Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-19
For The Enquirer.
SHOULD THERE BE- ANY APPROPRIATIONS MhD''
THIS SESSION, TO WORKS or INTERNAL ~
For The E2N,rer.

SHOULD THERE BE- ANY APPROPRIATIONS MD
THIS SESSION, TO WORKS OF INTERNAL IN
PROvEMENTi
Messrs. Editors: With your leave wish to preseE'
a few reasons. why, in my opinion, the Legislature
Of Virginia should not appropriate any money 10
works of Internal Improvement this session.
Ii is admitted on all hands, that there ID heavy
pacuniary pressure all the country at this Time.
The banks have suspended epecie payments through
out tho State and as precautionary measures lo ne
prepared TO resume, whsn required to 40 10 ny in'
Legislature, they bave greatly curtaiied the'r aid
counts. This makes paper money Fcnrcer ana the
Suspension OF specie payments hes mace com sca'cet
With such double contraction as tins. ana WIN iie
taxes now almost beyond endurance, lsgraVeiy pr"
posed by committee in one of our Legisia'lVe o0nes'
TO vote 10 increase our State debt about TWO iniohs
and half OF dollars this session. and appropriate lEe
money to certain works of Internal Improvement I'D
various parts of the State-upon The "ogrol!ing sys
tenn. Suppose the proposition had been made TO ap
propriate }SDO,O06 10 the Covingion roao dtoHt,
leaving the others all out does any sane man De-
lieve It could possibly have been carried 10 com
bine them as the committee has, is the very essence
and substance of "ogrolling" iss species OF
laon, that no free people ought to tolerate. IL is
wrong in principle, wrong In conception wrong I'D
design and wrong In practice. 1t is In conflict with
representative duty, and at with the spirit OF q
representative government. legislator VINO VIII
bargain for advantages for bis own people, at the e1
pense Of others, IL not fit 10 sit in an honorable oody.
1t s said that the State has fifteen or twenty mil
lions invested in works of Internal Improvement and
that ia to the interest OF the whole people that
those works should have additional aid now. Let
Us examine this position for moment: IL IL pro-
posed to appropriate the following SUMS ms: VIZ: 10
the Covington and Ohio Rail Road $500 ,O0O-Orangs
and Alexandria $500 OO0-York River Rs Road
$500 UOO-Norfok and Petersburg Rail Road $25o, OO0
Manassas Gap $3.50 notwithstanding, Loudoun aud
Hampshire $500 OOO-Ceutral Rail Road $2OO,UOo
and Danvills extension $20U 700. In all s2.5Oo,ooO
Now why do these works need these special appro
pristions this year, LIST take them up in ordsr
The Covington road will probably cost wv, Ooo,Uvo
There has been expended on it perhaps 3, SUI ooo-
great forwardness7" We should think not.
The Orange aud Alexandria road comes next in or
der. II is finished to the Central road at Gordons
ville aud from there to Lynchburg there is line Of
railroad The completion of the Gordonsville
and Lynohburg extension of the Orange and Alexan
dria road will but divert travel off of portions Of the
Southside, Danvlle and Central railroads. in all OF
which roads the State is q stakeholder. Then 1t is
impossible for the State to be gaiuer by any appro
prialion TO that road.
Next comes the York river railroad We do not
possess sufficient information about Il to speak ad
visedly but az it ia work more TO benefit Richmond
thau the State, an appropriation to IT, aside from one
on lie merits or demerts is species Of cass legls
lation" that should be avoided.
| The same arguments may be adduoed against ap.
preparations to all tho rest except the "Dauvile ex
tension" as were made 10 an appropriation TO the
| COvington aud Ohio rsilroad-save and except per
| haps, the Central railroad.
We, perhaps, do not understand what 10 meant by
the "Danvil!e extension" unless il ia to make "cir
cumbendbus rnil road around by the cooper
mines" to the Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road
about the seven mile ford in Smyth county. II that
Is IT, We say II 10 utterly useless, and is in teot pro-
position throw money away almost, or TO spend 1t
useessy, which is next thing to throwing il into the
sea-
Several Southwestern members pledged them
selves nhsn cand'dat,s last spring, seeking popular
support, 10 exert themselves to "haye the taxes re
duced" The people of their respective counties hold
them to their promises We demand reduction OF
the rate of taxation, aud those who pledged them
selves to labor to accomplish that end, will be acting
10 bad fdith II they vote TO continue the pre-
sent rate Of taxation. To vote two millions and
half to works Of internal Improvement now, is to
vote to keep our taxes at the present high rate aud
| 10 require their increase in future.
Why ahould the works mentioned be hurried 10
completion? We remember some years ago, seeing
statement in editorial OF The Enquirer" tina. "the
through travel no rail road In the world NOT even
on the Birmingham and Manchester road in England,
would sustain it." II was 1.-THE way travel that paid"
1t has also been said that "a rail road once completed
for fifty miles. has the power Of ityef of indefinite
tension" Ii these be fac!s, why many of the
works named, In suoh great need of "help" now
If the foregoing views bs correct "in the MAN," az
Mr.. Hunter would say, there should be no appropra
,ivns made 10 works Of internal Improvement in Yir
gua THE session. and, one of the tax payers Of the
State, protest against any 'Eerease of our taxes
but rather demand a reduction: SoUTH-WEsr.