The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-02-13

Il oysters are taken from the Virginia fundum per
snnhT, worth, ct twenty cents per bushel the
" are taken In Virginia bottoms and tiyesixths In
vessels chiefly from Maryland. Pennsylvania and
New YORK. This Is property Of the state and sold
V one cent per bnshel. il world produce s27aOoo
~. sa sanuh oi revenue system Of revenue laws
vide: tssi Ess go, -'''7''-'N ~ So 80 " -
LIST For monopoly OF our own citizens in the
.,sue. 4d To protect the reproduction of the
sneh esn, ey reTniating the times. places and man
ner OF taking them. 3D. To produce a revenue by
asystem Of revenue cutters and inspectors to su.
perntend the catching and planting of them levy
ing tax on licenses to take them and plant them
90 the iunium OF public waters, not to inter-
iere with the navigation laws of the nted States
Labor IN this trade is more productive than in
tne gold mines of California. Hands can earn
rom two to ten dollars per capita per diem A tar
ei one cent per bushel would be the lightest bur.
shen OF taxation known in this or any other State
aud would yield at least one-fourth of one million
OF dollars net revenue. With two small steam
cutters to cost not than fifteen thousand dol
iars eacn and with inspectors for the creeks and
harbors TO be paid out of fees of inspection the
whole system could under the orders of the Ex-
ecutive, be made effective and 10 yield more and
more revenue every year, as II is demonstrable
that the trade is indestructibIe. The oyster is 30
reproductive and prolific that 1t yields two families
ht Tor market every seven years, and Is ncalcula-
Bile in the numbers Of its spawn am confident
from the data have collected that In a few wears
the State could be made to realize half million
of dollars Of revenue per annum from the oyster
rocks. And beside the purposes of revenue, these
steamers should be subservient to purposes Of po-
lice, very necessary to be provided for in other
aspects of State policy. --.------
Let it not be said, them that Virginia is lacking
in resources, that she need not be oppressed by
taxation, or that public works must be stopped, or
public credit suffer, when she has relief ready
at hand as this remarkable and neglected source
of revenue, her own public property.
Whatever NAV have bRau the difi,rpnca of nnip-
ions respecting the commencement of our public
works, there is difference of opinion at this day
on the questions whether the leading lines should
be rapidly completed-whether taxes should be
laid amply sufficient to carry them economical
ly; and, whether appropriations should he made
and applied under some regular system. We have
been wanting in system, the works are nowhere
completed aud none yield revenue from that cause.
The causes impair the great interest of State inn
proyement itself, make our ncompleteiworks very
costly, and appropriations to them always difficult
and sometimes, to fail IL is true that some of our
leading lines were finished Until then appropri-
ations to works Of minor importance ought to be
withheld. and all works of every grade would
thereby the sooner be constructed and made TO re-
turn profit. The argument in favor Of system
of improvements is III 10 respect better enforced
and illustrated than by its relation to our moneta
ry exchanges, and our Banking system We are
agricultural and producing State. without CEN
tre of trade, without foreign commerce, and with
out manufactures; and yet we authorize the issue
This issue goes to several centres of trade, in
one form or another. TO purchase articles of con-
sumption, or to negotiate trade in our products at
least four times year, paying every quarter at
least threefourths of one per cent or three and
one-hsf per cent. on the aggregate once a year
In other words. the producers and consumers of
Virginia pay a tax OF about $420. 600 per annum,
more than the whole amount of the appropriation
to civil list for exchange upon bank issues
Whyl Not because the banks are unsound do
an illegitimate business in exchanged may be
that they are our best defenders properly regula-
ted against the brokers of the centres without our
limit-but because hare centre of trade in our
own limits. Western Virginia is under the centre
of Cincinnati, and Eastern Virginia is under the
centres of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and
Boston. They do our business of exchange and of
commerce.. And why have we NO centre of trade
and Of foreign commerce! no mart to control ex-
changer 1t is because we have not brought the
back country of the West, by internal improve
ments to our Atlantic front. We have not reach.
ed back to the Ohio River at Point Pleasant,
at the Big Sandy, or at Memphis, and piled khe
fabulum for foreign trade On quay of commerce
ON the waters Of the Chesapeake.
Do that, and capital and population, will eoncen
trate on some one point of our coast, and then
barometer of ezehan e aciH hang up there And then
we will be saved this large tax upon our Bank is
sues, which we now cannot avoid without ceasing
to issue paper money of our own at all. Without
a centre of trade, our Banks cannot, and the State
cannot prevent or mitigate much this tar Of ca
severance and endurance, In bearing burthens to
achieve our commercial Independence, and to ac-
quire ultimately dominion of capital, popu-
lation and power
The four great leading lines of primary import
ance at present, are the Covington and Ohio Rail-
road. the Central and the South Western Railroad
to the Tennessee line, and the james River and
Kanawha Canal to Coyington. The first is in dam
ger of being stopped, the other two Railroads are
languishing for appropriations subscriptions to
tho 1ast link of their c0mnlofion O In
without funds, without credit, bound by mort
gage and resting its whole weight upon the arm Of
the State.
Ispeak from personal knowledge, from actual in.
tercourse with the people in every section of
the State, when say that very large MAORI
ty of them are looking anxiously to the con.
summation of these main works. Whatever may
be the local and selfish jealousies engendered by
apparently conflicting interests the State en- raasse
longs to see these lines brought to their termini
East and West We need not fear the Willingness
of our constituents to bear burthens little while
for the sake of the ultimate and certain good of
the Commonwealth. None Of them would have
past expenditures thrown away unreasonably
added TO by the damage of delay. They go farther
and would have q connexion between the Central
and South Western Roads at Covington for the
South side as well as the North side of James Riv-
er has need of link with the Big Bend of the Ohio
river. And, If any question arises about gaages
would recommend that the Covington and Ohio
Railroad be graded broad enough to admit of tro
tracks. one for each guage of the Central and South
Western. 1t would add but fourth or third to
the cost and time, trust, will prove that we win
have neod of ten instead oftwo tracks in connex-
ion with the great net work of improvements in
the North West.
The James River and Kanawha Company is in.
debted to the State more than So 900 600, and the
State is liable for the company to the amount of
about two and one-half millions more the aggre-
gate is, in round numbers, about $5,6l3 900. The
company is unable to move step further in its
works without aid from the legislature. 1t has not
the means to pay the interest its bonds for the
next year. it is without credit because it is mort
gagged to the State, and much of its work, if left
without aid, viii go TO decay and cause enormous
loss. 1t is supposed that the cost of completing
the work to Covington will be about B., 000, 900,
which must be advanced by the State or the W hole
line, by failing to meet the Covington and Ohio
Road win fall a dead loss on the State. To avoid
this and the necessity of any new loan or taxation
by the State it is proposed that the capital stock of
The company shall be increased to the amount of
$4,000 shares of which the State shall take GO 600
in payment of her debt and liabilities due by the
canal and the remaining 10000 shall be sold. IL
practicable, to private persons, thus committing
the debt aud liability OF the State into stock of the
Company.
By this means the COMPANY will at the end ,,f