Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-15

nance b. striking na: the second paragraph
thereof, nnd inserting the following:
"ETery slave shall be assessed with a tax
equal to, and not exceeding that assessed On
land uf the value of threc hundred dollars. -
Mr. CHAMaL1ss.- hnva ctforcd that amend
nent ~ svn.o compromise uf this question Of
taxatioa upsn slave property. It may be that
this tax which may be imposed upon slave
property, under that amendment will exceed
a.. u! vnlorsm rate Of taxation. But tina! is
not the QUESTION which | wish to carry out
We are perfectly willing, and expect to pay
more la&.a on siaTes lhaa We have heretofore
II is nothing but right that no should do so
1t is propar that We should contribute more
than we havn heretofore d3ro in taxation upon
this species II! property. Now. all | 1rsire is,
that there shall be Limitation upon the vain.
a!i"n Of slave property. If you strike out the
Limitation in value, then our slave property il
to b. valued. not '.cc,riag to its local value, but
lis eaine in Southero States. You cannst value
land liz .hat say. Laari is valued according
70 ia loca! vaua:i.a. Tho la1d in Western
HirI,na, Is rat va!uai Is it is in other locall-
:ioa. Lind there worth St0 an acre would be
--or j so AZ ac-n on ths ssabJa. SO with
: agfoes Taey nc,lid be worth pucn morn in
,fe Sou:h thru hare: Il you ia2 .ccordng to
the amendment Of ray friend from Halifax all
over l2 years ct tie rate Of $500 and under l2
at the rate of f251-it makes the average
value 1929. There ere a. present in the Stale
210, 600 Slaves urder l2 years Of age, and est.
maed upon the basis Of my proposition, this
number would yield At the sum Of $500 900
nanu.liy, ut lbs prescn: rate Of taxation. |
don't know whAt tho people in Eastern Vir-
snia think I d,r't know What M c?nstitn-
en:o think ahou: this question. heard from
some Il my constituents to-day, and they un'
dprsta1d ere fayorabu to All increase oftn1aton
upon s'avo property. s, far as | an con-
crrnct. an willing 70 pay The additional tax;
and t i:ak- it for granted, The feeling through.
on, tir s'.veholdiCs portion OF Virginia is IA
vurabb 70 Ill inerr'lSc Uf the tax upon slave
property.
Yuu have in the enrndmen! which I offer,
the very probation in the matter Of valuation
TINT so neel gnG rrn:s:,her * The las: Con.
ventiol hen that amendment was introduced
bY oi:. uf my colleagues, ;ha. the question WAS
tbs. We GuRrch to fix The ralUatioR Gt slave
property 50 thst !! may no! pc changed b. 'he
fu:t'u'ins prices
Mr GoaGiS.--I don't in;..r, 10 denim the
Cnnvtn'ion with any Isng'hy ;o;narks upon
this rnhi.ct It is onr &C these questions in
rrGsrG 10 which, III gTcrr "oie that has been
tnken unun l., have tsken Inc position which
I inteld T., occupy now in he ansl vote Upon it.
As wls very wei! said by my friend from
Franklin. Or. EARLY II .h;s principle is right
in i'sch. IN! M rpr?pi is made now to do justice
in ref-..rcc ID It u:.,i No .nrIe think it becomes
tn;s Convention 20 &C: upon it nov. II i: he
right ihl' .h;- concass!nn should be made by the
e Il. 20 the Nr.., il shonld oe made not in yiew
of any .,riicu!a: artion OH tho part of some
m.g!o::s from lie N1rihwes: on the question
ri secsSs;nn or any other question; not in
y.w ci the crisis which gentlemen say is upon
u; I.u! because j. is right which has been
:.i:h;.!i fr;;n the West, te which the West is
entitled ~.
lam r.:a.ulel by ;'lc scn'lcn7n from Grcrnes-
Vile, (Mr. CHAMnLIss in hi- remarks with
rtCr-cEcc 10 the relativc value Of Slaves here
ard i:. trc South, That one thing d! which the
least c;.inIi::grt IN connection with this SUB
ject il, 'ha. 2 large portion Of the capital OF
Western me-, is invested in nnprofiabie land
wh:c', carrot hr removed to Tie market OF the
South, a5 the slave q.
