Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-05

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obtained from which the oysters are taken, and the
field thereby enlarged. / would recommend that
the taking Of oysters by the dredge, scoop or drag
should be authorized by law in all the waters OF
Virginia where the water is not less than fifteen feet
at low tide. But no steamboat or vessel using ma
chnery worked by steam, should be allowed 10 take
oysters in this way. All vessels engaged in taking
or carving oysters employed in the oyster trade
should be required by law TO obtain license for the
same from some person authorized to issue such Ii
cense.
The license should be required to be numbered and
the number, with the name OF the State placed in
some conspicuous place on both sides of the vessel
and the license framed and kept the quarter deck
in some place of easy access for inspection by any
duly authorized officer of the State. For the first
year the charge for the license should be low-say
four dollars per ton the tonnage OF such vessel
All persons who take oysters with tongs in shallow
water should be required to take license from the
clerk of the court OF the county or coIpo-
ration in which he resides for the vessel,
skiff or boat which he shall usei the
number of his license, with the name of the
county or corporation in which he takes such license,
should be marked in some conspicuous place on
both sides OF such vessel ski boat for the prvi
lege of using which he should be charged-say SIX
dollars per season. the license not to be transferable.
The season should commence on the first of Sepem-
Der and expire on the first of May OF each year. ana
no license should be granted for less term than the
whole season; nor should such license be granted to
any person, unless he shall have resided in Virginia
should be imposed upon all persons engaged in
dredging for or carrying oysters without having first
obtained the license required by law; and IN aIdl-
ton thereto, the vessel of the party 50 offending
should be forfeited, with all its Freight fixtures ana
machinery penalty should also be imposed on
all violations of the law by vessels having license
In all cases of the seizure of vessels in such cases
the hearing for condemnation should be had andthe
case'adjudged by any Judge OF Circuit Court to
whom application may he made by the complainant
or informer either in vacation or in term. Concur
rent jurisdiction in this class OF cases might also De
given to the county and corporation courts. One
fourth of the money derived from the sale OF forfeit
ed vessels and cargoes should be paid to the officer
ordering the arrest; one-f0urth to those who shall
assist in making such arrest and the residue 10 the
State Like proceedings for forfeitures and fines
might be had before Justice ofthe Peace for VIOLA
tions of the law by persons taking oysters with
tongs from boats and canoes Every white person
taking out license for taking oysters should be re-
qurcd to take oath prescribed by law, TO observe
the oyster laws of the State and to assist III the en-
forcement of the same and should be constituted an
officer for this purpose.
Land owners on the waters of Virginia desiring to
nlaut oysters should be required 10 stake or marx
of with stakes or otherwise, space not exceeding
m area of five acres the metres and bounds OF winch
should he recorded in the deed book of the county
in which his land lies. The wfnl taking OF oysters
within such oyster beds, without the permission OF
the owner, should be made felony but tile oysters
raised in such beds if sold for market should be re-
ouirad To- be carried in licensed vessels Hullcd OFS
ters should he allowed to be carried from the ports
and landings in Virginia in kegs or cans IN vessels
not required to take out license for the oyster trade
This would encourage the hulng OF oysters III the
State where the shell, which IS OF much value as
fertilizer would be left. The laws on this subject
would require various details, which will suggest
themselves to those familiar with the subject ana TO
which have not alluded. To that feature oil tiis
recommendation, which looks to combining the carry
inc trade in oysters to actual settlers IN virginia
ask your careful consideration. 1t will doubtless
meet with much opposition from persons engaged in
the trade who reside out of the State, and 1t may be-
there are not sufficient number OF vessels owned
by citizens of the State at this time to carry on the
business 1t may therefore, be advisable to post
Done the operation of this restriction for twelve
months in order 20 allow time for residents desiring
to enter into this business to prepare for the trade
Tn. State of MARYLAND has enacted law similar TO
the one propose, and confines both the taxing ana
carrying of oysters IN her waters 10 the reslueh Oh
that State If this business shall be confined To RESI-
DENTS in Virginia il would very soon largely in
crease the wealth and population of the State.
would further recommend that one monty oil the taN
derived FROM this source Shall be reserved as sink
ING fund to pay the public debt The other m0ltty
sbouId be devoted to the maintenance of public
schools in the Stae-the principal invested in good
securities and only the interest used for that pur
nose In the course of fifteen or twenty years tins
fund would be adequate to pay large part OF the
afford common school education LOT all the chl
dren of the State.
