Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-04-03
this day, said, that it is inhumane to relieve
the more athuent from the burdens of the 90
vernment, and impose them on the more indi.
nr n,

the land that produces them is taxed: If so,
the same reason forbi,lS The taxation of the
annual uccretiun Of cattle and other animals
The sud OF the pasture or the meadow is per
mancnt growth Of the sofia part Of the land
it>rl-ayl rs such is taxed. Land in sod, pro-
Gllcin. grass suitable for grazing or cutting.
and curing and luttcning cattle, is worth, and
assessed generally, presume, at from 81 10 So
per acre more than the like land not il sod
Thus, in the pastoral districts, the very roots
OF the .raSs that nourish and fatten the cattle
arr taxed. Are grain aud tobacco exempted
because the policy Of the country requires the
encouragement Of agricultural pursuits? lfSo,
this reason applies not more strongly to the
cultivation OF these commodities than to the
rearing vf cattle, sheep and hogs If it he
;,ulit: To stimulate the culture IF grain and
tobacco, where the soil and surface are suited
to spc purpose, and there is Il market for their
sale, surely it is equally polite to stimulate the
raising of cattle and other aniumlS-eSpecially
where grain and tob:cco cannot be produced
and Suld.
Il! then, i. be right in itself, TO exempt from
taxation negroes under - years of agc. and
grain and tobacco and ether agricultural pro-
duets, it is equally right in itself to exempt
Young animals, and the annual increase OF
others kept for improvement. If this be not
ri.ht in itself, then, inaSlnuch as the former
are exrluptrd the latter should also be cx-
enptcd, in order, lis fur As may be, td'fc!icve
those who are diSprGportionately taxed, and
cInaizs taxation among planters. grazers and
all classes Of agriculturaSts.
The existing law cnureS to the benefit Of
those who already have most advantages,
natural and supplied by the State. and to the
detrmcnt Of such rs have not these advan-
tagcs One citizen resides OH the fertile bor-
der of Il navigablc stream. and can produce and
take to market grain and tobacco. Him you re-
ierc from taxation. Another is locked up in
the businesses Of the mountains, where the
plough may not be lsed-whcnce such cpm-
m0diticS. If they could be produced, could not
he transported and is therefore left to the rear.
in. and i;,ttcning Of CATTLE which he may take
en- foot to place of sale Him You tax 10 the
utmost Nay, more: You levy taxes on the
penplc, and with these make railroads and
cannlS into one section, and enable th8fnhabi-
tants to take their products to market. and so,
1T tue public cost, enable them proiitably to
grow and sell grain and tobacco, while you
can not, or will not, extend the same advan-
tugrS to others, who must therefore Craze and
feed; and you mcasurahly relieve the former
from payment, while you compel the latter TO
contribute beyond their proportionatc part. ':ic
very money that is expended principally for
the benefit Of their more favored fellow. citizens.
And here should remark, thai those VINO
suffer most from the causes have mentioned
who III proportion 10 ieir means, contri-
butte most 10 the common fund; in the diStri-
button Of that fund receive but small amount
compared with what they contribute to It's nc.
cumulatiou The district OIL and North Of the
Little kunawha rivcr-conSistng OF twenty
lwn countics-cach OF which is entirely beyond
the reach of any considerable benefit derived
from any railroad Or canal constructed in whole
or in part at the expense o(lhe Commonwealth
according toan estimate which am sure approx
imqleS correctness, receives, OF the sums which
lave been appropriated To purposes Of internal
Improvement, only about ono. third part OF the
ununt which the sa.IIc district pays on that
account.
Aud now, in conclusion, let me remind gen.
tlrmen that though we OF the Nurth.M est are
50 situated that we cannot hOll slaves in any
considerable numbers; and though that proper
tv--iilc ians' expensive 10 the government
Is in Il .yrv .;.,t ,ir.rrr relieved from taxes,
nrl tic staple products of most OF those who
uwn item arc entirely cXnncratcd, and the
amount To hc paid by us is thereby great en-
hanc |, and the burdens cf the government
rendered. to lis, OncrouS in the extreme; and
though in the expenditures Of the common
:nyenac. we have been denied our proportion
ate part; vet these manifest inequalities
grierous expressions, have not severed
the attachment Of the people Of my
section, to that favored property which
others principally possess, or estrang'
ri their fratcrnal regard for their ielow-c,lzr'lS
who cuiny the advantages and lmmunltles
to which I have referred. Though our eco
nolnica interests may he different, our social,
moral and political fortunes are the same; and
in the absence of material interest, the people
nt NV section, with the more exalted pride,
have, in the day of prosperity and in the hour
Of peril, been ever ready TO share one common
destiny with those whom. though separated
from them by mountain barriers, they delight
to call their icllowcnuntrymen.
IL is not solely or principally because Of Its
prcrlni:ry Importance, that we so earnestly
seek this partial redress. The entire tax on
all animals, young or old, cannot be very large.
The exemptions which propose arc inconside-
rabc in amount. In these, however, is involved
matter ofhisher consideration than mere money.
II is the sacred principle of equality that we
would restore. The reckless continuation OF eX-
isting offensive determinations between people
of different scctonS-nav between nclSlibors >ldc
by side, engaged in scarcely different pursuits
iuust necessarily tend TO produce in1uietnde
and rngcndcr hScnntent and may ultimately
alirratc that good feeling which prevails, and
should ever be promoted and cherished i'll
all sections Of the country and AMONG all classes
Of the people The affection of two hundred
and hity thousand warr brave hearts. that
beat among the mountains where dwell. is u
palladim that should not Sacrcgi0nSlv be bro.
ken. The sturdy arms and rea'!v hands found
among lis many free leoplc arc defence that
should not he inconSi'!cratclv turned away.
WIle We uf the Vest have wearv borne
the burden tina, has been lrape,l upon lis, We
have confidently expected that whenever the
occasion should happen, and wc should frankly
and fully expose our grievances to our country
men, and suggest practicable remedy, that
such redress as mi ght DC had would not he
Withheld. That OCCASION has now happened.
That suggestion has nnw been made. The time
Tor redress is now come. And feel assured
that this Assembly Of the representatives OF
the people of Virginia will not hesitate TO OBJ
ltc.ate ,hr inyliou> distinctions that aggricve
and orlrr<s 50 many Of her citizens, and re-
store equality To Il patriotic people
la reply to NIr. CoLLIEg--
Mr. liorruAH said: We have no means at
hand to ascertain the number of cattle or Of
<llccp or Of hogs in any section Of tic State, Or
the value Of all or either class Of these animals,
or thu amount I'll taxes paid by all "r either.
Inr statistics Of the gentleman from Peters
bu..-extrac.cd from the Auditors report
aGiH,l no information on either Of these mate
raj questions They exhibit the number Of
ca,tle. >hecp an'! hogs, IN tie "ygrfqate, in
tI.rrc eastern and two trans .illcghany counties
not the number Of either class separately, or
the value or amount Of tax which they yield
when We remember tla! the cattle which are
principal caSs Of these animals
arc worth in the average probably at least ten
times as mnch per head as the sheep OF hugs
which are taxed, ii is manifest that the mere
statement of the ogyregate number Of these