Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-10-20

market, must be sensibly felt for months to come
And, indeed, there may be more or less strin
gency in domestic trade for several years yet
Not that are willing to believe otherwise, than
that the storm which has been raging for some weeks
past, has already reached it's height; and when the
panic shall have passed. that the danger will be dis
covered to have been exaggerated by distrust and
fears. But though the source of the troubles with
which the country is now afflicted may not be 80
deepseaed to seriously threaten hehappness and
prosperity Of the natiOD it is nevertheless evident on
every hand that "the crisis is confined to no very
limited extent Of territory and that il is almost every.
where Sufficiently serious to leave traces which ne
ther month nor year can altogether efface..
The decline of produce must, of course, be
commensurate with the real extent of the
pressure. And as the farmers revenue s re-
duced go are his unwillingness and inability to bear
additional taxation increased 1t is with this view Of
the hard times, that we deem it neither iDjudicoua
nor tned to direct the attention of the people oi
Virginia TO tile incompleteness Of their internal i'm
provements, the absolute necessity for pushing them
on with rapidity and vgor and the want of means
for that purpose. Our State taxes already high.
To increase them would probably produce discomfort.
And yet it is essential to the interests of the people,
Individually and collectively, that the public works
in process Of completion, should not be allowed TO
linger, and perhaps be abandoned for the want of
funds from the State to carry them on. Under such
circumstances, what can be done! What will be
donel The Legislature must ask these questions of
itself next winter auIiously and vanly indeed, un
less some mode of raising revenue is adopted other
than that of direct taxation upon persons, and the
property Of individuals. Now, than ever before,
is it desirable that the channels of commerce should
be multiplied and opened to for the products Of
all parts of the States. Now, more than ever,
it is essential to the prosperity Of the people, that the
stmulants OF trade should be made active, that com.
merce should be quickened that money should cir.
culate freely, and vgor be impaired to all branches
Of business.
By means Of speculation, eItrsvagance aud over
trading the commerce Of the country has been unduly
excited. The consequent collapse has come. And
The tendency now ia rather to torpor and sagnation
than excessive activity. To mpart heal,hful tone
10 trade and arouse from it's inclination to lethar.
gic condition, the business must be hopeful and
energetic, and every facility for commerce between the
different divisions of labor and distant parts of the
country, should be developed and employed as &C.
lively as possible.
II in times Of comparative prosperity, the necessi-
ty Of stupendous system Of internal improvements
stared US so fully in the face the Importance of the
great leading lnes, which have been projected and
begun, but no, completed presents itself to with
tenfold force, under the circumstances which now go
seriously embarrass the financial condition of the
country. And as the necessity has increased, the
means of accomplishing the object have been pro.
portionately diminished. The taxpayers, it is true
except the few who have been ruined or temporarily
Frustrated by the tornado nrinsicay as aiiiuent
now as they were before the criss. The crops o
what corn and tobacco taken for oil in all, are
nerbaps as large as usual. Their lands fertile
their negroes capable of performing the same labor as
before; and the farmers and planters are the
principal payers of taxes But they cannot command
for the came amount of produce, the same amount oil
money it would bring to them at this time last year
and even then there wss complaint of the rate oil
taxation.
Unless the public works going on, they are re-
trogradng daily. Throughout the State on the sea-
board as we'll MS in the Valley, Trans.Alleghany'
North West or Southwest, the people are aroused TO
the importance Of the internal Improvement cause,
and they earnestly desire speedy completion Of those
leading lines which have already been begun.
But members of the Legislature, who, in canvass.
ing for the sufages Of their constituents were most
loud and earnest in their advocacy of this cause in
which the industrial interests Of Virginia are 90 deep
" involved, will find an obstacle in their way, which
cannot now be overcome by the ordinary mode of
proceeding under similar circumstances Additional
taxation. We are afraid the people would not cheer
fully have imposed upon them. The cry OF hard
times is heard from almost everybody. And to IN
crease the revenue of the State sufficiently to COM
plete the internal improvements some scheme or sys'
tenn must be put into operation, which will not direct
ly trench further upon the income or capital OF ndi-
viduale. We know of none such except the two al.
ready indicated by Gov. Wise. We aludo to thepro'
posed oyster tax and the system Of insurance by the
State both Of which, we presume, will be urged up
Oh the Legislature, in the message OF his E1cellency
at the ensuing session Of that body. We believe
both schemes to be feasible and if adopted, we have
little doubt that the emoluments arising from them
will be amply adequate to the necessities Of the State.
The suggestion of tax upon the cachers OF oysters
has provoked ridicule But we have never yet
been able to discover in it anything else than
an admirable and equitable expedient for rais'
ing revenue without increasing the taxes oil
the people. To our mind, it will prove az
practicable and profitable, as it is noveto rpeople
We have an abiding confidence in the energy, ability
and ingenuity Of the Governor to develop the re
sources of Virginia. and place her upon course OF
prosperity and power commensurate with her innate
wealth and strength. And We trust that the Legsla
ture will adopt his counsel and cooperate with him IN
the arduous but glorious work of completing our IN
ternal and mparting activity and vigoi
to commerce by opening IFS channels.
ILLEGAL MILITARY EXPEDITIONS.
The subioined letter of instructions from the Sec
retsry of State has been addressed by direction OF
tbe President to United States Attorneys, MarshaIs
and other officers as we'll military as naval, at the
various points which to be the destined rendez-
yous of these illegal movements!
iDEPARrMEST OF STATE,
WAsHiSeroN, September lS, 1857.
Sir: From information received at this Depart.
ment there il reason believe that lawless persons
are now engaged within the limits OF the United