Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-03-19

2 increasing their prosperity.
The motion Of my friend, the Senator from
Gloucester, to indefinitely postpone this bill, is
but TO put period to internal improvements IN
this State; and if this is what is desired, wish
Senators to come up and "toe the mark" at once
for believe that the hestatng, stand still, do
nothing policy OF the last General Assembly has
done Inure than any thing else to depress the
bonds of the Commonwealth. If measures had
been taken then TO complete orr important inter-
nal improvement schemes the bonds Of the State
would not now be IN their deprecated cn1dtlon.
even under the combined causes OF severe and
unusual s;rinselcy in the money markets q me
, world.
But, sir, we are told BY Senators that they are
willing to vote a reasonable amount for each work
f if they could see the way and means BY which
the money can be raised and we are further told,
by way ofapclogy for voting against all apPfoprs-
tions this session, that Virginia is bankrupt!!-
That we have bankrupt treasury! Yes sir,
Virginia With her six hundred and ninety millions
of prooerty-wrh an exuberant soil-wilh law
abiding and tax paying people possessed OF more
. combined elements of wealth within her borders
1 Than all of England with greater mineral and
agrsntural resources, if fully developed. than al
most any other portion Of the habitable glooe,
that Virginia is unable to appropriate some fonr or
five millions of dollars to advance, Tor the present
(and with view ultimately 10 finish,) hef grand
! scheme of internal Improvements, when VIII
make her the first State 10 this great coEtede!acy
of soyereigns. We are, sir, asked TO do, this
session of the General Assembly, what we did last,
spend ninety days from our hOmes and and faml-
| lies, at cost to our constituents OF near one
hundred thousand dollars, and return literally
without doing anything IN the g:eat cause OF de-
velopment and progress; a cause which VIII pie
the .'pabulum of Commerce upon the key of
commerce."
Yes. sir, we must adjourn and GO home to tell
our constituents that we have raised the taxes
| fifty or an hundred per cent and have done moth
| ing for the great interests Of the Commonweaittf
that we have passed few charters for tho
friends Of saving banks, Incorporated some three
or four female academies, and one or two soapsone
quarries.
According to the Report of the Second Auditor.
tax Of one hundred per cent, without taking into
account the next assessment will pay of the ex-
istng deficit into the treasury and the deficit iot
the year 1856. And in the year 1851 there VII!
be deficit of but six hundred and sixty thousand
dollars, which will, require only the sum ol
twenty-seven cents on the one hundred dollars
worth OF property tc meet the wants Of the treas"
ury.
Is there any thing in this amount TO deter us
from making appropriations TO save that for which
we have already expended millions TO commence.
when the organic law Of the commonwealth has
wisely provided that for every dollar added to
TO our debt, sum sufficient 10 meet the interest
and ultimately to eItinguish the principal OF her
liabilities, "shaIl be promptly raised and set apart
for that purpose ~
We have charged the State of Virginia, with
In. lfa1i
with the deficit in her treasury but, sir, we have
not looked on the other side of the picture, and
given her credit for the enhanced value Of her
lands, millions of acres of which were almost
worthless, and brought, nominally, mere pitt
tance into her treasury, and which must now
under the quckening influences ofher internal i'm
provement without making any ALLOWANCE for the
increased value ofproperty in towns and cities at
their ternini and along their routes.
| ! have prepared, Mr.. President, table showing
the increased value Ofards grcn tho soverol roads
annexed, since the last re.assessment, IN IooO, or
might say, since the session OF looi-%, wnen
the present rate Of taxation was adopted, showing
| the increased revenue over those periods alluded
to. at twenty cents in the one hundred dollars, oF
forty cents, if it be necessaryo maintain the cred
it of the Commonwealth.
| have consulted gentlemen of observation and
enlarged experience. in the vicinity Of the roads
and lands in question, and they fully endorse the
calculations shall submit to the Senate.
| We will assume
That for 90 miles along the Orange and Alex
andria Rail Road and l0 miles on each side, the
land is increased in value by the construction OF
the road a, $8 per acre.
That for 70 miles along the Manassas Gap
Road and Il miles on each side, the increase Of
value, in like manner, is SIS per acre.
That for 80 miles, in Augusta, along the vlr:
pinia Central Road and for Is miles on each side,
the increase is 10 per. acre.
That for 100 miles alcng the Virginia and
Tennessee Rail Road and l5 miles on each side.
the increase is S. per acre.
And that for 22i miles along the Coyngton and
Ohio Rail Road and so miles on each side, the
increase would be s. per acre.
And the following are the results:
Increased value of lands, S54,f52,Ooo
as cents t;,r' for eyerv sIOO lo9,5o4
Or at 40 cents for every 500, 2l0,008
II will be observed that with the exception ofthe
| Cuyington and Ohio Rail Road the above increase
applies to the above roads only 50 far as c. mple-
ted, and without making any allowance for the in
creased value ofpropery in the towns and cities
at their termini and along their routes
Surprising our net works Cf internal improve.
mems, now in course Of progress, completed the
increased value of lands along them, and OF prop
erly in The different towns and cities OF Virginia,
would swell the above sum to exceeding one hun
dred and fifty millions Of dollars, 10 which is ad-
ded The wealth of the State; and at twenty cents
to the one hundred dollars; will give three hun
dred thousand dollars and at forty cents, six hum
dred thousand dollars. 1t is clear, then, from
this calcuaiion that the increased revenue by our
internal improvement policy will add fifty per
cent. to the present amount raised on lands and
lots in this Commonwealth And, as shall be
able 10 show, that the county Of Augusta saves in
the transportation OF flour alone, to market, an
amount equal 10 her present State taxes, it may
safely be assumed that other portions Of the State,
within reach OF their Rail Roads, would save ip
transportation as much which now amounts, ac-
cording to the Auditors Report, 10 six hundred
thousand dollars on lands and lots The people.
therefore, are better enabled 10 pay an increased
rate OF taxation. With their improvements they
are undoubtedly better able to pay forty cent
tax than twenty cent, without the completion Of
those Improvements.
have, sir, The honor TO represent the largest
tax-payng district in the State, save one, the LOU
doua district. Augusta pays into the Treasury
about thirty thousand dollars per annnm, and I
will demonstraie that the completion of the Virgin
ia Central Rail Road to Staunton, by o saving Of
transportation upon the single article of -four, ,nore
than pays her taxes TO the State. In 1850, accor
ding 10 the Census Reports she raised four hun.
dred and len thousand bushels of wheat which il
equal to eighiy-two thousand barrels of -four
Deduct, say one quarter, for home consumption
there is left sixty one thousand five hundred bar
rels for market, and as fifty cents per barrel i,
saved in transporting this quantity to market by
Rail Road, we Eave clear saving of $50 $50 or
this article alone, and leave out of the account tb<
ca ynn hy The reduclian of fcenhtc uno. -. -.