Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-04-09
wealth: Why sloila there be any suc!I

dlStinctiOns
| Why is it that tile property, the entire
property, of this class Of our population
should be taxed, while the man most able
to Phy taxes. whose property consists in
s'aEes, should have q, very considerable
portion OF his property wholly exempt from
TUEsDAx, APniL
Mr., WILEY, il Convention resumed as
regret, Ar. President, that we have 10
press within, the short limits of time allow
ell rs under the-rpleS Of the House. the
discussion of Il subject 90 important a $ the
subject of taxation. Tie time will not
admit OF an argumtnt; ii will hardly allow
astNtement of tue case to he made.
Know, sir, that4vSegre- occupied with nm.
other subject OF trFni eendent i'm poriuurc.
ne hre seeking TO preserve the integrity of
the Union. But, <Slr. let mo assure YOU
tl1t INIT In my tumble Estimation, the prinri.
| PIE Involved in the diseussion of the reso-
iuuons now before tko Convention involves
the integrity of the State. When i was
i arrested IN my remAfHs the other d;,y, If [
! remember Alright, ] was endeavoring to
snow the unequal operation of the prfnci-
4 pie OF taxation asl now ,fecagnized and
provided in the OfgeRicaiAw I was at-
tempting 10 illustrate 1t q Iisrefercuec toiin-!l
/ dividunls. was Protesting against the
| allegation urged by she opponents of this
measure that it Wis sitsply sectional
question, that it WAY esse6tialIy a Western
question as contra-djsfn CE,og,-.t .tlle
1 whole State. gaItlSlT
have, since thai time. Mr.. President
! been looking littlesinto facts and figures:
and propose now, With your leave, 10 ni!-
! vert briefly to tewsfarts which viii settle
the question in thissrespect, in my estimn-
ton ] pr test asntn Ggninst the argument
lot gentleman that this is either a sectionnr
! question: or thatitis confined in it's scope
TO the NORTHWESTERN pnrt of the State.
aver that it is Almntter in which NIL the
citizens of the State are interested. How
Is II j was making some enquiries of the
Auditor Of Publir Accounts, the other
day, nndsl ascertain from him two facts
ascertain from him that the whole num-
Der OF Taxpayers III the Commonwealth of
NlsginiH nt this time, WINS, round numbers.
100000. ulsn.nscertain from him thar
the number of shareholders in Virginia. in
round numhers, vas 81 900. Thus making
/ lS3, 900 non-slayShOlding Taxpayers, aud
%, 900 slaveholding tax payers in tho whole
! State.
Well, sir, in looking into the able and
interesting report of the Auditor for 1859.
! ind that tue number of slnves west of
tue Blue Ridgeis about sc, 900, or about
zone eighth OF the whole number of slaves
IN the commonwealth. It is fair to sup
/ pose, therefore, thar oue-eighth of the
slaHeholderS live west of the Blue Ridge.
J II Is not hardly fair to suppose so. bernIise
/ the number of slsveholdcrs in propor,ion
to the numbef OF slaves owned Is mucli
greater west Chan it is east OF the Blue
/ Ridge. Dsd4eting one-eighIh from the
E64, COO YOU leave 47,0OO slave owners east.
of the Blue Ri5ge. =
Now Sir, have looked into the Audi
tors report to ascertain another iact, aud I
am sorry that there are no data for the
Years !SOn OF lS6oi from which we could
infer tue number of slave owners Il mean
the number of tax-Payers) east of the
Blue Ridge; but did find that the num-
Der OF taxpayers, according to the Audi
tors report in 1851, living east of the
7 Blue Ridge was inrOuud numbers, 10000.
Deduct from this the $4,000 owners of
slaves, and you have - 900 remaining. ms
the number of Notwithstanding tax PAYERS
east of the Blue Ridge. So that YOU have
( in Eastern Virginia within four thousand
/ o! as many non-slaTehohling tax. PAYERS as
there are SHAREHOLDERS. And YET, Mr.,
IPresidunt, it is said that this is section
al question: IL is said That this is u ques-
tion brought here by Western men for the
purpose of sowing dissensions and strife
IN the deliberations of this hody, desire
to know whether the $4,000 non-slavc
holding tnx-puyers in Eastern Virginia
have not right to be heard upon this
+ hoor. MS much as the nOn-slavcholding tux
payers west of the Blue Bidge? It is not
II sectional question. Gentlemen caunot
make it Il sectional question. 1t is a oucs
tion in which. the peonIe of every section
of this Commonwealth are interested, and
l:think the period is not far distant when
their voices will be heard from every part
of the Commonwealth, unless their grie-
vances are redressed.
Now, sir, what are the facts deveioped
in the discussion of this subject? They
arc that there is from $3.50, 900 900 to
S2O0,O0O,OO0 of the most valuable prOrPr-
~ in Virginia wholly exempt from taxa
tion. have only time to refer to the cir
cumstHnces under which. this fnct is al
lowed to exist. And what nre they; Let
It be remembered, sir, by this Convention.
and let 1t be remembered by the people of
Virginia, that from $3.50 600, 600 TO S2OO.-
100000 of property ia the Commonwealth
of Virginia are wholly exempt from taxa
tion, while We have resting unon us the
crushing burden OF 100000 of public
debt. Let It be remembered, sir. that this
debt Is annually increasing. Let it be
Remembered that our Legislature, now in
session, and the last Legislature, have an
prOpriated-the forncr $500 900. and the
present Legislature s ,O00, 900 for the pur-
pose Of pnftiug this State in a condition
Of defense aud to redress grievances upon
this very property, so exempt from taxa
tion-in short, to defend the insritution of
Slavery.
I admit, sir, thatthr North-westcrn sec
tlon of Virginia is more interested in this
question than any other quarter of the
State butI wish this fact 10 be pondered
upon that this vast amount of property
& ts allowed 70 remain exempt from taxation
not only when our public debt is inrreAs.
ing-not only when we find it necessary to
increase it to defend the honor and the