Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-05
.urr,,, nr , q DAVIS. Esq.

CRepor,ed for Tie Enquirer BY +. hean.)
The bending question being OH the passage Of The
bill,
,r.ma relucsnce that propose to address this House
on The bill under considerations after the aoIe r.
marks which have already been submitted win re
terence to it. Ii Is only from the peculiar position
r,at occupy, that could be induced To appear he.
tore this Intelligent body I" present my views on ss
general subject OF the State policy OF Virginia. Hail.
ing as do from the North western portion OF the
State and differing as do from gentlemen coming |
from the same section, claim the courtesy which |
has been accorded to them, while define my posi
ton on the question now under consideration.
Ii has been asserted here that the system OF legs.
,s;ion in this body ia entitled 10 the appelation OF
log rolling system. Whether that be true or other
wise eha NO; take upon myself 10 determine sut
NV proper place here and in the name OF the conslltu
ency which have the homer to represent on this floor
NAV BIZ allowed in my behalf, to say that have
no log rolling to do Ii ia true that there billup
ON your table asking small appropriation for my
county, but have not, nor will not log roll to get
that little bill passsed through this body. am will
ng that it shall stand or fall upon its own iae:its
il shall meet the appreciation OF the members "i this
House, it is well. II shall receive their dissPpro
bation-if they vote no, it is well also The course
that propose 10 take here, Girls not dictaed,or uhu
euced in any manner or form by any system OF log
rolling with view to secure any fav0rs for myself or
my county.
worthy friends, that this which | propose
70 adopt and by which expect to be governed, will
involve me in difficulties at home, am obliged to
gentlemen for their friendly advice, their kind con-
sideraton, and their fatherly soliciiude to pre-
serve nv political existence in the Northwest. will
be allowed here 10 express what believe To be the
sentiments Of my people The issue upon which we
| are Joined is 10 me not new one ms very ques
ton raised in the canvass through which pass.
ed The charge made that was friend OF the
internal Improvement policy of the State That charge
| met upon every stump in the county. de.
fined my position, and the people sustained me. II
they are not disposed to do justice to my position
hereafter be it 80 Some person may do Justice TO
| nv memory when | am dead If l should die
| under this ban. Laughter
The issue here ia distinctly made. The discussion
which has arisen upon this blnyolves Inc whole ques
ton of the internal improvement policy OF this State
The combating hosts fairly reused; tbs lines are
drawn; the leaders have drawn their steel; and the
| bste has begun. On the one hand 1t is question
| OF progress; question OF ADVANCEMENT question
that has for lis object the development of the re-
sources of this State; of placing Virginia where she
ought TO be-the proudes as che now is, the most
energetic of all the States in this Union. On the
other side of this question, Mr. Speaker, tis ques-
ton of masterly inactivity" il says TO the enter
prise of the present age that il must be stopped 1t
| speaks to commence, and says, your sails must be
reefed 1t speaks to the manufacturing interests Of
the country aud says, you shall shut off steam, and
seek TO bring back every old principle OF former age
which had thought obsolete in this Common.
wealth. II rays VS. must hold TO the old principle,
which was TO bring a bushel of wheat in one bag
and large rock on the other, to balance it
(Laughter.l propose to treat this subject AZ prac
tjcal one and shall call the attention of the
House to few facts which shall offer 10 its conside
ration in support Of the position which occupy.
do not intend to occupy its time long with the views
| which shall offer.
The frat proposition that shall assume. and which
intend 10 discuss, is this Are we able to continue
IN. improvements of the State that are now begunl-
That is grave. practical question. II is said that
Virginia is bankrupt that her bonds below par in
the market; that the people will rice up in rebellion,
and that they are able TO pay their taxes. will
NOT undertake to speak for the constituents of the
gentleman from Preston, MIR. KEMBLEl in regard to
his matter but will undertake TO speak for my
They will not rebel against lawful authority, they
are the last people in the world that would do il and
il they did, although | esteem 1t an honor now TO
represent them, il would he an honor under such cir
cumstances, which would not court. IL Virginia
bankrupt Is there any danger OF repudiationl =
True we have been in temporary crisis; and the
gentleman from Preston says, that crisis still exists
In morning paper to which my attention called
, This morning, find that the money markets of Eu.
rope are easier than they have been tor th last
. ,welve months and that the Banks Of Holland, and
oC EppIsnd and France have reduced their rates of
interest; and that money in New York, Philadelphia,
and other large Northern cities. be obtained on
better terms than heretofore.
