The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-05-16

ject to and in trust for the enjoyment of certain mill
rights among sreh dc common hry Of taking IA
sei fh as footing Jzh. And this right is jas pul
to the citizens Of the State TO which the soil belongs
that State may regulate the enjoyment of the rirbt
the fisheries.
The right to pass laws regulating navigation and i
eidents belongs 10 Congress but the regulation of M
fsh floating or she'll in their waters belongs 10 ~
State respectively. Virginia may not prohibit the IN
of other States from transporting her fish IN th
vessels but she may reserve the monopoly OF tag A.
fish her 0aters 10 her eizos. Ind 70 qtani n
enjoyment e that e1ole right and % prosps he fish and A.
spairH from destruction she may pass regulations and Len,
from schieA she may dsyiUe
The smallest upon the oyster fisheries in her l,
would yield very considerable annual revenue Tbegs
upon which the oysters grow extends space of m
than 600 square miles. About l6 900 tons of lioenl
vessels belonging to citizens and at least five m
that number of tons belonging To citizens of other STATE
making in all 90, 900 tons per annum, engaged in NM
oyster trade of Virginia. That amount OF tonnape a.
counts for than twenty-five 10 thirty millions i
bushels of oysters taken and carried away from the l
soil Of Virginia every year. The oysters worth from
twenty cents per bushel at the place where taken TO 6
cents per bushel in the market at wholesale. A tax 4
eo cents per bushel twenty-five millions of busbd
would yield gross revenue OF 5000 600 per annum IA
be collected under inspection laws by not more than G
small steam cutters at an annual cost of more than
$40 900 per annum for them, and cost of fees for Il
censes not exceeding $50 900 per annum leaving moi
from this just publcrm of $3.50 900 per annm
The second involuntary source of revenue is the policy
of insurance Of all lres and property Of her citizens g n
SAFE IL is strange that, whilst banking and lotteim
and like subjects, have been placed by legislation within
the category of sumptuary laws, the subject of insurance
has been omitted y the States in conederacy CUTTING
them off from revenues by duties customs and oxoe
Why not allow citizens to replenish their eaS
y by becoming mutual insurers To each otherl Whyno
resort to Of where the very protects
and nsures the very property which it burdens Why
not allow the contributions which now voluntariv
poured in large into the Golfers Of private commands
chiefly out Of the State to be voluntarily poured into Le
State treasury to lessen involuntary taxation Why n
let the public expenditures be borne by the wealth Of Tho
State willing to pay them, rather than set the poor who
unable and unwilling to bear them, clamorinc
against taxes, which must now alone uphold public credit
and construct our public worksf There can be no
fraud and fvoritism against policy by the Sah
than against policy by private companies; and allowing
the largest per centage for losses by BOTH H ly r
should Be yielded There need be cost for asses
mcnt of value insured for the rule need he TO pay only
for actual loss within the amount insured The cost Of
inquiry to actual loss may be simple and ne
cheap writ adj guod d4ina TO ascertain by the YER
dict of jury Is there fraud Is there gross nee,
What is the amount of loss T. Subjects not known to
private insurance may be embraced in States policy
We live in age Of the ucer match and arson is o
easily perpetraed not to be crime remarkably rife IN
this day and night Wheat In the garner crops in the
field, well as houses might be insured Policies would
be multiplied in proportion to the greater guarantee by
State rather than by private security. No compulsCn
would be necessary allowed All would be free to in,
not but il they insure, prohibit them from ne
gotating policy any property life in the State
except at the offices of the State treasury every county
court-h house.
Besides life insurance Of whites, Virginia has Of insur
BILE property not less than five hundred millions including
houses and slaves and annual crops If tenth of that
be insured at three ourths of per cent the revenue
would property be 1878 per annm and life insurance
estimated at half much more, the whole might safely
be estimated to yield net revenue of $500 900 per an
mum. And this Is no speculation The Swiss can.
tons have proved the virtue of hs mode of raising reye
nue.; and 1t is no experiment to be tried in Virginia her
self as the insurance at the tobacco warehouses shows
And besides these two of voluntary revenue
that from the involuntary tax bill may be largely ncreas
ed by amendments of the law securing the better and
more certain valuation Of property Horses for example
cannot be bought for the plough at less than
average of 500 each, and they returned am told
average not exceeding thirty dollars proper amend
ments the present tax BILL without increasing the
taxes may be made to yield at least 5000 900
nue. than it does now per under the imperfect
cution of the ad valorem principle.
The restatcd, then, would be-
Revenue from taxation 50 SIS. 900
% from increase on lands ------------ 400 900
9 from the jus publicn of oysters---- $50 600
:" from premiums on Insurance 500 900
g from better execution of tax law---- 200 600
Total means 4, sos 900
Annual expense ------------ 5000, 900
Surplus revenue --------------------- ], 1868 900
Leaving for appropriation to public works per
annum
From loans O. 500 900
From surplus --------------------- / 1868 900
Total to improvements annually 3,S68, 900
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