The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-08

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tfoys far more than are taken; but X ~ DE-
4 them is properly guarded, they ara lnds.ssias
lie and viii BE- perpetual soures Of wsaish aetl
9 their proiBc reproductiveness. II tsks, ing
,eds. to be ~ for the market. 'ofaeis
The means Of deriving rsvsnne from ov,,...
IRE simple and certain. ''sfs,
FIRST, prohibit any except our own citiz.n.
aLfno them In our own waters at all. ana ,.a sh
sii persons not citizens at the passage OF The -.
10 resids.in the state Q reasonabls period "a ~
'ay two years or more, before they csn h.,.
,ense TO take them. II
5scondly-Strictiy regulate the tim. .nd
Of taking them, ~ under existing laws. by oss
own citizens. - Vat
rhirdly-Requirs every citizen Who a..,,.
take oysters, to obtain q license from The $3.50
county courts or from proper revenue officer. 4.
cutter service, upon paying 90 much Der ION r.r
mum fer a. many tons a. the person NAV cboo...
employ Ia the trade, from the 31st Of Augn.,
the LIST Of May In each year; discriminating n.
tween the tonnage OF large and small ys.sel.
the former cannot make many trips AZ m. u.
tor, and between vessels large enough to IN,
the markets, aud boats, canoes and skiYz .rS 70 70
small craft which are obliged from their si,. =.
sell near the place where the boats are smpIoy.s
The oysters must be taken by means Of ,oun.s.
in one form or another, and tar on tonn.s.'
therefore, may be made to reach every eoncsis..'
BILE case. Paying the license on tonnaes will =.
thorize the person to take many as can be t.ls|
by the amount Of tonnage licensed without COST =,
trouble of any measurement or count ,h..W
and the rate per ton licensed only will have 10 ~
and an inspection only by cutters -,
be required to BEE that none take oyster, Nh
have no license.
Pourthly-0rganizs q revenue servics OF r..
steamers, we'll manned and armed, to regularly n
sit the oyster beds, and see that those who a.
have license, and that those who are not ci,Tsa.
do not take; and il they purchase and carry 49,
that they have bills OF lading from citizens fro1n
whom they purchased, and who were Iic.n,e5,, -
take them. This force will be sufficient. n.
kind Of steamers required will cost each .hor,
Sl5 000 and the cost of running, repairs and in,n
rance Of each per annum will be about faOo0
After the Il. st cost Of 60000 the annual sxnan..
will be, at the maximum, not more than 400 coo
A reasonable tax would be q fee for license eori,
alent TO from to 5 cents per bushel. On the g.,
culation that each ton would take Is bu,hel, =
trip, and make ten trips year. Of take and carr,
away $50 bushels per annum, then, at 8 cent, NJ.
bushel. each ton would be taxed 81 So Ever, tor
engaged In the trade can easily afford to psy AZ
tax. IL $4,000 tons are employed, 5 dollars a tor
would yield the commonwealth $4,000 Of re,.p.
ne per annum.
Fifthly-Require this cutter force to perform M.
lice duty especially In guarding our coast sxsinst
the stealing and running away Of our slaves II
the licenses would barely pay the expenses Of TIL,
service, that object alone is sufficient to put such
law into force, besides the end Of securing the mo-
nopoly of the oyster trade to our own citizens
aud OF preserving the oysters from destruction.
Sxthly-Besides the oyster beds, the planting
grounds are all below low water mark and belonE
to the state, and a large revenue may be derived
renting them ont for the state, ms In profitsbly
done by other states
The eminent domain in land under the waters.
Is an incident Of government and not . propriets.
ry right. The state may not ALLEVIATE 1t to an ind
vidual, and is bound, rs long as IL 10 sovereign
over it, TO hold II in government trust for public
uses, because such uses require trust Of the high
est dignity; and although 1t 10 'Jus pnbl,eu~r In
every sense; ye it lisa Jus puJfclrr" reserved to
Virginia 1t is not granted to the general go.eru-
ment in the clause Of commerce which embrace,
navigation. The latter is Jus ptblicur." to tho
United States; the former to the state OF Virginia
alone. The citizens Of other states, In common
with ours, may sail OF steam over and through the
waters; may have anchorage, and wharfage, and
docksge, and every other of the soil necessary
to facilitate commerce, and render the nsyissb,
water servicesble a. an easement or public high.
way; but the citizens of Virginia alone have ths
common right, under the states sovereign regula-
TONS to break her soil Of eminent domain In catch.
ing she'll fish growing thereon.
