Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-05-23
Internal mprevcssews md Taxation.

We have recently read. with much interest.
the bold and able letter Of Joseph Segar, Esq,
OF Elizabeth city. addressed TO his constituents,
in Justification of the liberal course be has al
wavs pursued. in reference TO the Internal I'm
provemen,s Of the State. Mr. Segar Is one ct
those few representatives from Underwater Nir-
Cinia-if not indeed tho only one-who hive al
WAYS advocated the completion of the leading
lines Of improvement in the State, aud assisted
by their votes in the necessary appropriations
Th. presen, financial difficulties of the Common
wealth. however. and the corresponding increase
of taxation, have raised up opposition 10 him in
the District which he has NO long aud - sbly
represented and the Address b. fore u l. issued
for the purpose of placing himself IN hl- true
position before the people Of his district, and the
State
Mr. Segar frankly states in the outset of his
address that he desires to return 10 the Legi-la
ture for but single object-to lend what AID he
can ITO the completion Of our yst"m II Internal
Improv ements." In his opinion the present dis
tress Of the State has been occa-I ned hy III" in
Discriminate opposition of the representative" Of
tide water to all internal improvement. great
ana small mus PhuiHR W i"b '"'"HR 'f""'"
tions among tho others, and to the wasting of
the public treasure upon local and insignificant
objects.
The effect Of this. he says has been TO aug
ment The debt Of the State, with but few Of our
main public works yet completed-and the les
son it teaches is that the resources If the State
sh ould for the future be appropriated exclusively
to those leading lines which promise, when CON
ple,ed, 10 return into the Treasury dividend
upon tie investment.
Mr. Segar then takes the ground that these
lines will pay dividend of per cent upon their
cost-and that thus the people of the State will
be relieved of their taxes, to the extent of the
interest upon the public debt. On this point
We present tie following extract from the Ad.
dress, and invite to it tho attention of the read
er:
All over the Cuited States railroads far
ditioned than own paying, and paying well.
All the southern and western which are strongly an
alogous TO our own. are paying from to 20 per
cent The Baltimore aud ONO railroad, With worse
curvature and climate and far sleeper grades requ-
ing six teutls OF its gross income for working char
ges, is earning than six millions year, more
than halfa million MONTH Sic 900 day, more
than 500 per hour, and Sl2 per minute
why kHoulu hot our Ehiffohusi lTtNtfrihE, WIEN
completed as fertile region, and having impor-
tant connexions with easier grades, better curvature
and better climate and costing, necessarily, Tar less
TO maintain them-why ark, SHOULD not our ail-
roads pay
There !, no reason against il they hare paid do
pay; and reckoning from what they have done, we
may well expect much more from them
What Virginia railroad completed for any length
of time is it, that does not pay
The old Petersburg road, before il was given away
hxs haG State Maid tpv rtaf,lV oh,
mond, Frederics sburg and Potomac road pays per
cent. The Central road is paying more than per
cent. on its cost 10 Saunton The Richmond and
Danville road, il was prophesed, would pay per
cent and it was asked where the travel was to come
from and yet travellers come in very crowds, and
the road, Trough not a twelve month finished, is
nearly If not quite, up 10 per cont The South
Side, Orange and Alexandria, and Manassas gap, are
improving in their revenues and when carried out in
all their auxiliary connexions, will doubtless nett
per cent.
AS for the great Virginia and Tennessee Railroad
and Coyington and Ohio, who be skeptica o
their revenue capacities and destiny
The one will form, ere long, when the Lynchburp
and Gordonsville connexion shall have been made
part OF continuous line OF railway from Por md tt
Memphis and is TO become both for ira, and trade
one Of the first thoroughiares IN America-Nho vii
venture the prediction that this grand mpro einen
this most honorable monument of Vlrgnia's enter
prise-will not give back to the State per cent OF
her investment in 1t
And the Covington and Ohio road-it presents tn
shortest transit between the waters of the
the Ohio; with its low grades, favorable curves,
climate, II furnishes far the easiest railway approach
TO the great west; it forms n short portage be,wee
the navigabe waters of the Ohio and the canal nPvi
cation OF the State, and thus affords the efapeS
SIT between tue west and the Atlantic seaboard:
mas lneomparably, the advantage in every respect
over the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, which earn
us eighteen thousand per day aud its six million
year III promises to be, must be, the very fine.
thoroughfare, not in Virginia only, but in all til
land-,who but tire mailman will undertake to 81
that this great work will not return to the
al least per cent?
If these views sound our main lines of improve
ment, when completed, will nett Z per cent on I'll
cost and the moment this is done, they will no Ions
er be source of debt and taxation. The intern,
improvement tax is at taken off, True 70
may have to bear the present tax few years longe
portion of il until the works all completed bi
II is better you should endure the present tax fe
years longer, having it gradually reduced and final
extingushed, than to make it, by not eompletn
your improvements, perpetual.
And the debt extinguished, we have the improv,
ments clear, to dispense general wealth and comfo
among our people, to revive commerce. 10 stiml
late manufactures and the mechanic arts, to deveo
onr unreasonable mineral wealth. to help by chea[
ened transport the great interest of agriculture,
give back to the State her lost political power an
eventually to make large contributions to the rev
enues of the State.
Proceeding with the argument. Mr.. Sega
foresees the establishment of direct trade wit
Europe ~ q necessary consequence of the com
r$n