Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-12-25

- srii b esarosf sams as adsssss
No paper win be issued from this office on Friday
morning s.' ,'i- '-' 90
a. TAxEs Moxrsoxsar Cousrr.-- Our sheriff informs
US that the taxes paid into the State Treasury by Mont
gomery this year win amount TO the Of $l7,S6O
This Is increase OF ~ times much paid by the
came county In ls42 Under the present tax bill the
taxes for next will reach t25, 000 The sudden
withdrawal oil so large Of money from the people
vii produce pressure and for the time being parayze
the business OF county We graiied see that
our people have promp y met the demands Of the State
and hope they will always do but IL Is opinion
that the present tax bill is too exactng. and will produce
too much revenue. We hope Governor will examine
Into this matter and II necessary call session OF
the Legislature II for other purpose than reduce the
We clip the foregoing paragraph from the Mont
gomery Star--a Democratic paper Of the straitest
sect and one which habtually displays in its edito-
rial columns degree Of originality, ability force,
acuteness, power Of argument and comprehensive
ness of view, which entte it to be considered
of the most prominent and influential Democratic
organs in the State. We sorry, however, to see
our Herculean contemporary of the Southwest SO
much distressed in regard to the 'taxes." We knew
the people were grooming under the burden i'm
posed upon them by the Democratic Solomons Of
the State, but really did not expect to see De-
mocratic newspaper indulging in such bitter COM
plainings ON the subject and even invoking the Go
vernon to call extra session OF the Legislature iii
for no other purpose than to reduce the taxes"
s In regard to extra session Of the Legislature,
we take the liberty Of informing disgruntled De-
mocratic contemporary that the Governor as we I'M
derstand, has idea of assembling one for any
cause or upon any pretext whatever He is fully
persuaded, nevertheless that one is necessary but
yet he intends to disregard his obligations and his
duty, because he is afraid to assume the responsible
ity Of what he considers an unpopular act As for
ourselves, wholly unable to perceive how, in
the face of the necessity which he admits to exist
for extra session, he can in despite of his official
OATH still refuse to call one This is certainly a
strange and not very enviablc position for our Go
vernon to occupy especially when we recollect the
extrayagant promises which he made to the people
o when candidate for their suffrages We asked
some week or two ago how Gov. Wise had dealt with
his pledges to the public and what prospect there
OF his redeeming them at all We repeat that ques
ton now, and insist upon being informed as to what
steps our Governor is taking with a view to com.
plete unfinished internal improvements, supply
the educational wants Of the State and relieve the
people OF the onerous burthens under which they
are daily and hourly "groaning" 1t is evident tina,
no returns to the State until the ystem fully CON-
pleted. And so the debt of the State must DO paid
off only by levying additional taxes upon the peo-
pie; unfinished canals and railroads. instead of
being source of profit to the State, furnishing no
revenue whatever, and operating continually as a
burden and a drawback Upon the prosperity of the
people. We distinctly remember with what a flour
ish of trumpets and with what surprising vehe.
Of nd
sing the State candidate, declared and swore
that he would set all things to right, If the people
would only make him Governor. And yet, although
he has been in Office for whole twelvemonth, what
has he done' Can any one point to a single act or
suggestion of his looking to a redemption Of the
magnificent pledges with which he filed the air and
tckled the popular iancyl Not one can be designa.
ted; and yet he has time enough to get up treason
able conventions at Raleigh, make pious pilgrimages
to Wheatand, and supervent the politics Of the State
and of the whole country-and all by way of con-
tributng 10 his selfimportance and elfinterest
900 We think it pretty certain that no matter how
"exactng" the present tax BILL or how onerous the
public burdens, the people have no alternative for
years to come but to grin and endure it, 1t may be
happy conception enough 20 call extra session
of the Legislature for the sole purpose Of reducing
~hS e@Sai Dub IL hnOunt 10 nOtn1ng at all. HE
present rate Of taxes is barely sufficient 10 pay the
interest on the public debt and meet the necessary
expenses of the Government; and SO they will either
have to be put up with and endured, or the State
will have to resort to downright and immediate re-
pudiStion-unless, indeed, the Democracy in Con
gress would surrender their ridiculous scruples in
relation to the public lands, and unite with tn,
Wings and Americans in the effort to secure 70,
Virginia her righful share OF these lands II they
would do this, the taxes would soon be reduced and
the people would soon be free from their heavy bur
dens. ...
We throw out this suggestion, therefore, and ex
press the hope that our querulous and distressed
Democratic contemporary across the mountains. in
stead Of bawling out for an extra session of the lie
gislature to reduce the taxes, will imperiously dc
mand Of the Democrats in Congress, aud out of il,
the adoption Of the policy have indicated in re-
spect to the public lands-and then the State will
prosper and flourish, and high taxes exist only IN
memory.