Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-03-16
Speech OF Charles F. Collier, ESQ,

ltlIS oli SSi'S
| Mr.. COLLIER said:
Mr.. Speaker: The bill under discussion III
wolves questions Of the gravest and most coul
,rchrnS,ye character. 1t proposes a state po
iicy winch. if adopted, will radically anect I'LL
,aSt co,n.nrrcial interests OF Virginia. The State
tn n Graf extent, is dependent upon i proSperou:
c,n,.,,.,cc As her ultimately inter
,rnven with ali her leading interests, extcndS IL
r.,ch 90 her agriculture and manufactures IN
corresponding degree become developed. ANT
thus. at a glance, will be perceived the ineSo
rable necessity and propriety, for the cautious
consideration, on the part Of this Legislature
Of Il measure SO ritaily involving the vast III
rcreSts Of this ancient and vcacratcd Coh'
monweaith.
But, brsldcs the question Of. State policy
there is, as it were, q national policy iharAc'
out in this bill-a policy of 4 sovereignty 0
an independent power, regulating It's relations
with other nations, sorcrclsntleS, lnurle"nS"
powers. IL.
l, is claimed, that the State policy, as lndlcs
ted and urged by the patron Of THIS h''. VII
build up Virginia, strengthen the arms 81 he'
greatness, dix deep and lay hread tn
foundations of her commercial prosperity AIT
render her Seicreiiant, s,ltdepcmdrlt, SEcAt II
and great in mann!acturrs-"ii
make prosperous her mechanic arts an" eneo"
rage, in the new Field o! labor to be opened up
her mechanicS-a class vino Constitute, AL 't'
wo,l! over, one Of the great elements 81 i ia
lions wealth.
Bat. s,aucwhl: strange TO be ohScTye'. Jan"
If otherwise | nave rot yet rcInaiKeu II II NY
rcadins.l such Il policy, undrrany contingency
of circumstances, was never, i'll the WISER oals
Of Virg;nia'S history, suggested ny any VI "c'
i!luStrIouS and eminent statesmen.
Neither her WaShington-he %ho eihohdlce
in lisawn person ali the attributes OF states
man, patriot, hero, snge; nor her Jefferson INC
illus;rious author Of the Declaration Vi lnn.
! pendeucc. the sagaciouS statesman aud ctllllen'
State rights politician; nor the wise ana lar
seeing Madison, whose writings form one q
the purrst fountains Ct political knowlrd5e
ever, OIL u,,y occasina. suggested such 4 line o.
State policy Us indicated 10y the provisions o.
this bill. Bu; to the present day and genera
tiDn is rescrscd the privilege Of suggesting inns
system, and. if iiausuratcd, TO this ehetai As
scmliy will belong all the l~atcrnai PRIDE oi re-
cosnizing this system ~ its o%a un9ucStl"i'c'
offspring.
The rational policy Of this Hill is vindicatec
upon the ground, the cNirrinc ground oil retail
alio, upon the North for tue grlcvous wrong
and iniui les inflicted upon the South; and' III
the same time, it is commended as a measure
p~crfrrtlv consistent with the Constitution o.
the United States, and the peaceful relations o.
the confederate States under that Constitutional
History teaches us (and h. vino has read his
tory and learned not this lesson has read TO lit
tie advantage that i'll almost every instance
where the cxpcdicnt Of retaiiainry legislation
has been ~rcsortcl to by nations. whose strength
is nearly equal. it has ultimately resulted IN
war. With this view Of the bili-iookInS toit
as %iuauguraling a policy Inconsistent wilh
good fellowship, subvrrSive Of the rights OF Tue
States, and destructive Of their #inlcatic rcia'
tons us designed 10y their constitutional! union
! am constrained TO raise my voice III oIp"'
>ition to the measure proposed. But, not toan'
ticipatc what will, in another part OF my arSu'
mcnt, DC more appropriate, | pause on lhiS
branch Of the subject.
\ shor, time Siuce, the gentleman from Cal
pepcr, (Mr. BARBOUR rs the Chairman OF The
Committee on Finance. oFcned th'S dlScuSSi"n.
and gave q full expnSe al his views OF tins bill,
rs TO its design and its effect upon Virginia
and the Northern States. The gentleman dis
cussed this question with signal ingenuity and
ability, and cvinccd in his argument a depth OF
research and reelection worthy Of himself and
worthy Of the comprehensive character oi tint
moncntouS ~QtrStiun itselE. lis ARGUMENT WAS,
yrr the most part. specifically addressed to The
question now unCcr consideration, and It Is to
that question I propose 10 address my rcrnaikS
br way Of replication TO him.
This bill provides bounty to The mercnan!
- E.. L. ,,S.11, ...l.. tl,n spIns
made to the nonresident merchants wt" rt'r'
chase their supplies within this State and II
also provides protection 10 our own manu-
f,cturerS and our OWN importers by leTyInG ;
license tau upon any and every article brought
into this State from any Of the non.slarcholdinG
States.
1t has been said, that knowledge obtained 10y
experience, is most worthy to be soush; after,
and its teachings respectcd-aud that interest
is the main spring to human action. II thi'
be 81. and if they who should have most know
lel.c upon this subject, and tie deepest IN
tc:est in it, the mercantile classes Of the State,
are opposed 10 this mca-ulc, rs C .lc;Ilated IL
break up trade and force them frcm tie State,
[ ask is it not wisdom TO pause and ponder
well, before VIC enact 4 law SO bancFil III IL
effects as tic merchants Of Virginia a(lesc This
will be-:
As evidence Of what | say, pcriri. inc It
read an extract from Z letter !rOin an Intelligent
merchant Of one Of our ciiirs. He says: Such
legislation ut this time will break d"wa The
mercantile interests Of oar State, and force ON
merchants to 90 where they can do business
untrammelcd by such a law ~ this bill sets ioril';
and at the same time the law will not rDcct TIT
objcc. in view" And this sentiment IS endorsed
BIZ the entire class Of merchants in one oi our
largest cities.
Our merchants arc citizens Of Virginia, by
birth or adoption, having n common interest
with ms, ard entertaining a common detesta'
ton for the unScrnpuiouS and demonstrations
legislation Of the free States, director at Or
rights Of properly. Promote, by legislation,
the interests Of Tie mercantile community, en-
courage free aad unrcS,raincl trade. cherish
and YOU will thereby foster in your
midst agriculture. manufactures and the me-
chauic arts. Commerce and agriculture are
twin SislcrS-thc hand maids OF civiliZatinn.--
Cripple or hamper the one, the other fades
and ianguishcs. E.erlv in the present session
Of the General Assembly. | felt as If Il mex and
genial light had Shed its brrclircnt radiance
INTO The minds of members. and that 4 new era
was Gawning, in which the mercantile interests
were to be loStercd, and our coln;nercial com
munirr put on a footing Ct successful c"inpeti'
ton with the North. But, alas. Mr.. Speaker,
all my hopes and expectations have been blast
ed, and the scycreSt blow is now sought to he
inflicted by thus bill, which could b. dealt
against that interest.
Innovations upon established customs arc
cmincntly hazardous, anil the experience OF