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

| now. what amount OF pu0lo money nau Oeen 81
pended in that territory am not aware. As to III
present boundary of Harrison county, instead of ther
being fourteen turnpikes constructed within it, car
not call TO mind hut three. will make this furthe
statement in relation to that entire region of country
think, though have not examined the statistics re
Gently, there was table prepared for the Conveu
ton. that threw come light upon the subject, and
speak from my recollection of that table think
sir that lsss than three millions had been eIpende
, on turnpikes, and the balance up to thirty million
had been expended on rail roads and capals. Harr
son county had, Perhaps received fair share OF To
turnpike fund, but it has not received dollar OF ID
balance of the funds expended on rail roads and ca
nals So much for that.
} Now, sir, as to my policy. My policy announced
distinctly could; and it this-to supply III
deficiencies in your revenue; to elevate your Stat
credit; to reduce your internal improvement compa
nes TO proper suhjecton; to REFORM by wise enact
ments and proper restraints Inc adm'nIs.ra.on
these companies. My policy il not 10 discontinue
forever, your appropriations to internal improve
mens; not TO stop after you have contracted debt
thirty millions Of dollars, which have been chief,
expended upon the Valley and the Piedmont region
OF Virginia. do not want to stop II now, though
believe II was bad policy in the beginning. Ivan
TO supply the deficiency in treasury and to re
vive your State credit.
Between the Allegheny mountains. the Ohio river
and the North Western Virginia Railroad, upon the
| North Of the valley of the kanawha, should say
that there were fifteen thousand square miles Of ter
ritory untouched by any improvement. should
demand, if had the honor Of representing that por
ton ofthe Sate,thst relief OF some kind should bs ex
| tended TO that region of country How do propose
to do III By extending your Mansssa Gap Railroad
to the Ohio or by constructing the Covington and
Ohio Railroad, aud throwing out from il, arms tina.
will reach us. II you do not do that shall insist
that you sha give us the privilege OF calling IN tor.
eign capital to improve country. Sol as know.
Baltimore has neither the inclination nor the ability
to penetrate that territory. | know OF no scheme
having that object in view If you will improve our
country of course, will accept the assistance cor
daily IL not, hope to wiring from you the priVi.
lege of doing it with aid, and with such other
Aid will be able to procure. This is my posi-
ton, sir As to my claiming superiority over other
gentlemen, cannot see how had indicated any pur.
pose of that sort. | merely stated my views on the
subject before the House. in q manner which deem.
ed perfectly Legitimate, and if the HOUSE shall decide
adversely TO these views ! am ready, of course, to
submit.
Mr.. DAVIS-I desire, Mr.. SPEAKER, to maks q
personal explanation, as seem to have been misap-
pretended in some remarks which made yester
day. by the gentleman from Harrison. With refer.
ence TO my statement as TO the amount expended in
his county, mentioned it 10 be something about
$2OO,0O0, aud fourteen improvements in the county
as il is constituted, and this information l re-.
ceived from your official reports.
Mr.. BARBOUR.-The House will bear in mind,
that am seeking 10 fshom the policy of the gentle
man from Harrison for captiOus personal pur
pose But the gentleman has announced his policy,
and deem it proper TO examine it. What is that
pocyl Why, sir, he ssys, that gross in Justice has
been done to his section Of the State, the subject
of public appropriations. and his policy is to correct
that injustice. He refers to the report Of the Second
Auditor submitted 10 the reform Convention in which
it was represented to that Convention that the Pied
mont region of Virginia had gotten three fourths Of
the appropriations made by the State, tide.water lit
tie nothing, and the trans.Aeghany region little
or nothing. Sir that was one of the class of est
mates which you cannot rely. Does not the gen.
tleman know that that report was denounced as
fraud upon the floor of that Convention by Mr. GAR.
NETTl committee was appointed to examine that
report, upon which had the honor to be appointed
and Of which Mr. GARRETT. Mr. FAULKNER, and
believe the gentleman from Halifax, (Mr. EDAuSDs.)
we're also members. They came back, and reported
to the House, that the statements of the Auditor
were gross and enormous Mistakes They detected
the and showed that this inequality did not
is and that report stands now on the journal Of the.
Convention H. a recorded fact.
