefly from Maryland, Penn
sylvania and New York. This Is property OF the
State and sold at one cent per bushel it would pro-
duce s27O,C00 per annum of revenue. A system of
revenue laws should be framed to regulate this trade
LIST. For monopoly Of our own citizens in the
fish, by regulating the times places and manner of
taking them. Sd To produce a revenue, by sys.
tenn of revenue cutters and inspectors to superin-
tend the catching and planting OF them, levying
fnndum of public waters, so as not to interfere with
the navigation laws of the United States.
Labor in this trade Is more productive than in the
gold mines of California. Hands can earn from
50 to $40 per capita per diem. A tax Of one cent
per bushel would be the lghtest burthen Of taxa.
ton known in this or any other State, and would
yield at least onefourth of one million of dollars
net revenue With two small steam cutters, to cost
not mere than fifteen thousand dollars each, and
with inspectors for the creeks ard harbors to be
paid out Of fees of inspection the whole system
could under the orders Of the Executive, be made
effective and to yield more and more revenue every
year, as it is demonstrabe that the trade is indie
structible. The oyster is reproductive and pro.
life, that it yields two families fit for market every
seven years, and is incaiculable in the number of
its spawn. l am confident from the data have
collected that in a few years the State could be
made to realize half million OF dollars of revenue
per anium from the oyster rocks And besides the
purposes of the revenue these steamers could be
made subservient to purposes of police very neces
saIy to be provided for in other aspects OF State
policy.
Let it not be said. them that Virginia is lacking
oh, 10 tnuo
ton, that public works must be stopped, or pub
lie credit suffer, when she has relief ready at
hand at this remarkable and neglected source OF re-
venue, her own public property
VITAL STATISTICS
AUDITORS OFFICE,
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. Is, 1855.
0. N. CRuTcHFIELD, Esq. Speaker of the House of
S1R-The constitution Of Virginia requires the
General Assembly to provide for the annual regis
tration Of the births, marriages and deaths in the
white population, and of the births and deaths 10
the solored population distinguishing between the
numbers of free colored persons and slaves"
In conformity with the constitution, the General
Assembly passed act on the 18th Of April, 1858,
entitled Fan act concerning the registration Of births,
marriages and deaths" This law requires every
minister or other person authorized to celebrate
marriages at once to make record of every marriage
s0lemnZed by or before him, and within two months
after such marriage to return certificate thereof to
the clerk OF the court Of the county corporation
in which the same is soemniZed. And it is made
the duty Of every commissioner of the revenue to
make an annual registration of the births and
deaths which have occurred in his district during
the year ending the 3lst day of the December pre-
ceding; and such commissioner shall return copies
of his registers to the clerk of the court Of his
county or corporation before the LIST day Of June in
each year.
Every such clerk of a court is required to file
and preserve in his Office the records deposited
with him, and to transmit to the Auditor Of Pub
lie Accounts copy of his register of marriages
dV,rsV fhn ffyFy tofn In let
day of March in each year, and copy of his regis
ter of births and register of deaths during the pre-
ceding year on or before the LIST day of August in
each year"
The same law requires the Auditor to "prepare
an abstract annually Of the marriages, births and
deaths in each county and corporation and make o
report upon said registrations once in every two
years, TO be laid before the General Assembly,
In conformity with my duty, herewith transmit
through you, to the General Assembly, an abstract
of the returns received at this office, of the births
and deaths during the calendar years of 1868 and
1864 Also an abstract of the returns received Of
marriages during the calendar year 1854
The officers whose duty it was to obtain the infor
nation from which this report Ia made up, failed, in
many instances, to till the columns in the blank
form sent them for their government. Therefore,
many Of the details required by law cannot be fully
given Provided the registers received from each
county and corporation were perfect, the whites,
free cooIed and slaves added together would eqnal
the whole number Of births reported, and 80 with
the males and females, &c While some officers
have been particular in this respect it will be seen
by reference to the tabular statements that many of
the counties are marked imperfect"
Copies of the registers of births, for ia counties
and corporations, have been received for the year
1855 the whole number reported in those counties
and corporations amount to........... 81, 5I8
Number Of whites, designated ...... ls442
Number Of free colored, designated. ...... 492
Number of slaves, designated ........... IL 700
Number Of males, designated .... $3.50
Number Of females, designated ...... 14,l60
Number born alive, designated. ...... 29,927
Number born dead, designated. ....... 1886
There are 36 counties and corporations from
which no returns Of births for 1855 have been re-
ceiyed. Copies Of the registers Of births for "a
counties and corporations have been received for
the year 1854; the whole number in these reports,
amount to. Observation-Disclosures. H,l89
Number OF whites. designated. .......... Il,045
Number oil Tree colored, designated. ..,..... 264
Number OF slaves, designated. .......,.... $3.50
Number OF males designated. ..,......... 8,S75