Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-05-08
owns ANN MEANS.

Gtata az
system of internal improvements ''' mo
ment of her almost iilinsaoe resources une ''e''
,s,e, have necessarily been considerably increased
70 spob degree, in fact, that it would perhaps Of
nroyocative of popular discomfort to add much more
to the existing taxation.
But fortunately for the prosperity Of our people,
is ascertained that by the late land assessment INT
revenue Of the State will be such as to quiet Oil ap
prehenson of the necessity of doing so, ana ALSO
assure MS. that the great leading lines OF improve
ment are not likely to be much longer delayed i.o'
completion, and that their ramltioat'onS "'e ~ '
danger of abandonment. These reneo'on' n's'
been suggested by the enlarged, hoer"i anu pe io"
views advanced in the address OF Joseph sesar Gsq
of Elizabeth City, to his constituents Pof''on
,-b;cb wa amend and commend to the consideration
of our readers.
| NJ s.ysr has been IN earnest and active worke
in the internal Improvement cause ior a huthoer
wears. He has investigated the sueJect thorough!
and dispessionately. And his experience added Il
his ability, render his opinions in domestic matter
b;pby interesting to all portions Of the State.
TO THE VOTERS OF THE COUNTIES OF
ELIZABETH CITY, YORK AND WARWICh
II is nv purpose, if it be your WILL again to repre-
sent Won in the General Assembly; and as shall
sesrcely have an opportunity OF ADDRESSING you iron
the hastings, my private affairs requiring my Amos
constant absence from the district, and there being
oontestng candidates both tor Congress ano he o.at
Senate. who will occupy the public days between
mi, and the election, beg leave to hold brief com
munou with you in this wise, in regard to some o
the mpor.ant subjects which are to engage the delb
erations of the ensuing Legislature.
frankly ayow TO you that desire to return to tht
oouncis Of the State but for single object TO ieae
chal aid can TO the completion 81 our system Of In
ternal improvements. In reference TO that system
We are evidently in crisis. II will require indeed
all the patriotism of the people, and all the wledo'r
and nsi Va of their law makers TO avert catastro
phe, of all The most deporable-the pros'ratoD. il
their present unfinished condition, OF the pubic
| works designed to connect our seaboard with I'M
western interior.
Ism not unware that there is come disquietude il
the district in regard to the amount OF the Slate deb
and of the taxes and that there is some disposition
to hold me especially responsible for the present con
dition Of thugs. And desire to evade no just re
.pousibility ia the premises have most freely con
tributed, By my votes, 10 make the State deot VIVA
it is, aud your taxes what they are; ana wnateve
odium am resting under in that regard, am quit
willing TO bear content, as am, TO await justice til
the bright day when the consummation OF our sys
tam of improvements shall have shed the light OF
glorious redemption over Virginia, and vindicated
by results "dreamed OF yet IN no mans Philosophy
tho rightness of my course.
Rnt IL ia due to truth aud Justice should 6eclar,
what is well known to my legislative colleagues
that am not responsible for much OF the existing
debt and taxation. Had my humble counseis pre-
vailed, our great lines of inter.communcation woulf
have been long ere THE completedi the rich stream
western trade would be dsemboguing itself through
Seaboard outlets of our own. and virginia hoiane
front rank in the confederacy AS far BACK as 1910
when had first the honor OF seat III Inc Legis'a
ture urged most strenuously the coheent,a,ioh "
the means of the State upon some great trunkne &c
the West aud a compact union of the Eastern delega
fons with the advocates of such line. as the best
and only means of defeating log.rolllng combina'
tion and the construction of local and uDprohtaole
works. urged, too, that labor and materials were
then cheap and that the posponement OF Internal i'm
provemsnts to more distant day, might, by the ell
hancement in the price of those articles, double the
cost of construction. My admonitions were unheed
ed stood solitary and clone from the Tide Water
region, in the advocacy of the improvement policy
WITH perhaps, single exceptions; and what has beer
the result ,
Why, the people of the West, locked up in the
mountain fsstness, and finding they should have nc
aid from their Eastern brethren to get themselves
out, very naturally, and very properly, too-no one
can blame them, certainly do not-commenced
combining together carry their schemes
the friends OF Canals, Railroads, Bridges, Macada
missed roads, Mudturnpikes, and Court-heuse roads
mutually helping each other, until our internal Inn
multitude of local and expensive works, lSrge pub
lilo debt, and heavy taxation.
