Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-12-05
For tie Enquirer.
AN EXTRA SESSION OFTHE LEGISLATURE

--s s-
For tie Enquirer.
AN EXTRA SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE
To The Governor of Virginia:
An editorial that appeared in the Enquirer, during
the last week, referring To- ruinors respecting al
extra SESSION of the Legislature, states Doubtless o.
authority, that 'the Governor has no idea ut con
vening the Legislature on his own notion Further
the same editorial declares that "Ihere will he nc
meeting of the Legislature this WINTER unless some
necessity of State, which nobody now anticipates
should make the call Of Gu extra session al inpera
tive public duty"
ion and determination of the Governor of Virginia,
entertain too high HI estimate Of his wisdom, his pa
triotisIn, his State pride and his disposition to dc
right, to suppose that he will refuse a respectful con
sid-ration OF views and facts which may be presented
on this or any other subject affecting the interests o.
Virginia, in opposition to those which may be opera
ting upon his own mind. Therefore, in the face o.
this enunciation Of the present purpose OF tho Gov
ernor, I take the liberty Of submitting a few thoughts
with the hope that they will lead hs MUD 10 q CON
trary conclusion.
cep'i lie of demonstration, that there aow crisis ar
actual "necessity of State which makes 1.-The call "i
an extra session au Imperative public duty NJ
stronger confirmation OF this opinion is needed than
the general but undeniab!e declaration that the lrgis.
Iation of last winter mas rot accomplished the o'Jec's
intended aud desired byi'. In one respect us true
those objects have been accomplished; the increase
uf taxation has brought into the Treasury an alum
dance of funds to meet the ordinary expenses of gov
erum"nt, to pay the interest on the public deot, anu
To tnable the commissioners Of the Sinking Fund,
! after All interval uf nearly two years, 10 proceed 10
redeem, in obedience to the mandate Of our Cunsti-
tuition, certain portions Of the debt of the State. Bu:
in regard TO the Internal Improvement interests OF
the State, go vitnily affecting thu States credit ana
honor, the legislation of last winter WAS sadly def
ci.,,, and has totally failed in producing the desired
and hnped-fcr results. Ii is not my intention To i'm.
pusn the motives of any member of that Legislature
no. of the majority that controlled the action OF that
body. Admitting all to be equally honest and sin
cerc, il is sufficient for the present argument that the
laws passed with q view to the relief aud promotion
of the interests of Internal improvements have not
afforded that relief, have not promoted those inte.
rests. Nor can it be said that, while those laws have
done no good, they have produced no harm. They
have inflicted II positive injury upon our own people
who were the creditors OF the State; they have Elm
bsrrassed our credit abroad, and driven our bonds,
that ought to command a premium, down to ninety
cents IN The dollar. The prediction was made. with
almost the assurance Of prophecy, that The adoption
Of The financial schemes of the last session would re-
suit, in sixty DAYS, IN the elevation OF our State secu-
rites to par. What has been the resu!; III fact =
Those securities have been depressed rather than
-lrvated, and are now farther below par than when
the Legislature adjourned.
Again the State was largely indebted 10
jDin, stock companies on account OF subcr;p-
tiouA to their capital stock, based upon prior
III . correspondents SN'~N' ibiioAT - tNh bA'tc
psid. in actual money. How were those State
subscriptions paid, 10y order Of the Legislature !
No, in money, for the State had none Her bonds
we're below par, aud, therefore, no sales could be
made. The legislative e~xpedient for this emergency
was to require those Improvement companies having
claims against the ~S:aie-which the State had sa.
credly promised to pay III in~oney-ei,hert 10 wait until
the State could get the money, which would be when
the bonds went up TO par-ihen supposed 10 he only
sixty days distant-or, in lieu thereof, to receive, at
par, those bonds which Were then selling in the mar.
het at se"era! per ceL; below par:
Again: the State wGs largely indebted TO contrac.
tors-ind viduals who had uCGeG taken to DO work on
State roads, suph IS the Blue Ridge RG!l Road, thu
Covin:tun and Ohio Rail Road, and Other minor
improvements. conducted wholly on State ac-
count; individuals who had been required to put
IN bids for rhe-wUrk ia accordance with spe
cifrations adopted by the States authorities
auu VINO, after a successful competition with their
nu;ueruuS rival biidsEe, were repaired 10 enter into
binding obligations fOf the prompt aud faithful execi-
ton OF their part of the contract. They necessarily
had To incur Eduy Liabilities ~ order 10 enable them
to meet their engagements. They had 10 employ a
large number OF laeo-e-s, TO e2pend much mOuey in
the purchase OF tools and PROVISIONS, aGd in other re.
spects to trench upon their private means and credit.