Mr.. KEMBLE.-I would ask thu gentleman if no
crisis exists, why is that our Banks are not paying
Mr.. DAVIS-I care not whether they resume
specie payment not. will tell ha gentleman that
the credit of Virginia il not depending upon her
hanks She has better to s1stain it in the
wealth of her soil and the patriotism Of her In
answering this question Of the ability Of fEe State Ia
r construct the Improvement contemplated, allow me
tn call the attention Of this House briefly to some
facts which have gathered from The statistics OF the
country.
The grain crop of Virginia lost year was nearly lea y
ffty cents busne! would be worth seven million we
! hundred thousand dollars snd yet gentlemen talk
about famine and bankruptcy in the S:ats. The in.
crease OF material wealth in Nirsina 70: the las!
ten YEAR, has been upon fair averags, at least one
hundred milons of dollars; and the tidal amount OF
assessed property in Virginia sSOOON,O0O One.
fourth Of per cent upon The whole or hiryour
years would yield S6S OUOO 0Oi yet gentlemen say
: we are the very eve OF reputation. Suppose
that in inishing public improvements, We would
have to find thirty millions of dollars in thirty four
years what would this impose upon the increased
capital and value Of property in the Sa,el 1t would
only add nefourh Of per cent upon the increas
ed value of the property Of The State of Virginia. III
thia increase OF fourth of one per cent s only
quired 10 complete our great system of internal i'm
prov cement, If gentlemen who are the friends OF this
policy desire to connection established between
The Seaboard and the Ohio binding the people of the
two great sections of the Commonwealth in one com.
ron interest, allow to ask OF them if their patriot
irn would go far enough TO impose upon themselves
fourth OF one per cent upon the property they
3 hold
But have promised that would not detan the
House long, and will, therefore, hasten 10 another
proposition. II able To construct these roads
by applying properly tbs energies of the people and
the resources of the State, the next question that
arises is should do i'll The burrhen of the argu
IneDt the other eide is that We should not do it,
t.cause rail roads do not pay. We have had long
statement the subject Of rail roads, only in the
United States bnt in Europe, presented to US and
the gentleman from Preston made a rapid trip on rail
roads around the globe. the result of which was de-
velopment Of the astounding feet that rail roads dc
not pay. That is the idea 10 which shall call the At
tenton of the House. While 1 shall take the posi-
ton that they do pay, will not say that they pay
directly in the shape of dividends, but mai ntaa
that they do pay, cir. indirectly in the advantages
that they confer upon the people, Will any man say
that rail roads do not increase the commerce Of the
State What the facts 10 regard to this matter
Since the introduction OF rail roads into the United
States commerce has been Increased 10 the enor
nous standard Of ninety millions of dollars. And
what has led to this great advanced Why the in.
creased facilities afforded by this medium for the
transportation of the products Of the country to the
Atlantic sea ports. YOu sir, "a we'll az many other
members of this House must recollect, that before
the introduction of rs roads, fathers in the West
made their trips to inartet across the mountains,
distance of one hundred and City miles with mules
and horses They had no motives, then, TO clear the
wood to reduce the verdant soil 10 cultivation or en-
large their FARMS for they could not sell the products
of their lands, having facilities 10 transport them
to market. Rail roads, however. have opened up
These facilities and have given an Impulse TO the
manufacturing interests of the country. We are EN-
phatically young people, though Wa live IN laat
age rs compared 10 the countries Of the old world
We ere young, but in point Of energy and expert
euce srs taking position by the side OF the
proudest naoIs CT the old world Rail roads, by the
facilities which they afford in the development OF The
resources of the country, have, in the last fifteen
years, added to its manufacturing capital, eighty
millions OF dollars! Aud they have added, in the
same time, twenty-ons millions to the capital OF the
country TO say nothing of the increase in the value
OF lands and other property But they increase, also
the agricultural products of the country. II was
said here by the gentleman from Preston, tMr. KEN
BLE) THAI We ought to stop our internal Improvement
system, because they divert too much of the labor
say that since the introduction of rail roads into the
United States more than two millions of acres ol
land have been brought into cultivation. large