Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-08


the bonds u tsr state iSauel prior TO lsJa, on the hest terms
they could, AMI Is present them :" Tie commissioners Of ;lr
Sinkin: fund Tor redemption n par. on condition that they,
the creditors. wouil purchase J,w bonds at par from tie
state, and thus put money into TIE Treasury with which their
claims coIli lie paid without a sacrifice. called TIN beard
"f public w"iL' ana commissioners al he Sinking fund t1.
rr,IIcr, aIn! they approved "f III, arrangement. upon IT,
ground tia; Ia" very inject ui The :iHkig. FUN! j., - lny IL
public debt ri Ir within u defined limit "c time. md n", t.
si"'"h'e On 'ir l'''.c i"ni. wLii,f Ir'Ir '."'ii'ni- ""r'
suffering for SAINT al fwnhs in TIC treasury. h.u"yrr III
time hhrii' "r F'l'''gi,a'! ny PURCHASING ii"' '".t'e:"ai,i'
bonds ~ /" hi>rn'ii'. u twas nol moral il fact - shave il'
commonwealth iarc. wiz, IL own funds. whilst l.. cr,..;-
TORS were ne'ii- shaved Oh their claim. against The common
wealth. ihr sit'r might make per cent. but j. C. ii'ag
Wa losing H., and - credit was sinking t:.rr.bv ia Tue mar.
k.t. The course adopted c.aalcd III" creditor to inaA III.
= per cent. OF the "ih bond. uaic lhn los" il a".ia GA tie
n.w bond pad ''e money therefor into ne treasury and
thereby enabled the treasury t" pay HIN at par.
Thus, the Old bonds were ,auL, tie new bonis YER sold,
ucnd that The I"aisiatug" -l.all mac. A.. a man. of rtt-iu9
public credit. that non" Of her bonds shall in future - sunk
or rc'ireiiet. ar purchased will! her own funds It, ltSs than
par. ]; any wr"h- has been done by this arrangement. I.
nu,, admit my full Responsibility for it, adoption. The ac.
complaining letter from the superintendent "ithc C"yius;un
AMI ohio rail road will show lis beneficial operation. IL
carried OH the w"rh, and the contractors To-; "aly about &.
instead OILS per cent. trust that the STATE authorities
will, IN future. b. allowed rn adopt Ills arrangement. when
ever there Is necessity for il. About 81 .EWi Of the apprnrri-
alton was made available ia this Way. when there was no
o,hrr way Of applying it At at and bur for this mode of t.
lgi, u W. uI4 Ia" lUNlI.tpIt AMI DINO rail road must
have stopped. lca!l your attention next 70
TIE MEANS "F INCREASING rHE RrvENrE.
In order l." increase the revenue ani 10 makr the taxes
equal AMI unii"r"; throughout the commonwealth, tl" gene
raj assembly viii have 10 prescribe some other anl more
Just iL"dc Of va:nlnc taxable property than that which now
prevails. At present, practically. the value q! property and
the amount OF capital given in are asccrtained from the par
~ taxed. All are Interested I" un!cryalHe The property III
order To reduce the tax, and III the giving III Of capital there
i every opportunity for fraud upon tho revenue. The hon
g.; dealer in merchandise, for example. will state conscien-
tioasly the amount II capiral hc employs, aud pay more tax
than a competitor III trade, who deals upon I0uhl- he CAPT.
tai perhaps, and who does no, scrulle 10 give in less than
the rtal amount he owns. The present mode Of assessment,
or valuation, /, Il burtIen upon honest aud a'b0uniy 10 dis
honest tax payers. Tax payers themselves ought not 10 be
allowed 10 estimate the value Of their own propert? that
duty ought 10 be required OF sworn appraisers, with the pow
cr and the duty 10 examine the subject Of tax or any l"sal
evidence in regard to it. and to judge of the amount Of cap.
ital from the usual evidences Of trade. nr from other oaths
than those of the parties Interested. \ large increase Of
revenue, without an increase Of taxes, may hc expected
from this reform.
business done by them. Iy the present law there j, 40 dis
tinciion between The broker Of a large city or town, who
does Il large amount Of business, and n country broker who
business to the amount OF a few thousands only. There are
many brokers who do business in a small way. and 10 is done
ilhciily, because they cannot afford the present uniform
rate, which Is not, perhaps, too high for a MAXIMUM. but l.
10" high for a minimum IAN. The license ought 10 range
from say $50 to $jon, according to the amount o: husi-
hess done. This would, doubtless. add 10 the revenue. for
those who would pay the tax would see that others pay il
also, as it would be their Interest Ia watch competition.