In Foley v. Harrison ct al. Is How. 432 80, judge
fancy expressly declares that the law OF New Jer.
sey gave the defendant the exclusive privilege Of
planting and growing oysters, upon the payment
Of certain rent to the state. The public use nay
be realized then by renting the locus an quo under
water.
Tn Ia but an epitome of the subject; and IL will
afford me pleasure to give any committee more de-
tailed Information in relation to il.
If il be fesred that the schems is impractcEbe
BY state officers the legislature has but to grant
corporate powers to q company to collect revenue
from this source within maximum and minimum
limit, aud have no doubt that large bonus can
readily be.got for the privilege. The oyster banks
will pay better bonus than the banks of paper
An oyster mine is richer source OF
g. - r.. a,fc
per. silver or gold. If our oyster beds had been
mines Of metals, they would not have been so neg.
ected by legislation as q source of revenue.
I,lsuvancs BY the STATE.
l repeat to the legislature what have said on
this subject in my correspondence with NJ. Lacol.
lure. The subject is too voluniDous to enlarge on
IN detail; bnt the accompanying report by the al.
iitor will show what y mesgre amount of revenue
IS derived from the present tax on insurance. Ii 10
,hieny insurance by other states and the laws are
EASILY evaded. In the past year the mails were
crowded with circulars inviting the negotiation
IF policies, without any ONCE or agency in our
limits Consequently, up to October 1867, tax Wal
paid upon only S295, 66l SIS Of premiums. l bslisv,
hat more than double that amount 10 drained
from our state yearly for insurance, The profit.
IF the business may be judged of by the accoupa
aging circulars and advertisements, tn which call
FOUR attention. Why may not the state make shi'
profit Why not lay tax which will protect the
property which II burthsBs? Why not lay youn
would not compel our citizens TO insure their prop
srty or lives, nor would disturb existing charters
But do recommend that all insurance except By
tue state shall in future be prohibited allow inp
present companies to expire, aud organizing stat,
10 insure lives and all property subeo
to insurance, the state has been insuring tobsc
20 now for many years. Up TO 1911 the losses By
insurance of tobacco amounted 10 about $e4 COO
and since then to 81 500 only on millions o
value.
The insurance of tobacco arose, from certain his
torical causes but il teaches lesson Of the prac
ticability and profit Of insurance by the state
which is not delusive. The fee of 80 cents pc
hogshead has accumulated fund In the treasury
to protect wareheusing for the planter, Of abou
s5uoo0 Why cannot other property In like man
ner be protected Switzerland has long resoTItt
to the system successfully, and now have a ius
Of detail on the statistics OF the subject In tina
country, which am awaiting TO have translat ed
France too, il is said is about to resort to CON
pulsory system of insurance. repeat that re
only a voluntary system here. Com
pei none to insure, but il they do insure
require the policy to be negotiated with IT,
state. This would replepish the treasury, an
prevent the cost of insurance from bein
drawn from the state. On this subject, toe
will endeavor to be ready, with prepared detsill
to be submitted at the proper time.
Education and the Literary FsInd
Since the last session of the general Assem- bl
popular movements On the great subject Of educs
ton ana It's concerns have been made, maDifestln
a deep and excited interest. Two conventions hav
been held at the city OF Richmond, Representing
all our colleges, many of eur academies and of ou
schools OF primary instruction, and composed G
many Of cur most learned professors and OF ID
friends Of educational reform generally, Thei
views and plan of school organization contaiue
in the accompanying report of their proceeding
which l commend to your most favorable considers
ton, and to your adoption. They were unsnimVu:
and are urgent In one sentiment, that If we woul
properly educate our children ourselves, at hoEn'
and give any efficiency ut all to our Literary fnn
aud TO our primary schools, we must extend nor
patronage to the university, military institute, on
colleges and higher schools, in order to raise N
standard of instruction, aud to elevate the grad
OF teachers for the lower schools, and to stir w
spirit VI emulation in the pubic mind. This seI
timent Is universal with the friends Of edueatie
every where, and there is earnest wish expires
ell by our people to have the public funds u ia
state applied in the most efficient way 90 do u
most good to the greatest number Of pupils. III
whole subject is fully discussed in the report T,
erred TO, aud my individual views are therein 81