Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-04-24
NUMBER 1aea.
THE PECUNIARY CONDITION GW VIE
MA


MA
| Inc New Orleans Deiia, the Charleston .Hsr-,r..
:" 0"'ns genus OF ultra Southern carriers az Vl,
mo- "''' strive to toreshow the tiiscorGanc; and s
s'a"'y OF Southern coleieracy by rnwc.,lvs....
'rus' ahd uhsenerous drsparsgeneut o, our Com.
| nonweah the New York Tr,Juns IN. Re-,
L'bcretcr and the lesser organs Of ,hat d.b.,,,,,
Of New England born PGr,ans, whose ssl;r,r,..,. ~
ness, stll!-!ccked aS The Pharisaes s. ,or,L D. -,
up into the temple ard pr"yerE:
| Lord hsnk thee, that ain NOT as o,:.., ..,.
are. exior'ioners, unjust, edu!terers, or even q.
publican
State OF Virginia at the South the breeG. ci ,a.As
lit might addI "born cf TIE stocks ! t;anspo,,lE
| thher from Africa, and the secr "f len a. ~
own people who have em; grated TO the cotton ~
sugar regions of the far Souih;"-the Rchmor.
| |phig, the Lynchburg Ev9iu,aH, -. kanaEsn I
publican, and the entire array of Distribution iaur
nails within the borders Of the State, who desire -
manufacture panic over tle "decsyine coue,!,a
of Virginia in order 10 beggar her people into H.. oc.
| ceptAnc9 Of mercenary stipends from e. r.ror.l
government; ali these Journals South, Nor:h a,l a-
home, are holding an lrsh wake over the coau-cl
vitality and oefunct prosperity of our Cy:';...,-
wealth. 1t is unpleasant to break up q fro!ic .
unkind even TO dispel the sorrows OF vo,Un-.,-
| mourDers; but justice Is due to CoIGmcnUt,IsN.
beset by tha rhreeiold assault and p-;i54 -hcr,- to
| done even though the heavens should fall.
| The Commonwealth of Virginia il hot dea1. -.
even slespeih. On the contrary, aho Is ~ Iu g.,
health and vigor; and wealthy. powerful au p..s.
porous beyond all former experience.
Let US estimate her wealth The valaa of isr
!ands has ust been ascertaned. and it rev-a- ro.
only noble aggregate in Itself, but one he
gratifying from The fact that il shows rdpi appre-
citation upon past valuations-an increase of hun.
dred millions in the six last years. .r laa cors'i
tute aggregate wealth Of S3.6JOU,UOc Her s.s;
constitute the next considerable itrm ot vnu- 10 me
inventory OF her possessions. Counting the rrub-g
of them at 40 0DO the number shown by the I..s
CELSIUS, allowing nothing for aumerca, 'ucses--, ,.uG
estimating the average value ~ $500 cac-iL s.sve
wealth of State figures in the handsome lien, r.:
S2y ,5UD,UOD. The personal Prope,tv Of the S'4,r
actually computed for aXition and taxed wa. s'd,
in the last Auditors Report at 81 l,u96C9i. i 80,
add half much mo:e Tor the articles oi pprsaaa'
properly which eithor escaped the Assessor ,s ur
were not subjects of taAai,oE, i!2 es'''0a'e wrE&
stiI! he below the actual personal property owge =
the Commonwealth, though amounting 20 Sl.G G"".
600 These three items of our State, i,rns"ru;
wenIh over and above all such sr:ic'e7 30 butcher
cattle and crops which belong to the departments Z.
consumption and seeding, would make u? q stavmsn:
thus:
Real estate s}763n9 lh5
Slaves, -. ,5't o.
Personally, 10 .h''o.y
Grand total, :7so4oga.g
The total white population in Virginia ~ ;S5a
with the white population of 1854. shows w"n..h
for each person equivalent tc $50 Tor each vi'e
man, woman and child. We believe, NJ SAID iHs.