The tax upon the retail merchants license is, in my opin'
lou nlIH, anu ~ pears NilSt I'D ny ul"l Ilc ''I'-
portion Of the people. The tN i, charged by merchants, Of
course, as a part Of the cost OF the consumer, the merchant;
is made the collector. and The small purchasers pay II. They
who buy in small parcels by retail, have not III. means 10
send 10 the cities and purchase 10y wholesale, ana they Hre
the customers who chiefly pay Mi cost TO consumer.
commend Il considerable reduction Of this item OF tn" tax
bill The necessities of the commonwealth can afford 10
other considerable reduction. Oar deb, Is too large. and
our public works require too much expenditure, 10 admit ot
a reduction II taxes for SoH" tim" 10 come. Bat II" ~
crease, | ana happy 10 LAY i required. The additional re-
venue. from The new aSsc>SmcU: of lands, will he 'ht cur
rem; year no; Ear short of misunderstanding that onr real
estate las been Immensely enhanced in value by She pro.
rress Of public works already made. IL will be enhanced
intellectually more when our main works shall he completed
and begin 10 Yield e profit. That canuO; be long hence, II
the people will patiently endure the present rate Of iaNc-,
and IL they will relieve the burden OF lircc; and involuntary
taxation, by The iacans in their power o! indirect and vol
untary taxation which have never been cNcrtcd. ] mean by
J.. \ Tax on oysters. and by
> Policies of STATE INSURANCE.
The State has. al the lowest estimate, 2,u0J square miles
of bottoms and beds Of SEA coast, and bay, aud river, and
creeks and harbors, corcred with the rock aud matFiX u
these shell fish. III other words. We have l,2>O.oOp acres
thus cOTcred and allowing onc-c'ghN OF a bushci 10 every
square yard there are al least 81. pph. 500 bushels Of oysters
in the natural beds Of Virginia. This i u in" Pnbi'cnU"
which the circuit and supreme courts OF the United states
have again and again decided TO belong to the state. she
cannot regulate and control the ''dd" ana "'r'g"f'"" III
these oysters, but shc may regulate and control a"G iIasr
a revenue on, OF The catching aud taking OF iAciA. Ah""i
"a. 900 tons, in all sorts 81 vessels boat ara cai!"ts ana
skifs, are cmployciin taking and carrying them away from
their natural beds. Allowing on all average l5hn-hcls only
10 the ton. and ten trip. only a year. each tril' WI take ana
carry away lJo bushels per mountaineering in the whole al
least il. iJU, Uto bushels taken and carried away per a"iiuin.
am confident that the real number o. bu-hcl- - nearer
80, 900, Wo, hut take The smallest amount, and they are
worth at the oyster rocks ga, cents per hushel. or si,-wh,.
0o. About one6ih are taken Ivy our citizens. say $l."H',-
OpI, and 4.mHtWW hy citizens "f other state against our
laws.
This immense amour, il. annually taken 10y citizens .!
other States, because there are 10 means Whereby 10 eni".ce
our laws either a. 20 who shall take oysters, or h' to NE
time when they may hc taken, or a. to ia" mode "i taking
them. All these regulations ar" now inorsratiFc, ana hey
are all important, ia order 10 prevent me Destruction 81
his gr.a, source OF wealth. The oyster Is Immensely pr"
Iii, supposed tha; the mother oyster -pnwns about
OrI. ,-E, every year, in the month 81 May GENERALLY IL our
climate. Allowing .se-siNihs % the spawnt Ia be s"cp; ava!
hy tides and 10 be dcyourcd by fish, Every mother deposits
around or near her about half . million per aununl. TIE
taking Il oyster. al the time 81 spawning destroy Tar more
than are taken, but ifthc taking "f'hemis properly guard
rd, they are ind..truciiblr, and will be q perpetual source
o: wealth. rwing II their prolific rcproiuciiN"N.ss ftaN"s
about three years from hi spawn, for them, in favorable
beds, 30 hr Gt Tor the market.
certain.
emil IN S our a%n ~; "s;s sxc Ct aT anF a6 ST" a-s Si,is*n Is, from rsr.d M1t M;
citizens q, Tie passage of he law 10 reside III the state n
period of time. say two years or more, before
they can nave license 80 take thea.
Sccondly-Siricily regulate the time and mod" al iah'ns
them, a. under existing laws. 10y cur own c:nIe;-.
