Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-19

Hnvocat!ng the company but be eagerly arrays him
sei as Inc second in the class Of progncscafors o,
.'ure ostreTs lhs gentleman engaged the sten
non VI this house ior two hours, to prove that
have an empty treasury the proved il to his own
saflsfaction and to denOunce the log rolling system
and yet sr do not deem it necessary to 90 very a
o MS Poiul', 10 examine INTO his titles to credence
here. take him just where he placed himself We,
terday, and by that test mean to try bis ttes
MIR. SEDDON.-l hope the gentleman will sow
| me TO explain the position assigned me- with refer
ence to this read az well "a every other road in this
Commonwealth. The people whom represeni ON
this floor ars more interested in this road than any
other Improvement in this Commonwealth, A lsrga
part Of Stafford deals with Alexsndris. That ia their
| market. They are more directly interested in IN.
progress of Alexandria and the success of this road
before the Legislature; but, sir am, nevertheless
opposed upon principle toanylspplication, on the psr
OF this road interested as am, for money out Of tbs
| treasury which Ia not available.
Mr. BARB0UR-rhen the people of Stafford AMI
King George have representative upon this floor
who is making war on their local interests.
Mr.. SEDDON.-Highy as appreciate tho honor
| OF being the representative Of my constituents
this hoor If they apply at this treasury for money
they shall never have in me an instrument by which
to accomplish their ends.
Mr.. BARBOUR. will presently show that the
gentleman at the last session did vote money 10 Il
local Improvement at vast distance from him. The
gentleman from Stafford denounced log.r0lling. He
/
not afford at this moment to make al appropriation
out OF the public treasury where il advanced the
local interests Of his constituents, yet sr he in
hls seat here yesterday and proposed to combine
with me il could bring him strength enough to sp.
propriste money enough out Of the empty treasury
to finish ths Covington and Ohio Railroad.
MIR. Seldom. That is another mistake. ! asked
the gentleman question to test the consistency OF
his position. and got no answer to my question.
Mr.. BARBOUR understood the gentleman TO
aA ha unnl vnfa E.rf fha (Nx,tn,rt
Kali Road. Them leave il to the House say what
10 the position OF that gentlemanl He gets up herr,
and grsvely inquiries. with view 10 action and bu
snssd, whether bring strength enough to take
ten millions OF dollars out OF your empty treasury
Could better show the Inconsistency of his posi'on
Here S an empty treasury yet the gentleman stands
up on this floor, from his seat, to inquire he
muster strength enough TO get ten mllions Of dosr=
ont Of that empty treasury. Did the gentleman wish
to waste the time of this House by asking idle ques
tions7
How was the gentleman testing my consistency by
asking whether would vote against the bill which
was advocating, and in the passage OF which my con
sttusnts immediately interested, condition that
he and bis friends should vote for another bill, sPprO
priating $40 600 to be expended in remote part
of the Commonwealth! =! The gentleman has no rizh'
to complain that gave him no counsel. for he onyht
not to expect an answer to such II question. Wb-r
put the gentleman's interrogatory along with msny
intimatons which We have had that portion oi
the anti internal improvement party were ready to
support appropriation Of 80 700 to the Ccvng
ton and Ohio railroad, on condition that all the Other
appropriations should be defeated, did understand
him, a. venture to say, this whole House under.
stood him, as indicating that he would, in certain
contingency support an appropriation to the Covine-
ton aud Ohio railroad. II the gentleman from STAT.
ford. and his sntiinternal Improvement friends, can
find money enough in an empty treasury, TO appro.
pirate slOOOO,O0O to the Covington and Ohio rosd.
where is the force of that financial argument by which
the gentleman sought to prove that We cannot appro
pirate any money at all 7
Again, sir, the gentleman from Stafford Mr.. SED
Don is the known advocate of the Senate bill upon
your table TO appropriate one hundred thousand dol
lars to the University Of Virginia out of the annual
rsvenuss-twenty-6ve thousand dollars year for
four years to come. He can find money IN that
empty treasury to erect magnificent buildings for
young gentlemen to lodge in, while they are prose
cutting their collegiate studies, but he can find non"
to apply to purpose which he has just admitted
will promote the locs! interests Of his own consti
tuents. Mr.. SPEAKER. il would he an idle waste ot
tho time Of the House for to consider any further
the pretenslons Of the gentleman rrom Stafford Nj
SEDDosl as financial authority.