Since my return to the Legislature in ~, have
addressed thousand appeals TO my eastern col
leagues to unite in exercising their balance OF power
TO give our internal Improvement policy proper d.
reciou, but, with a few honorable exceptions, the
East has stood all the time in solid column against
all Improvement; opposing, alike, the genera WORKS
and the local, the great line of connexion with the
West no less than the neanest turnpike'-and the
fbauo in IA feca--an RlmOst
mpervious phalanx of log rolling combination; /"
loss thus far of the benefits OF good sys.
tenn of internal doubted COST Oh ha nm
ished works, aheavy State indebtedness, and uncom-
Portable taxation. 1t is their own ia9 mean OF 'he
people of the East-,be result of their own nisgui.
ded error, in not allowing their representatives, or
the want of nerve in those representatives, to dis.
crminste in favor OF meritorIous improvements
against those of an opposite character. lhere mas
never been day the East could not have controlled
our internal Improvement legieation, and if it had
uterposed it's controlling power, We should have had
COW completed, at comparative trihiug cost vigo.
rous trunk system, pruned OF all unhealthy excres'
csnces ready to put out, or having put out, numer
Qua thrifty 6ranchesIthe grs'ipgs o. private enter
prise; the Ohio valley would have been reached
Norfolk would be rejoicing in glowing commerce.
and Virginia second, commercially and politically,
only to New York, if, indeed, second even to her.
Let no special blame, them be laid upon me. j
have faith which nothing ca; reverse, that for the
the right policy. Those who have voted against all
improvements, and TINS forced into being perfect
system of log roling-they is moi l. who should be
held chargeabe with vicious system OF public WORKS.
aud it's attendant consequences unreaul!ng e1pendi.
ures and high taxes. :.
Rut whether our system be good or bed one, it
were Improbable now to inquire. Undoubtedly the
State is far better of with bad system than with no
improvements at all Without any. her position
would be miserably contemplate. One half Of her
b1.x.,u la hl.aaa NJ
the sand beach and one-half Of our population
would long since have abandoned the mountain
locked homes of their fathers for better homes in the
west.
important practical inquiry With the tax
nayers of the State ia, what, under existing circum
stances, they should do
There are but two endurable alternatives before
them abandonment or completion The latter IL
mapifestly the interest Of every taxpayer i'll the
Commonwealth.
Abandonment is out Of the question. The Vir.
gilman who does not shudder at the thought is un
worthy of his native land. Doom the Old Dominion
-"ths good old mother Of us ail''-to worse than
provincial insigniGcance, BY foregoing the policy
which is advancing, with steam like speed, the
States around US, and which can alone remand Vir
gina to her commercial and political consequence IL
the Union. As Firgnians, We all scout the thought
But all considerations Of pride and patriotism
aside your interests, as tax payers, are utterly op
posed to the policy Of abandonment.
The State debt, funded and coupon, according te
the report of tha Second Auditor November, 1885, ID
out down at S24, 7O5. 900. BY the same document il
appears that the productive stocks of the State, pay
ing more than elk per cent, amount to considerably
more than S. 0U0 000. In round numbers, then We
may estimate the State debt at $50 0OO,OO
The interest on this debt-6 per cent. to the bond
holders and per cent. to the sinking fund for the
ultimate redemption of the prncipalrepresents the
internal improy enent tax levied upon the people
of the State--and Of course, the tax is, annually
$l4, 100000.
Is il not papahle, then, the uuobscured cum, that
If we abandon our public works 10 their present I'm
finished, non.1syng condition, we extend this tax tor
long series OF years, at east. until, by the slow ops
ration of the sinking fund.- the principal of the debt
,ball have been paid off and cancelled
Arrest your railroads and canals them and you must
either prepare to pay this heavy tax for long years to
come-3a, at least-or you must rid yourselves OF II
h, tho cnnn nlefinn of the works. or the eXeCrable