Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-09

bs 50 obsconabo. It's true the privilege OF catch
inp or taking Oyster. y confined 10 the cilztis VI
III State But it is equally true that theSs cz'' ~
b. for. they can enjoy The privilege are required l"
pay tax probably not less than % 4O TO tue clerk {"
the county or the commander OF revenue cutter.
And it il the same whether he desires them LOT har
ket" or to "plant." This may be regarded oy some
| nuite 4 reasonable tax. But when consider the
ynue of the uysie caught will not average to the ndl-
ytual lahorer more than $500 per annun, and by an
application Of the properly tax would oe out
we then perceive the injustice and lnpqua't.y vi ne
tax. Besides there are many persons owning lanos
contiguous to rivers aud creeks who are engaged In
| the oyster trade and which are valued twenty nVe
Der cent higher than lands having an inland location
so that according 10 his EXelencys scheme, many
of our citizens will be required to pay tax Of twenty
FIVE per cent. for their convenience TO Inc Jnnaam
tax of not less than S. ~ per ton and fractions OF
ton Tor license to take the oysters and tax OF
cents per bushe for the privilege OF carrying them to
market. Hence three fold tax will be imposed Tor
I the enjoyment of q privilege which mas ever oeen
held in common aud free the waters themselves
For there is no discrimination proposed between non
residents and citizens of Virginia who are engaged In
the transportation of oystersto market.
| Now, suppose, for the sake OF the argument, that
this ia all true as to the modus operandt to which the
! writer objects is THE good reason why he should
deem any scheme impracticable Would 1t not be
far better that the gentleman Should tax his own
ingenuity to devise more equal and just system Of
taxation 7 Any suggestions from hum would De
doubtless well considered by the committeeman if he
be an out slider. But as northampton has declined
to suggest any better plan will try TO do so-out
purpose being if possible TO obvate hls objections
and secure his support to the measure. suppose
then that we forbid the shipment of oysters from our
waters in those seasons Of the year when they can be
planted in Northern waters, and require all planting
10 be done in the limits of Virginia. Suppose you
allow dredging in Ill waters over ~ feel deep, then
suppose you tax the dredging and tax the planting
grounds Or rather rent out the planting grounds and
thus secure your revenues then no oysters would 90
cape taxation but the few 6t for consumption when
caught,an be used in Vrgnia-this would impose no
tax on the tongers. and the dredgers would be manly
Yankees, until Virginia shipping could be built up;
aud to that end We would allow no boat, ship or wa
ter craft raise transport oysters after four years
which was not built and owned in Virginia: and would
this operate oppressivsy, or be double taxalion1
Them again, if the adjacent land holder is taxed too
high at present assessment, aud don't increase the
value of the land by lining TO the present assessed
valuation, let il be reduced.
| But, again, says MIR. Northampton:
but it is said that four ffhs OF eonnage employed
in the trade owned by non.residens La not, then
quite facility for them TO combine and give three
cents less per bushell And will not the humble and
poorer glasses tfor II ia those who chiefly supply
themD be compelled to accept III They are not 60
independently situated to be able to resist str'ke
I of this kind, Many of them are indebted to the
oyster banks for their daily Dividends. With them il
| s money or bread"
How long, Mr.. Editor, could this strike lastl There
but few good oysters out side of the Virginia and
Maryland waters; Maryland It is true has a great
many oysters, but few Of them indeed are the perfect
No. oysters; nine tenths of them are Too fresh and
when canned by themselves must be sold as NO.
and No. 4.
Then, let the oyster dealers make strike on the
Virginians, and what will be the RESULT The very
few perfect oyster beds, where the good salt water
oyster is found in Maryland, will be the field OF Ia
bor for all the Yankees, Maryanders and Virginia
dealers, who disposed TO join in the strike, and
| Al. md ha mi
destroyed unless Maryland speedily interposea-
Maryland then, herself, would have to come TO us Tor
our good oysters to sell her indifferent Ones Then
| who, let mo ask you, would get the best oil THIS
| strikel Whilst all Oysterdom ware raklng the No. l
beds of Maryland our oysters would be growing up
upon the rocks and fattenng on the planting grounds
Our tonger might have to wait for season; but then,
in land of such uubounded sympathy, he would not
be permitted to suffer- and when old Maryland hne
beds were exhausted she had determined to arrest
| the Yankee in his wild career, the Virginia oyster
man, with his planting grounds full OF attened oys-
| ters, and his pocket full Of rocks would be able TO
retsate fsariuIly upon the fsnkee-Mr. e" North
| amptOn' says:
rhe result then, Is, if the Governors estimates are
correct which greatly exsggersted that $4sU OoO
| will be realized from about fifteen counties in the
Commonwealth, and principally from me poorer
| glasses OF the community In other words, near
fourth of the entire property tax OF the state
! be imposed upon lew tide-water counties. had
supposed that it quite sufficient that Eastern Fir
| gina should pay nearly two.thlrds OF tue revenue
into the treasury, without being called upon to raise
an independent revenue, which has no corresponding
subject of taxation 10 the West.