Friday that the lands Of tie Sale are unier.rg'~t
We believe we give too low an aggregate value .'.r
the slaves. We have Intentionally ove:lrpl,,.
large valuation Of personal propart.-
We caudidly believe that the ug-.agae y. a'a
uf Nirginis, including that of slaves, fp3~'X.
imates one thousand nations If d0'l7rs aud ilGs
whst-yer increase may have occurred in our "..,'e
population, the average wealth oi ench w'" : l.
vidusl man. woman and child in Virginia is $itH&.
But take It at the lowest estimate, and ~ SS5j g."
dydusl person there il not State w.ch ca.s
itself free that show average wealth 10. 60.
person OF one half Of that s""r'h"-e i rr' ore %,
them that Can show wealth To. each indyIGw oi
S3DD-a.though, if We knork off 'ho s,pv" ";2 ro-'
the ahcvc aggregate in Nirginin and instead O
ing the slaves rs property, r"nr oi.' a, Gls.iu',a
of the property, the share OF the remaining vca'G
iar each white and slave man. woman ana c.,id ~
Virginia will be upwards OF S3v'' pc, head "c
think this exhibit will suffice rut !ofsvC: = :'s'c"
I'll the ultra Southern, ra5;i .,oo,,,io, niu nom"
Distribution slang, Of Virginia decline. poS,l,y
and decay.
And now for the bugaboo OF ta=a@::'- ill.,. .c'"t'u
in The closet, which domestic distributions. sep
Tor their own exclusive hurr,iioaron. VIZ. is 81.
debt Of the s;ta:c The a"'ra! outstanding de0;.
reported by the Auditor for the end Of las, year
$50 9lI9i9. Throw in fractions and al otss o.. cou
tlngences, and call j; S3O.OG00UO. the State o"rs
upwards Of $3j0O,OU0 oi bark stocks She Owls
bonds, which. under any oher but tho lazy maa'
ment one.haf the roads are uuder. woud pay iear
per cent dividends and be worth from 80 {" -:
cent. on par vaues. Estimate this value, however
together with bank stocks ard Gll nS:"r anr sot; oi
other property belonging TO the state, all In iL,"l,
at only lOO00UuO; should then have Ftacn.,.-.
Of the deb. Of the Commonwealth thus:
Actual and contingent, debt, s39Go0,gCj
Bank stocks, Railroad stccka. bonds, sni
property, and all other property Do
longing TO the State, lH."u",N.j
Nett State indebtedness, imposing n
nett per cent. charge on taxation. SH''' 't.'
We have seen before that the aggragh:e ".saG =
the people of Virginia exceeds Ss0O.hcOtUc; g. .
what per centage is il sup?oaad that S20,333"F %.
Indebtedness is upon sS00 0C0,UvJ uf wealth WnyIJ
ia the amazing figure of q, per cent! Here, ;h~o =
cruinb of comfort for the muurn"rs over tile down
of Virginia. II.- ms btvdness is two eHd u la!' ,c
cent OF her wealth Her people, by clubbing 'cLerr
in pony purse can eterna!ly aud cverlss;i"cy "A-
gush the debt by throwing in tw" AMI h"': +, r
cent. Of the value Of their property or, 1t E"y ,r;
to fund the debt, can meet the Mnuai '"e'ta. a.
paving fifteen cents OH ehch hundred d"!laa OF -E
means.
We leave the question here. We vii, not snow
that the net, indebtedness Of the State over nsse's
is much less than S2O0O00 600. That will be n sUL
iect of discussion next winter when the Leg:s.aG
sha! bs in ses-iou; and we sincerely tust "e II
all live TO ''gn into the figures.
We conclude with single remark, which y me!s'
on official authority. The present rate OF ta1G'so" D
not only sufficient 10 meet nil interest on any p"-.-
ble debt of the Commonwealth. all constitutional
| ouirements in regard IN the Sinking Fund. AL
! contingencies and expenses ot government whh'-o-
ever, bat TO pay nls" annual surplus revenue an,
the treasury Of Sl!5OOO
So, the Commcnw cath Of Virginia ia not io7~
not in decline, is not bankrupt but the most soyea'
and one OF the wealthiest and m"st pro'p.r"- T. o.
| monwealths in the Union..- Richmond Eram Ecr.