The unsettled condition Of the industrial, agrlcu-
tural and financial interests of the State the scarcity
of live stock in every part OF the commonwealth
and the fact that it IS almost impossible for the
farmers to borrow money to replcnish their Stock
concur to make the subject of taXatiOn at the pre-
sent time one of peculiar embarrassment to the le'
gslatOr.
We have no banks of circulation in the State, eX-
4 l t.n YaNst INN n-aIh 4 m.
gress on the State Banks fOrbids the establishment
of anv Others The circulation of all the National
Banks in the State only amounts to about 81 3OO ooO
little more than One-half the interest oil the >'ate
debt Our neope have made Efforts to increase the
number of National Banks in the State. and thereby
to increase the volume of circulation; but these Ia
cilitcs have been caprciousiy denied by the comp
troller of the Federal currency. The future ability
of the people TO pay tax depends much on tleT
ability 10 Ie-stock their farms and carry on ther H.
dustrial and commercial pursuits. Until we Know
what will be the policy OF the Federal Government
in aIIordinr National banking facilities you should
be very cautious lest tax should be imposed on the
people which they will be unable to pay.
RAILROADS.
As above stated, we have upwards of SO OOJ 600
invested in railroad stocks and bonds. something
more than SIS 900 900 of this sum is in railroads IN
rnnninp condition. and would, in the hands OF pn-
vate stockholders yield revenue OF from seven
TO ten per cent to the owners but whether they VIII
ever Weld ANYTHING to the State ana stockholders
unler the existing system remains to bc seeu cN
nrnss mis- doubt from the experience of this and
ntber II ties that have embarked IN general system
of internal improvements 1t was louhu mat WINE
the Stale was owner or partner lItte or no lHont
was realized 4 number OF states sold out their m
trrest i'm their internal improvements To private com
panes who became the owners where the state
owned the whole, the joint owners WIN orlEihal
stockholders. These works, in the hands 9 private
individuals Immediately became profitable. llnake
| III l.. T.-.,. Int
must be seen from the present organization oil our
roals that if continued they are not likely 10 DC
very profitable to the State or to the Stockholders
On the South side of James river we have the Nor
folk and Petersburg, SOuth.sde. Virginia ana rem
nessee and the Richmond and Danvi!lc railroads
These roads under the management OF ioar different
cons of officers employed at rcmuneratlvc salaries
All these roads combined less than 900 miles III
length Their aggregate gross earnings IN lo"O was
about 81 500 600. Three vi these roads form con
tinu0us line of about four hundred miles, and all
three of them alfording business for the fourth let
the officers of these roads have been found Earring
among themselves, and indispOsed to accommodate
each other whilst the State owns tlree-hlths oil tue
stock in each of them and is money lender TO lhem
| in addition. If one prudent man owned an THESE
roads he would manifestly, place them all uhucr
control of one head and work them in harmony
His first saving would be about forty thousand DOL
lars per annum in the item OF officers salaries 70
| operation would insure increased business anu IN
| come Rv working these roads separately car
is loaded ut Norfolk with freight for Danvle or Az
ingdon; it is brought to Petersburg to the south
! Side Road and there transferred from the Norfolk
to South-Sde car; thence it is taken to BnrNes-
Vile where it Is again transferred to Danvlle ear
if its destination Is to that town. or taken to Lynch
burg and re-shipped on the Virginia and Tennessee
| road if it goes to Abingdon. In these transactions
the cars are delayed, thereby causing much larger
investment in rolling stock to accommodate the
business of these roads in addition to the labor re-
| uuircd to load and unload the freight besides eX'
posing the merchandise to loss and delaying Ms
transportation, which is always to be avoided bythe
shipper if possible. Wherever the are loaded on
any of these roads they should be run to the place
of destination of the freight without breaking bulk.
The consolidation of these Improvements under one
set OF officers is entirely practicable The Baltimore
| and ONO Railroad. with the Northwestern VIRGIN
and Washington branches, is nearly Is long ~ thc
four roads above named, and the gross earnings OF
| that railroad is about three times as great Tue
charges for passengers and freight being thty-llee
per cent less than the Virginia roads referred 10
| vet the whole business Of the Baltimore and ONO
Road is done by one corps Of officers with moderate
salaries There is the same reason Tor consolidating
! the Orange and Alexandria and Virginia central
Roads There may have been necessity for az
ferent corps of officers each Of these roads during
their construction but that they are completed