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

records ths of the gentlemen, who are respor
sbe for its action. After enquiriug who we were
the gentleman, from the Journal, answers his ow
lntsrrogatory and choose to indulge in comments upo
what he takes to be our peculiar Internal Improve
nen procllvities. Our report according to his view
is not trust worthy because the gentlemen composin
The maj orty represent constituencies Interested il
Internal improvements and favor appropriations a
this session. The gentleman nmated that our re-
port was influenced by our interests. Nay, sir, h.
directly charged that, under such influences, made q
clay as We are, and subject to the frailties of poo
human nature We had submitted unfair and uncandt
estimates.
Mr.. JOHNSTON said that in the heat of debate HI
might have used stronger terms than he might hav
wished. lie had at the time disclaimed any offensv,
purpose. He meant to charge that gentlemen ha'
been influenced by their wish to accomplish thei
own policy.
Mr.. BARBOUR. am not commenting on tn,
remark OF the gentleman HI one personally offdn
sivei 1 said before Am satisfied with the gentle
mans disclaimer. But he did say that had, under
the influence of a strong desire to accomplish ou
own purposes, submitted unfair and uDcandiC
estimates. From the fact that the gentleman
made this charge, and at the same time accom-
panied It with a disclaimer Of purpose to impute
anything improper to us, as gentlemen, il fol
lows. as necessary coroary, that he does moi
regard as inconsistent with the character of gen
tsman to submit to this House, under the influence
OF stroDg desire to accomplish certain purposes
unfair and unoandid estimates. Mr.. Speaker this
is question of taste and personal propriey, which
every gentleman will settle for himself. | can only
say that the gentleman seems to entertain views very
abhorrent 10 my mind. Before would bring in un
fair and uncandid estimates 10 accomplish any pur-
pOse--before l would 90 upon the Committee OF FL
nance, charged by this House to bring to them true
statement of the financial condition of this Common.
wealth, and then bring in exhibit OF only much
Of the truth az would suit the purposes Of any par.
ticuar interest, would suffer my limbs to be severed
frnm mi hOlv. / q IN that | uapt
the majority of that committee when cay that
nounce the sentiment entertained by them all. The
gentleman from Harrison Mr.. JoHSsTOsl has a right
to entertain his own views Of gentenanly propriety
and TO ACT upon them. His imputslon upon the
maiority forces me to inquire, as | shall frequently
do, whether there may be any such desire on his part
TO accomplish certain purposes, according to his
own view, may Influence gentleman to submit un
candid estimates to this House. But first let me
follow the gentleman in his inquiry 80 emphacally
propounded: Who are the gentlemen of the major
tyl i am proud to meet the iIterrogatory. [ will
refer TO them in alphabetical order. There is the
gentleman from Richmond Mr.. ANDERSON, one of
the largest transacors Of business in the Common.
wealth-who performs more business within year
than enters the conception of the gentleman from
Harrison in a lifetime. There is the gentleman from
Monroe, who is detained from hs seat today BY
sickness, and OF whom may therefore speak without
iudelcacy, az possessing one OF ths best nteects in
our State-0f possessing powers as debater which
when exhibited upon this floor, have attracted the
general admiration Of the House-as occupying
position in this House and before tbs country to which
the gentleman from Harrison or any of his associates
might be proud to aspire. There ia the gentleman
from Greenbrier, DR.. CREIGH, whose services in
boh branches Of the General Assembly has made
his fine intelligence familiar to so many gentlemen
here. There 10 the gentleman from Louisa, Mr.. Hun
TER, who, though new member, has spent his life
in public employments elsewhere; and whose quai-
cations for this particular task were conceded by the
apfla fram Ilaryi 10 tho
from Norfolk, DIR. MALLORY whose long service
in the State and Federal councils attesls the high es
timaton in which he ia held at home. There ia the
gentleman from Henry, Mr.. MARTIs.I whose we'll
established reputation sufficient TO protect him
alone from the gentem8ns illusions. There is nv
venerable friend from Rockingham. IMr. MARrz,1
whose great experience in public affairs, and whose
long connection with this very Committee of FL
nance, over which he formerly presided entte him
Ia peculiar consideration. We are all to be diacre
dted, because entertain views friendly to the
internal improvements of the State. and because our
locations with regard to some of the internal i'm
provemeD interests are such, enable possess
strong interest, and peculiar information on come
OF the subjects which We had to investigate. The
gentleman's beau ideal Of finance committee would
have il constituted of who should have the least
knowledge aud the least possible interest to acquire
knowledge, in reference to the great material in.
forests which our action il to affect.