Many innn in the Vest ere POSSESSED OF in.
mense tracts OF !and of thirty or forty THOUSAND
acrcs, upon 8hich af, rli!a or cultivated .pjt Is
10 be- 'ou q, very remote intervals. and their
lands ar:. au.ct ~ taxation year after year. /!
that be 81. should .:!iTk the shareholder, who
has profitable rarhet a. ang timo to which
to serd MS slave, nis no right to seek exemp-
ton from charge to whicn the less fortunate
man in the West who Happens to in"est mis-
money in urprsi.ab!e land is mad subject
say it is hu. right, if that Western mans
land. which IL Cannot nraks valuable for any
purpose whn,cvcT. i. to be taxed, that this
species nf properly in which Eastern men have
invested their capita! and 10 more advantage
than the Western ,nan has arrested his, should
he subject 10 its du" proportion Of revenue FOR
the supper: o! tie Government
But, sir this ar=umcn! applies more iorcbly
still, in REV Of the present state Of The coun.
try, AID the reed which exists for the means
10 mes. tai, terrible emergency which is Upon
us. VS. ale npw, sir, without the necessary
ucaos to csr:c cm a var. lfis should BE- "aged
for .rti Of two or five or ten years, as t
may ;, | a:k iii. is not right now thee We
shnul,. iay ;ne foundation Of system Of reye'
nue. from which We may derive the means to
defend ourselves and u put rho State in pro
per condition of defence for all future time
We cannot possibly duins the issue otthis con
&c. which is now upon the country, and II
therefore becomes u5 as Il body assembled
hera 10 see after the security .! our people,
and p7oride ior lhelr lefenre in nnT emergen
cy that NAV arise; s5d with that Wow, VI
should provide some basis OF taxation com
lnvDsurate with the needs which the !mpGnd
ing Conflict must create.
should De unwilling ~ sia7e&olier to si
down and say that ! hare withheld from any
portion Of the people uf IEis Commonwealth
one Of lhr means which Tas necessary to place
u. ~ Q situation in which we could defend our
selves no; only against Our aeighbora, but the
whole world.
do not stand here 10 cast any imputatioT
upon aay MN but sand here to say in be
hoif Of one l'ier'; whom md in this Conven
toni rr'er to the gentleman from Kanawhs
(Mr. SUMMERS )-iha. he has not left this Con
ventiun fur The purpoan Of avoiding any re
sJonsibility that might attach to him as :
member Of il! know, from sources which il
is not necessary 70 tell hero, that circumstances
b-yoad his control made il necessary for him
to return 10 hs home. ETery member here
knoTs The fac. that he WIS member OF tht
Peace Conference at Washington long before
this Convention met ard was, therefore, en-
gagged in the discharge Of duties connected with
t!s State, sotne weeks in advance Of any mem
Der Of t;is body, s1ve my friend from Charl::
City lex President TrLE., who sits before ne
I knew that the gentleman from kanawh:
(Mr. SrSNExs.) snrinks from 20 responsibility
tias beupg, to him. believe that every rnsr
w.':!in The scund o' M Voice, every man whose
Appropriateness st lens; haze made, aud tha
comprises reariy the whole body. has en;ea7.
orsd 10 discharge his duty - his God and BIZ
country. gentlemen aa"o not seen lmPor
tanG subj ,c.a here rs have seen them, il is 20
for Tue ~ rcproach them. do no: intend tt
do SO, ard. trust that ihct perfect Freedom o.
n2in'on in which we d=li.h: to pride ourselves
~;l be srsui.t 20 nil wn3 faay chonse to d!he
from Us.
shall ynts a:sins. tie s,Grndment Of th
gentls:l III ::o:r Greaaes7ills Or. CHAxsLIss