Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-02-16
apmciuur9 a'ir0imiam.
Governor Wise and Internal Improvements.

We regret that We cannot make room for thu
whole of the interesting message of the Govern
or on the condition. wants and prospects of GU
chief lines of improvement. 1t was called fortl
by a letter from Chief Engineer Fisk. of the Gov
ington & Ohio road. representing that 1.-THE las
appropriation to that work is so nearly expende,
that it is now his duty to etop the only remain
ing work now in progress, and to direct the con
tractors on the Allegheny tunnel to suspend op
erations forthwith He states that the s,oppag'
Of this work will occasion. directly and indirect
ly, heavy losses to the company. That. IL thu
force now at the t"nnel be discharged. it canno
be brought back without much loss both Of tint
and money; that the tine lost will probably ex
coed six months; that the steam engines aud al
the machinery nj the tunnel will be exposed ant
subject to injury during the suspension Of the
work; that the whole excavsted space Of the tun-
mel will become 6lled with water before the
work can be resumed; that the whole outfit and
preparation of the contractors will suffer much
diispidation and ejury; and that the indirect
will exceed the direct losses"
Gov. Wise enters into review of the finances,
credit and capacities of the State, aud insists
that the amount of taxation necessary not only
to meet all acoruing liabilities, but to furnish
the means of further appropriation is not more
than the State easily and would cheerfully
bear. We extract from the message;
Can Virginia bear more taxation
maintain that her taxes are not as great as
they ought to be. in proportion to her wealth and
her nece ssities for taxation. The per cent. upon
her taxable property, as a is enumerdted
and aFsessed. is not as much by 100 per cent, as
il will bear cd rdforem; not as much by that
ameast. a. the State requires; dot as much by
mcre than that amount ~ msny States, of less
wealth in proportion to population. are success
fully and prosperously taxed. And the enumer
alton and assessment ct car taxable property
are exceedingly defective ewing both 10 the law
and ats execution. An amended law, properly
executed, woaid producea larger amount Of rev
enue. with less 'bursben 10 the people.
But, has Virginia no resources besides taxa.
ton She has vast and inc xlas stible sources If
revenue untouched and nnpeticed. She mas AN
Eastern mine OF wealth. n part ct her eminent
domain, public property, .belnnging TO me State,
which Yields per aRnam MORE than five mil
lions Of dollars to individuals and 10 the State,
not one cent of revenue becaase IT has hereto
fore been wholly neglected for fiscal State pur-
poses. She has from the Potomac to Lynn
Haven bay, from two miles up the Eastern shore
rivers, 65 mites frem North to South, by %
miles, cay. from East TO West on the Chesa
pesise bay: md from ChiRgotesgue island to
Cape Charles, IS miles from West 10 South and
from the Islands to the nsa land, five miles say
from the East to West. on the Atlantic front
in the syhoe. 1000 milas of salt winter fundum
covered with ihe mstrix of oysters. Not less
than s,x Thousand tons of licensed and other yes.
sells are employed in taking these shell-fish from
of this State ...aaum.
The oysters are worth, in the market, not less
than fifty cents, aud, at the reoks where they
are taken. atleast 20 cents per buslel. Each
ton takes about 30 bushels trip, and about egh.
teen trips nee made On ar average, by each ves
sci per annum. Thus, not less than % millions
ofbn shells Of oysters taken from the Virgin
IA fundum per anDum, worth. at twenty cents
per bashel. the sum Of IS, 400 900 per annum
About one sixth ony are taken in Virginia bot
toms and five skis ~ vessels chiefly from Mary.
land Fenns ylvaDis and New York. This is
property OF the State, and sold at one cent per
bushel it would produce e270 COO per annum of
revenue. system of revenue laws should be
framed to regulate this trade and Ia provide
LIST. For monopoly Of our own citizens in
the trade I'd. To protect the reproduction of
the she'll fish, by regulating the times places
and manner of taking them. 81. To produce
revenue. by system of revenue cutters and in
spectors to superintend the catching and plant
ing of them. levying tax on licenses TO take
them and plant them on the fundum Of public wa
tiers. so net To- interfere with the navigation
DAVIS of the United States.
Labor in this trade is more productive than in
the gold mines of California. Hands can earn
from two to ten dollars per capita per diem. A
tax of one cent per bushel would be the lightest
burthern of taxation known in this or any other
State, aud would yield at least one fourth of one
million OF dollars nett revenue. With two small
steam cutters TO cost not more than $4,000
each. and with inspectors for the creeks and har.
bors to be paid out of feas of inspection the whole
system, could. under the orders ofthe Executive,
be made effective and to yield more and more
revenue every year. as il is demonstrable that
the trade is indestructible. The oyster is so re
productive and prolific that it yields two families
mt for market every seven years, and is ncaltu-
liable in the numbers Of its spawn. am conf
dent from the data have collected, that in II
few years the State could be made TO realize
half million of dollars of revenue per annum
from the oyster rocks. And besides the purpo-
ses ofrevenue these steamers could be made
subseryient to purposes af police, very necessa-
ry,to be provided for in other aspects of State
policy.
The four great leading lines of primary i'm
portance at present, are the Covngion and Obi,
Railroad the Central and the South Western
Railroad to the Tennessee line, and the james
River and Kanawha canal to Covington. Tn
first is in danger of being stopped, the other tw
Railroads are languisbing for appropriations o
subscriptions TO the last links Of their completion
and the canal is without funds, without credit
bound by mortgage and resting its whole weigh
upon the arm of the State.
speak from personal knowledge. from aciua
intercourse with the people in every section q
the State, when say that very large majorit
of them are looking anxiausly TO the consurnna
ton of these main works. Whatever may be tn
local aud selfish jcalousies engendered by appa
rently conflicting interests, the State en- mass