Northampton and his friends are hard to please
Why gentlemen, do the East pay more taxes than the
Westl Is il not because the people Of that section
are better of You make fearful cry against tax
ing the poor man; and, it you will not allow us
to collect taxes from rich sections what are we to do
II neither poverty wealth is TO pay tax, we VIII
have some trouble in raising a revenue You com
| nj hat ia a
there ought to be some corresponding taxation IN the
West.
Let us see fthere is not already corresponding
ject OF taxation in the West. To what use do you Pn
the oyster! Does not bis flesh make You meat and hi'
shell make you ime7 1t your meat, therefore, thai
you mainly tax. And is not the meat OF the West tax
edl The calf is taIed-at yearling he ia taxed-a
two years old he is taxed-at three years old ne
,axed-at four years old he is tsIed-at five years
old he ia taxed Yea, when he dies you tax his SKIN
And If he lives You tax him again. Here the West
ern man pays five taxes On his meat, and IS taxeo
again upon the leather made from the back oil the
stear; aud this too on property which he has bough
and raised. Ia it then hardship for an eastern gen
tlensn to pay taxes The meat given to him o>
the Commonwealth Mr.. "Northampton" continues
at may be ssii the proposition originated with al
Eastern man. But when we consider his position u
the last Reform Convention and his more recent pc
stons, we justified 10 concluding that his sympa
thes are not always manifested in favor OF bis owl
section"
i
the wallet Tho Governor will not CLAM he knows nc
section and ia therefore to he held up az an nhdel
bis own section He went for the white baais; there
| fore measure that he recommends is to receive
fair and favorable consideration. Come, let US Kill
the hen, and the inheritance shall be ours. 1Ou say
| But agan-the Legislature cannot pass q oil OIL
the character alluded 10, without repeating those law
regulating waste and unsppropriated lands, Whlcf
declare that all uuappropriared lands on the Day
the Chesapeake the shore, or Oh the shores o
rivers or creeks, and all beds Of rivers and creeks
| which remained ungrantsd by the former govern
ment, and which have been used az common TO al
| the people Of this State, shall continue to be suct
common SO that not only those beautiful islets IL
the are free for the recreation and enjoyment
all, their own pillows, but the 6cds.of raver
and creeks are commanded to BIZ held as a common
for the benefit Of the people of this State This ac
Of assembly has venerable existence OF seventy
eight years- has been enacted, re enacted and codi
fed, but has thus far escaped mutlation. Will any
ruthless hand OF legislation dare now touch its prma
| ry clausel'
Well, my dear sir, IL that law has been codyfed,
admit there is no such thing as resisting It, Rnthles
would be the hand indeed that would touch c0dhec
law. Such law will be regarded by all as next do0
neghbor to the higher law. But let us just here Ell
qure, Of Mr.. Northampton" what was the purpose
of this venerable codied statute Was 10 deprive
! Virginia, through all time, from raising revenue
from these lands, or was it to prevent them from
being acquired and used as private properly i
and who, ask you, has been violating the spirit
this ancient, time honored and codifled law but you
eloquent gentlemen, who take your recreation and
enjoyment those beautiful isets OF tho sea, anc
ride upon the ocean's bow1
BY virtue Of your possessions, on the adjacent shore
you have exercised coutrol over those beds referred to
and deprived the poor longer of using them to plant
his oystersthat poor laborer that possessed quite
as good right as yourself-a right derived and se
cured by this venerated saiute-thsrefore, bona
fde, codfed rigbt-a right that should stand agaus
the world. FusDuM-
For the Enquirer.
OYSTER FUNDUM.