Mr.. SPEAKER, will now turn to The other eide the
ia composed For some Of these gentlemen enter
tain warm personal friendship and towards nons Of
them have l unknd feelings. Five of them have
trusted their report to its own merits. shall only
examine the pretansions Of the two gentlemen from
IIarriaon and Stafford iMessrs. JOHNSTON and SED.
DoS) who have invited closer scrutiny, by The as.
sumng tone in which they have conducted this dis
cussion. The gentleman from Harrison has under
taken to lecture US on the faiiies of human nature
and to remind Us that We were made of clay. Did
a., nif ho
ty above the railties of human nature or were
constituted OF any purer brighter clay than that whose
nfrmties were imputed to usf When heard gen.
tlsmen talking sanctimonousy about the frsities Of
human nature was forcibly reminded Of the para.
BILE Of the Pharisee praying in the Temple and
thanking God that he not as other men, or even
the poor publican. choose to look beyond these
strange pretensions OF the gentlemen. When have
examined the whole transaction, | have about as
little regard for The professions Of superior candor
the part Of the gentlemen Sir Peter Teazle had for
the sentiments of Joseph Surface after he found his
wife behind the screen in his chamber.
Mr.. SPEARER.-The peculiar views announced by
the gentleman from HARRISON in reference TO the in
the candor and fairness Of their financial estimates,
require me 10 examine what are his purposes and
policy. The policy Of that gentleman is just now in
transition state. He has, heretofore, besn inter-
nal improvement man-he announces that he will be
hereafter. on much larger scale. The able gen.
tlsman from Monongalis, Mr. DAvIs,) in the course
of his interesting remarks the other day stated that
there were fourteen public improvements in the coun
ty Of HARRISON constructed wholly or in part by the
State He ssid, that from the court house door, at
Clnrksburg you could the turnpikes divergDg in
different directions. While his constituents were
seeking those appropriations, the gentleman WAS q
known friend Of the internal Improvement interest
During this period the gentleman was Auditor; and
encountered Mr.. GoopE, of Mecklenburg, the Audi
tor Of Public Accounts furnished with many Of the
weapons which we employed in that contest7-but now
be is fed full with turnpikes-there s room for any
more in Harrison. lie is preparing for system Of rail.
road appropriations in bis section. His echemes are
not yet ready and the present condition of the State
treasury will not Justify the enormous appropriations
required to accomplish the purposes of the gentle
man. Hence he now calls for 4" breathing spell, 7"
as he calls it. He joins the antinternal improve.
ment party, but boldly tells them that he co.ope
rates only for a short " breathing epel." He
Gays, that of thirty millions invested in public
improv emenis, bis secton has had but mere trhe,
and that large amount OF money must he appropri.
ated to hs section in order to do Justice He distinct
ly and unequvocaly announces that he will not con
sent to arrest the system Of appropriations at its pre-
sent point He only operates with his antinernal'
Improvement friends for the purpose OF temporarily
arresing appropriations, until the Treasury can be
again restored TO condition, when such appr0pri-
atoms be made will enable him TO obtain the
enormous expenditure for his own section, which he
thinks past Injustice entities them to demand. II
he can make this Legislature withhold all appropri
ations for the present, he will have the existing rail-
road interests in proper condition for log rolling at the
next session Of the General Assembly All the appro.
pra,ions now asked for the railroads. amount TO about
Two millions and half. He will use the anti internal
improvement party, now temporarily TO defeat these
appropriations and in the next General Assembly he
will those seeking these appropriations, to
secure Eve or ten millions for new schemes to be ma
tured during the "breathing spell'' which he urges
And where are these railroad ,ystems to termi
nate1 The gentleman charges me with being under
the Alexandria influence, because live a railroad
which lends to AleIandris. Sir, the gentleman, lives
on ths North. western Railroad leading to Baltimore
and by his rule he ia under Baltimore influence
Am at fault in supposing that these enormous eI
pendtures which be expects in the future from your
State Treasury contemplated for railroad improve
ments leading TO Baltimore and competing with the
line by which Virginia, at vast sacriAce is seeking
to extend to he valley Of the Ohio Is there nothing
ia tbese significant developemens to awaken the ap
prehensons OF The gentleman from Stafford mr.. SEQ
DON and the gentlsnanfrom Goochand Mr.. RUrHER