Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-05-17
arrived a1d Mr. sorTuAH will please resume
TnrEsDAY, APgiL 4, 1851.
III Chaplain j. S.CAi:r ,rS;.aIti q;

! THcESDAY, APEiL 4, 1851.
| M, Chaplain j. SgCAEr .rs;!:lti a; tY..
| lows:
NJ. President, vixen che Convention ven,
into Committee y! tne Whole, Yesterday morn
| ing Was discussing the question :ese,i
belure this House By the resolution Of
the gentleman irom Monongalia, (Mr
! WiLLrY) Ii is utterly Impossible jor
any tnan to present his views in an in Eligible
iorsn in this Tagsnentary way. desire very
much to facilitate the business of this Conyen.
tun, and am prepared 1T ang moment 20
Tieid the loor to take vote upon lthis 1ucS-
ton, il it should be the pleasure Of the Con-
Sen;:on to 90 SO. am prepared 10 vote Oh
! this and or all other pending questions be.
fore this body. was saying yesterday when
| interrupted by tie Convention gIn. :nta
COMMITTEE Of The Whole. that ny people we're
, not submissioDists My District is on lhe ex-
trcme Western border OF tho State, washed
by the beautiful Ohio river; we stand there
on the Eastern shore Of Gnr beuuti.
ful river, looking across in:o our mighty
and powerful nsighbor State, saving 80
her and all o.h=rs whom i, may con
Germ, that We and or friends in Eirgr::.
! together with all others, have our guaranteed
constitutional rights and for the vindics,ion of
these rights we are willing and will make any
sacrifice. Never :OE Oue moment would sc
entertain the idea that we would prove recrcant
20 the interest Of our Elst-rn brethren. But,
Mr. President, we can right about face, and
with the sar,e determined purpose demand our
rights under our State Government. We are
not suhlnissioniats in either sense, nor do we
ever intend to te stand here, at iLis mo.
!, ,.F ,t,,
ents, their rights ct the hands hI this ConYcn-
ton, and do not want to be of.nsiY: when
soy, we intend to have them. We are com
peiied, 10 arsuin: this question, to anticipate
your objections. Yon du not appear to be dis
posed to meet Us in arguing the subject. Dc
you c0nterd that We huvc nothing to complain
Of: woud not be afraid to 90 before an
Jury Of men in the civilized worlG, with the e"i-
,lence could bring TO bear against you, and
o5:ain verdict from their hardS, that we have
many wrongs which we can trace back to you.
Sir, would net be afraid To take a jury from
tic vic:nage Yes, willing to take twelve Sc
ceSsion gentlemen from Erstern Virginia, md
hare them called up and sworn the truth to
find. and from them wrest 4 verdict that %e are
being mos: ungcncrously treated. And now
for specifications. Let it be remembered that
our State is vastly in debt to the amount Of
n millions dollars. That our people are borne
down with grierous and burlhcnsome taxa.
ton, which, when collected, is barely sufficient
to pay the interest on our State debt. Then
consider tue large additional expense now &C.
cruing to our State, and the large appropriation
Just lnadc a few days ago, and then enquire for
what is all this for? The answer will have to
DC that it IS for the protection Of slave proper.
t.. The Legislature Of last year appropriated
tive hundred thousand dollars, ind this present
session. orc million ct dollars 10 arm and equip
the State, % defend the rights and interest Of
the stakeholder The extra session Of the
State Legislature conrered last January, III
iuccd by the dlasers 10 the institution ol
slavery this Convention convened from The
same causes which make in Ill at least
50 000, 900 additional debt, incurred in the last
sixteen months to protect your peculiar
property; and yet ynn are not willing to c:
that property be taxed the satr { AZ our land,
cattle and horses which give you no trouble
and incu: no expense TO you. The taxes &c.
ceivcd into the treasury, collected from slave
property the last y car, believe were 1921, 600
~liir within tho last sixtcea months the cost
n5nn az tile St1ta SnaHnr-'
- OPT, 900 THIS tTo lnlliIDn hes 10 be Dor.
rove! tg The State, ard it is !ow estimate 10
say that il will az leas, cos; the State ten per
ccn!. t. obtain tina. money. The interest OH
the 50 O0o. 600 would be $500. 900. leaving to
the S.:;e ore hundred and twenty seven thou
sand dollars only TO pay into the treasury after
paying the interest on the deb. which has becn
made within the short time named for the cx-
elusive bcncli. nf the slave property. II that
rate il would take some twelve Or fifteen years
icr :hc present slave tax 10 pay the debt made
irr its benefit within SO short period 0: lime.
BY on examination into the revenue Of our
State and the appropriations made To the diff
i.rgnt localities OF the State, it will be found
that the Northwest will pay into the Stale
treasury in five years every dollar th:t ne have
received from the treasury; and. a'ter having
done this, We arc still to be oppressed and
burihenci with taxation TO pay debts that have
been contracted 10 build up improvements in
your part of the State and TO protect Jour nn
groeS, and still you are not willing that the
STAKEHOLDER shall bear his equal part Of the
burthcns. This is tho kind Of property, ac-
cordng to the argument Of the gentleman from
Culpcper, that wc should We willing to sunder
our connections with the General Government!
for, in order 10 make that property Elorc vaIu
able, tia: it might payalarse revenue into our
State sreaSury-a property which. u.der our
present Constitution, is q tax and bITt:er nron
it We have always stood ur to our obGa
tions, and will snoM, a. before stated, have IL
qudatvd every demand that the treasury has
a.ninst us, while the amnn.t OF taxes received
from the shareholder vii! scarcely have paid
the interest OH the debt contracted for his ben
eff
Mr.. FISHER, Gn his seat)-Thcrc never has
been dollar appropriated to my county since
the formation Of the Government.
Mr.. STGAKT.-I do not refer 10 individual
counties. but 10 the principal divisions Of lie
Slate The gcntleInan's county may be IN *
crptiun; know nothing about that matter
say that there has been millions upon mil
lions Of dollars expended in ne Slate, fjr
improvements in which the E. m portion of
the State has been mostly inte. ,tcd, ami now
that our State il about to be ''aDkrnpted By
Jour extravagant approprlatin'', for the pur-
pose of building up your improvements,
maintain that it is our right 10 demand that
you shall, 1T least, PEI ;at ,.,r property to Dc
taxed az oars is taxed, t" help to maintain The
credit Of our State. Is il 40! apparent TO the
most causua observer that the State Of Eirgi-
mia, unless something is DONE must eventually
repudiate her debt? | shomi have remarked
wilsn speaking about the e5 u session Of the
Legislature bcI0g cilled together for the pur.
pose OF locking after your slay" interest,
they undertook 10 relieve yonr contractors on
the Coyinston aid OHIO Rr!oad, and on ac.
count n( The great depreciation i the market
value Of your State bonds, ", which the
contractors had 10 be paid, tue Legislature
found it necessary, to sustain the Contractors
and carry on the work, to increase their con.
trac. price ten per cent. This is ominpus legis
latIon when We ars in deb. ~ millions of
dollars, still increasing the price Of labor to be
paid for ten per cent. TO enable the contractors
10 peddle our State bonds around at 30 or so
per cent discount \ Ine 'field fJr Yankee
speculation, If theT were not afraid that We
you'd never pay them.
And may be permitted to ask OF you, gen.
tlclnen. who ore for secession, what is 10 be-
como of this great State Improvement If your
- r., bo o,-r;ad + have