Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
HE DECLINE or VIReINIA-We recommend
to our respected friends of the National Intel
Hgencer, justinow taking on so over the alleged
industrial and financial decline of the State of
Virginia the following short extract from the
Richmond Dispatch:
"RKsULT OF THE REAssBssMRNr-ONE Hun
DRED MILLION OF DOLLARS GAIN IN SIX YEARs
The result Of the reassessment of the lands of the
Commonwealth has been ascertained and Is given
by the Richmond Examiner. 1t presents strik-
ing comment on the New York Tribune Herald
Times & Co 8 stereotype slang about the worn
out soil and irrecoverable decline Of Virginia
The assessment OF 1850 made the aggregate value
Of real estate Of Virginia. S27i GEO ,226 The as
sessments Of 1856 makes this value S373. ia O95;
and shows an increase of S96. 733 500 This last
assessment has been made, too, under the infiu-
ence Of doubled taxes when a combination of cir
cumstances cOnspired to induce as low a State
valuation as possible. Each assessor living i'm
the district he assesses and subject himself to the
taxation imposed, has OF course, no motive to ex
aggerate the value. The Examiner mentions an
instance where farm was assessed under the last
assessme9t at s2 pc, acre and was sold in three
In lS5O was To assess at full marke values. The
tendency in $50 has been to assess at the very
lowest valuation. and we verify believe the real
estate Of Virginia to be worth nearer $3.50 600
than 1915, 600 ,0O."
The Dispatch is surely correct in the i'm
preston that the true value of the real estate
of the Commonwealth is vastly greater than its
assessed value. Such is the case everywhere
throughout the United States and nowhere is
the practice Of marking real estate for assess
ment down at a low figure, more prevalent than
in the Old Dominion
Our hope is that the figures we quote from the
Dfspateh above, will serve to comfort our
friends Of the Intsiiigencer, at least to the ex-
fAnt Of tta.~ A. e.
though Virginia should stand by her time hon.
ored political faith in the approaching Spring
election, and reject what that journal considers
as her share of the surplus dollars in the Treas
ury and Of the public domain, her people will
be able not only to pay their taxes as hereto
fore, but to buy meat and bread and raiment
at least sufficient to keep body and soul to-
gether; which contingency, it strikes us, the
Opposition press and politicians regard as being
quite doubtful.
But We have repeatedly Of late attempted TO
show that the veriest political humbug and
mares nest Of the day, is the cry Of the Opposi-
ton in Virginia about hard times and high
taxes, and are glad, indeed, to be able to point
to the result of this re-assessmsnta as proving
past peradventure, that We have not been mis-
leading our thousands Of readers in Virginia, in
assuring them that, on the whole, they are as
truly independent and prosperous any other
people under the sun, without looking to the
national treasury for pecuniary assistance.
TIE DECIMAL SYsrEM-The trading public
of the District Of Columbia are slowly coming
to conform to the change in the currency sys-
tenn legislated not long since by Congress, in
driving out Of circulation, for the most part all
Spanish silver coin. While a worn-out Clip"
or levy" is becoming a rare sight in trade
here, few besides the retailers of the ardent
among US have adopted their scales of prices
and quantities to the so capital change in the
currency. That, however, must be a work Of
time-almost as difficult to be effected as TO
change a nations tastes and character; for it is
to be an almost entire change Of the nations
habit in a matter Of hourly practice through
life. OF late, we have read many newspaper
homilies levelled at the merchants for failing to
conform their scales Of prices to the new cur
rency; and never without remembering that for
the retailer to do safely, it will be necessary
for those from whom he buys, first to sell to him
At reduced rates, or for Messieurs, the public
to be content with shorter yard-sticks and
lighter weights than those of the standard
Though the inconvenient Spanish currency has
departed, we must continue to put up with its
nomenclature and its ideality Of value, for a
long time TO come, we fear.
The RnS.-Nasty weather though it may
have been for the last forty-eight hours to
the mass Of the denizens of the cities, the
recent copious fall Of rain will prove blessing
from Providence to them, indeed, in its life
giving elements TO all that is to be drawn from
the soil for their nourishment through the COM
ing season. As backward as the Spring has
been, the unusual absence Of moisture in the
earth surface seemed likely to prove the very
worst feature Of the many draw backs to a sue
cessful agricultural year, over which all farmers
In this section have been complaining since the
great storm Of the winter 30 damaged their fall
sown grain For many years past we have had
occasion TO note with solicitude the industrial
effects OF the changes in condition of each sue
eeedlng season, and have experienced nothing
IN 'na' way 80 foreboding of high prices Of all
inc -aluler sells, as the late almost unpreee-
aeh.su 0prihg drought; adding greatly, as il
mas peen doing, to the injurious effect of the
unseasonabie cold weather. The present rain.
however, has certainly saturated the cath :,
this region sufficiently for all current aor;o,,-
tural purposes; and if surly winter il soon o..
TO take his departure, as there is now everr
son to believe, the progress of the crops IN IT,
ground in the next fortnight, will be a.tonisb-
ing to those not given to close observation and
reflection upon such things.
JEFFERSON DAVIs.-The persistent assaults
Of the New York Herald upon the late Secre
tary Of " ar redoubled since being ont of office
IL was supposed he might also be out of friends.
have fairly reused the indignation of that gen.
tleman's constituents, as will be perceived from
the following remarks on the subject, which we
quote from the MiSsissippian of the 7th inst:
. Col, Davis Is one Of the representative men
oil the country. His eyentful life has been tri-
lIIurIDa vii icatior, 81 -. .I. VI