Their work Was 10 be measured monthly and 10 be
p1id for monthly. When the Legislature met, they
were informed that a large amount was due 10 these
contractors, and that there was no money TO pay them.
dow was this indebtedness IQuldared, by order of
the Legislature ! Not in money, for the STATE had
none. i III CONTAGIOUS were CltSScu WIFI lUS OIHeT
creditors, the joint stock companies, aud treated iust
~ they WIRE: they had 10 wait for the arrival Of that
indefinite period, the time at which State bonds could
be sold a, par, or 10 receive at their par value. tEose
bonds in payment of drafts which, by contract, were
To have been paid, without delay, in money; thus
forced, by their necessities and the law. TO submit To
a shave, for the benefit Vt the State, Of from four to
ten per cent.
Sine, The first Of October last, even this poor pri-
vilege, ot being shaved on State securities, is denied
They rOO DnM oct M mora StHtA hDDHs and
they must, therefore, either borrow money with which
TO do the States work, or they must abandon their
contracts and forfeit all their contemplated and jus:
gsins and benefits. Yes, they have one other
alternative which, al the moment. l had forgotteI'.-
In. 90 State contractors receive drafts for the amounts
due them, endorsed by the Board of Public Works
aud the Second Auditor, payable, with interest,
when in funds These drafts they can sell for about
red from the bunds to he drafts; and, now contractor
who is compelled 10 have money may convert his
drafts into cash by losing fifteen out of every hun
dred dollars! Between individuals such hardship
and injustice would be severely reprobated. Can
they De regarded Us any more commendable because
u sovereign State is n party, and the party that ere.
ate. and persists i'll the Injustice !!
Again: the Is .ue Ridge Railroad, from the singular.
ity Ut the case, is deserving ut especial notice. Inc
work on this road is not done by contract, in the Or
binary seuse in which that word is used. Two men
arc employed to superinteud t!e work. They employ
the laborers, furnish materi ls and provisions, super
NlNC luc StCukio " . khO vblN uhu 10 'h u a''"'S'
BY agreement between the parties, the Board Of Pub.
lie Works are to furnish these men, upon the order OF
the chief engineer, tue MEANS 10 enable them, month.
ly, to pay the claims against the road arising out oil
the aforesaid accounts. But, having no money, tbs
Board had up TO the lst of October last, To pay these
men in State bonds, which they had to sell nj the ru'
nous discounts heretofore referred to, in order 10 pay
for work not done for them rs Contractors, but rs SUI
perin,pndeuts. BY this PROCESS, those men had, up 10
the 22l DAY of October las, suffered a loss from
discounts ON State bonds amounting to a irac'
ton over sir MoHsdni SeUen hnndred dollars, which
will never b. reimbu;s d TO them unless I be
through the liberality of the Legislature. S'nce
the first OF October, their case has been harder SIN.
No, being able to get bonds, they have had 10 taii
back, US their only resource. upon The accepted nrai's
which do not fluid Il ready sale at more than eighty
tive cents in the dollar. Now, what must these men
,lnl All will agree that thy ought not In submit L"
such II heavy sacrifice for the benefit OF the Stale
Then WIN, must they do give up the work I 1t
hey d" they seriously diminish the chances IN iaVor
# any future relief To them by the Legislature for
he heavy losses already sustained. But suppose
hey say I'll IL better for u 10 suon;t To our prrsen'
i'ss.s and abandon the work. than Ia continue tue
work and thus increase our l"s-, none nf winch may
-v-r bu returned 10 us;" aud, acIing upon thi+ id.a.
suppose they du rclu.. 10 proceed with the work I
what then ! The inevitable consequences is, the Total
,t"ppage ut the work on tho road, tunnel and all
More than this, such is the Peculiar and positive
phraseoIosy of one Of the acts Of the last Legislature
hat, It this work is once stopped, IL rnnnot be re-
commenced unta the Board Of Public Works are mile
20 'd'sc the tmnds 10 cary atom by a sale Of StdiG
'ohas az not less than their par ralme. This same
'aw' ny the way, is applicable also TO the Covington
anu oh'" Railroad III the event of its stoppage.--
Nn"' imagine tn. work on the Blue Ridge Railrond,
lat present nearly Completed abandoned, the super.
Intendenls aud Iabore,s all d,srhsryed and disbanded,
with no one to guard mud preserve the road bed, NO
Que to watch the machinery about the tunnel, aud TO
relieve it of the large aud constant flow of water
that has added much To impede il, nropress. SIM.
pose all this as the result, as it inevitably will be,
Of a discontinuance Of that work. What will
be- the corresponding loss TO the STATED What
will be the probable lass to the Virginia Cen.
trail Railroad Company The injury to its next sum
ner's travell The loss on account OF the expensive
working ofi,s temporary track across the Blue Ridge7