But the gentleman says gross injustice has been
done Ia his section and he Asks you To op any fur
ther appropriations until this injustice shall have
been corrected. large arrearage is due to his par
ticusr section, and he wants to have it cleared up
before any further appropriations made. Thirty
millions Of dollars have, he ssys, been appropriated
for public improvements and but little of that given
to his section. He stands up here and asks Of you,
that you viii not 20 into appropriations again until
this injustice shall have been corrected He asks ap
preparations enough for his section TO correct this
enormous disproportion that now exists. And that
i. his policy Mark you. anti.lnternal Improvement
gentleman; mark you where you are being led. This
Gentleman comes here and denounces me ss rsvenous
far nublic aools when all the bills that can vote
for will not amount to three millions Of dollars and
ask will you place yourselves under the lead of gen.
teman who to you, that be is going into
system of appropriations that must correct the njua
tice done TO his section and that must carry millions
upon millions to that section He wants to have q
"breahng spell.' Aye, and the gentleman knows how
to accomplish his purpose Take "breathing spell"
r;ofa
you have got your finances in such condition that
your appropriaons must be confined within narrow
limits wait till you work off these deficits; wait till
YOU get TO the year lS59'60, with the deficits all paid
off, and surplus OF one million OF dollars OF revenue
in your treasury which will enable the Legislature to
appropriate ten millions of dollars, and then the gen
teman, having had his "breathing spell" will come
here to swell up that debt which alarms the gen.
tleman from Goochland MIR: RUTHERfooRp')a and the
gentleman from Stafford, MIR. SEDDos;l Ia not this
his language Don't appropriate dollar now;
sm not ready; have my full assortment OF turnpikes
am fed full with turnpikes; have not my railroad
appropriation scheme ready yeti give "breathing
spell your treasury moi full enough for my purpose
vet; your two three million appropriations Is not
what want; give me a "breathing spel;' keep all
these railroad companies still in want; keep them in
waiting for me; have them here still asking for pub.
lie money and then il they get what they want at a
future session, will come in and make them give
me what want. And you, Mr.. SPEAKER, tMr. YER
by in the Char,l and the gentlemen from Goochand
and Stafford, are following in that lead; and you un.
dertaking to look at least two years into the future
and TO tell us what s going to happen-ssnding here
Al guardians of the interests of your constituencies,
permit yourselves to be used by the gentleman from
harrson for that open and wanton approach upon
the treasury which hs will make after he takes his
"bresthing epell." The gentleman Gays he wants a
pause to give these railroad companies time to make
some reform. How are you going to do it ls he
not here advocating termination Of this session on
Saturday night Well, sir, these immense reforms,
| ,yI,;
accomplished in two weeks more Of our session; and
vet the gentleman voted against An extension OF the
session for two weeks, while he Gays, that all he wants
| is TO give him time to make these large reforms.
Sir, If the gentleman from Stafford comes back
here in '5g-GO he will find the gentleman from
| HARRISON crushing, by the force OF strong oom.
bnation standing firm behind him. the small array OF
snti.internal improvement men, who may be opposed
TO him; aud the gentlemen from Stafford and Gooch.
land, with their unavailable force overpowered can.
not say to the gentleman you are acting in bad faith
we 60 operated with you in lS57-5S; thought that
YOU we're warning against the internal Improvement
psrty; and now you are coming here, and making
tbese advances upon the treasury" He has fairly
warned them that hs s only temporarily with them,
mer ,LF making Of You now to prevent these linn
tied appropriations TO preserve this system of log roll
inp until he can get ready to derive new advantages
from It, 49,
The gentleman wants "breathing" spell untlthe
treasury gets full and then he will como back ready
! for heavy draught
: have been thus particular, Mr. SPEAKER, in un.
yelling the policy of the gentleman from HARRISON
+ (Mr. JoHssros.) for two leading purposes. | wish
TO demonstrate to the antiinterna Improvement gen.
tIemen the mischief which they inhict upon the pub
c interests by this coalition with the gentleman from
Harrison. If by means Of this coalition they defea,
appropriations to complete the unfinished rail roads
| they only destroy the States investment in these
roads, which must remain unproductive until the
works are completed. But ] have proved to them
that they cannot expect the aid of the gentleman
from Harrison and his friends to defeat those appro
pristioHs permanently. II is only temporary ar
rest-a "bresthing SPELL" which these new allies Of
10 effect At the expiration of this breathing SPELL
the appropriations now sought are to be made along
with other enormous expenditures, to meet the YET
unknown demands of gentlemen who have beer
that they will again be ultra ipternsl improve
ment men. The gentleman from Harrison boldly
evows that he and his friends will not permit the ,ys