Mr.. BARBOUR-Mr. SPEAKER, the time is pas1-
ing rapidly and will depart from this mere person
al aspect Of this question: and come down to the quea
ton that ought be discussed before the gentsmen
Of this House. propose to discuss the relative mer
it, of the two financial statements that are now oe'
fore the House. And in the outset let me notice re-
mark made by the gentleman from Marion, to which
some importance seems to be attached. He says, sr
that both branches of this committee report dehct
for this year. and he inquiries how can you appropr-
ate or lend money when yon have none TO appropH-
ate or lend7 Well, now, DOES not the gentleman from
Marion know that public works are never built ont
OF your annual revenue7 Does not the gentleman know
that by system, if We have FIVE millions OF annual
revenue in the treasury, the appropriations woud nor
be made out Of the annual revenue Does ne nov
know that the money which is applied to the CON
struction of public works. is money received by loans
and loans alone; and that there never will be any mo
ney in the treasury for the purpose OF public I'M
provemeps until you borrowt il and put 1t therel Does
not the gentleman know that that is the Virginia sys
tenn that that is the law, that that has been the law
heretofore, and will be the law hereafter that You 90
not appropriate to your public improvements out OF
the annual revenue, but out Of what you call your
loan fund-out of the money which you borrow for
that specific purpose The question which the gen;
ilesn asks them has no pertinancy to thls hnsncla
exhibit The question :e not, what Is your surplus OF
annual revenue but the question is, are you IN con
dition to borrow money Tor this purpose1 Ii you hsn
a surplus of taxes no one would come forward Win
a proposition to appropriate the annual revenue w.
public improvements. This never has been done ana
never will be done. You have organized loan de
psrtlnent in your government; and when you
appropriate to public improvements, that loan
department is required by law to pay the money our
Of the loan fund, and you cannot advance me an
nual revenue for them, although there might be
surplus there. Whether there :s surplus OF annual
revenue or not is not the question. Ihe question j.
is your condition such that We can afford to borro"
money for the completion Of our public worksf pc
lore entering fully into the hnarclal discussion
wish TO state the condition OF the questioh 10 ths
House.
Suppose you appropriate the three millions no"
asked for; what charge does it constitute on the an
nusl revenue7 Why, sir, your policy is TO Ghart'
seven per cent Of the amount OF your loan eacn yer"
on the annual revenue. In that way you fay the ~
terest and in thirty four years you pay the prncpe
Suppose you appropriate three millions at this see
SION, what is the charged 1t is $2l0Ooo. When oSes
Al 81
cal year Is57-'5s1 No. sir it does not attach ~ a
charge on the revenue OF this year, because your ID
terest s payable in July and January; and these ap
preparations, il made, will not be drawn before 1uiy,
The first serious charge upon the treasury '1s Guy y,
them comes upon the fret day Of January, lso9 ana
that is in the fiscal year lS5S-5s. The sp
proprations which make at this session are
appropriations which operate upon the hscal year
lSjS-j9. And in that fiscal year your commit
tee of finance reports to you that there WIN oe
millions, which exceeds the amount OF all me
propositions, and $2lO,OOO is the amonn, charged
on the revenues of the fiscal y-nra 1893 -, wasn .
surplus OF s5OO0DO. Well, cir the minority or"nGm
bs deficit of $67 ,O0O. Add on the charge Tor me
proposed appropriation estimating three m'l'on7 OF
dollars which is than anybody proposes 10 ap
propriate-and the whole annual charge 3 put on ,hs
deficit Of that year err 900, upon ths basis even
of the minority report. Well, now, sir, am
taking the case In the worst aspect, upon lhe
basis Of their own report and according to that re-
port. II you make these appropriations you you
have deficit Of $277.O0O that year. atIsr
having paid of out Of the revenue Of that year neary
$500 900 of deficits of former years. Well now, sIr,
is not THE forty cent tar sufficient to bear u. h. me
apply 10 the candid fair. deliberate consideration OF
gentlemen who are searching after truth upon '1,S m
subject. What was this forty cent tax 'aid i.ra 10
mssiptain vorr sinking fond; and. 10 addition :" all
thai, to nav for The deficits Of 81 $1,000 EXISTING on
,hs lar of October, 1856 That was the STATE ul
YOUR treasury on tbs l,t Of October, 1856 Y.r nd
deficit of 81 500 900, and your committee OF hnanc"
At the Inst session. decided, and the Legislature de-
cided that forty cents the SlOO tax enough 10
meet all the wants OF the government and TO support
deficit of 81 600 600. II il would pay all the IT
penses of the government and support that defiI:,
how much more efectuslly will II meet all the .1-
pensss of the government and support deficit oi
ltH7 MMl Cir xau LIr YERRY in fha ChsIr.l IN