ThirIGy-Rcguirc every citizen wi" desire, to taxi ~
tiers. TO obtain n license from The Clerk. Of III" County
Courts or from proper revenue officers In a Gutter Service,
gDDU IIyiDg \" EHch per- ten per- ""hih' Tor a' many
tons AS the person. may choose - employ in the trade. from
the 3lst of Angus; &" the 1T oi May in each year: discri:n!
na.in. between The tonnage of large and small vessels, ~
the former cannot MAKE = many trips a. the latter. ana
lee, tween vessels, larc" enough Il" run - INC iEiTh"'-,H ii!
boats. canoes and -kiG, anh all small craft wl;''i are ohii
god from their size to sell near the place where III" boats
are employed. The oysters must l." taken by means OF
tonnage in on. form or another. and a FAX Oh tonnage IN
form or another. and 4 taN on tonnage, therefore, may
he made To- reach every conceivable case. fdFing Tie IL
crnsc Oh ,onnag" will authorize The person I" TAKE ~ many
a.. ,,u III, taken hy ia" amount of tonnage licensed without
the rate per ton licensed only will have to be- collected aud
an INSPECTION only by Cutters will he required I" see thhi
take oysters who have no license:
~Fourihly-Orcania" q Revenue serve. "' I'"r steairerr'
well manned and armed, to regularly WISH ~" oyster n"'I-'
and see that those who take har. license. ana tha' 'h"'t
who are not citizens 10 not TAX; and II they lmrctls" ana
carry away. that tley have bills OF lading from ri'iz"n'
from whom they purchased, ard VII" W'rt hreisei l" '"ht
,h.,n This force will be sufficient. The kind "i steamers
will cost each about Si',W", aud the cost oil run
ming. repairs aui insurance Of each per anh'''i wiiL "e about
A.. 1000. After the :irst cost OF s"'pt,' we an.na' "NP.n'e
will he. a, the maximum. not NOR" than f-'""' y rt'
sonallc tax would be- n fee for liccnS" .1ui'ai"n, I" from
three TO five cents per hushel. oh'h"raic"it,I" 'ha' e''h
ton would take fifteen bushci, 4 trip, and MAKE ten trips d
y.ar or take and carry away l:r bushels per anriaii, then.
n; three cent per bu.hrl. each ton would hc taxed - y!
Every ton engaged in the trade can easily Afford :" pay -
NV n o.; 0Ml ;on- ar. employees. Ms" dollars q ton would
Weld she Commonwealth si-"lr" Il revenue Per ann'iin.
rirbly-E.ouir" this Cutter for I" perform police duty.
especially in guarding our coast "s'',' '' ,'st',ts am run.
away Of oar slaves. Il ia. ltcen,,, wonii barely pay
The expense Of this service. that object alone ]. sufficient 10
pu, such a law into force. beside, -" end of securing The
monopoly Of the oyster trad" :" ''- own citizens, ana oi
preserving The oysters from destruction
siythlv-Yesid.s the oyster beds, the planting grounds
= :. ali below low water mark. and belong 10 IN. state, and
, large revenue NAV be derived from marking them oil by
netes and bounds. and renting them out !'s 'he state ~ $
prcftnbly done by other states
Ths .n,innn, domain In land under thc waters. is an Incl.
Of government; and not n proprietary right, The state
no, aIienat. /; 10 an individual. and i bound. as long
as il is sovereign over IL. {" hold it IN Government trus, Tor
public uses. because such uses require a trns, "' the highest
airni,y; and. although it is jus pnbiicun' in every sense:
vet i, il a in. p~uhlicun" reserved &" Virginia. 1t i, NOT
yro Mod 70 the General Government in the clause Of com.
which embraces navigation. The latter IL a 'jnS
70 the United states: the former to the State "f
VIRGINIA alone. The citizens Of other states, in common
-. -. all ,r ~ and through the water |
have anchorage, and Wharfage, and dockage. ana
other use Of the soil necessary 10 facilitate commerce.
~ arti;c birhwny: bu, the citizens Of Virginia alone have
he common right. under the states sovereign regulations. 10
her soil Of eminent domain in catching shell fish
In Foley = Harrison ct al. Ii How. i32-33. Judge fancy
,,nressly declares ,ha; the Law of New jersey gave the de-
r.ndant the exclusive privilege Of planting ana growing oys-
.. nnon the payment of a certain rent TO the state: The
nnhIc use may be realized then BY renting the 'ocHS al 9a"
under water. -,
al IL ENhNA6I- 0hl III Nl uLIlLI L