The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-17

such laws % mey Dc inuiGs'o" " VIC
presiding officers Of the two Houses, under
the head of "By authority" aud such
publication DO received as authoritative.
were introduced and referred:
By Mr.. ENGLrsH.-A bill relating to pi-
lotage on the Potomac river.
BY Mr.. WoopsoN.-A bill to amend the
SD and saith sections Of chapter 40 of the
Code of 1860, In regard to property ex-
empt from distress or levy.
BY Mr.. GRAHAM.-A bill to incorporate
the Richmond Land, Mining, and Manufac-
turing Company.
BIZ Mr.. WATxrSs.-A bill repeating sec.
ton 80 Of chapter IS Of the Code OF 1850,
in relation to idiots.
By Mr.. WATKINs.-A bill to amend and
regnact section 2 of the act passed 2lst
February, 1866, entitled an act to incorpo-
rate the Planters Savings Bank Of Farm
vile.
By Mr.. ESGLrsH.-A bill TO incorporate
the Arlington Turnpike Company.
By Mr.. PURDIE.-A bill for the relief Of
Thomas J. Clements, late sheriff Of Isle
Of Wight.
By Mr.. BUTT.-A bill to incorporate the
Portsmouth Water Company.
BY Mr.. BUTT.-A bill to incorporate Tri-
umphant, Tent No. 10, Independent Order
of Rechabites, in Portsmouth.
PETITIONS.
By Mr.. WHITE.-The petition Of many
brewers of the county Of Henrico asking
to be relieved from the tax on beer now
imposed by law. :,
By Mr.. ESGLIsH.-The petition Of Joseph
Crawford.
THE UsURY LAW.
The Senate bill modifying the law will
regard to interest, with the substitute pro.
posed by the Committee on Finance, and
the amendment proposed to the same by
Mr.. WHITE, came up in order, the question
being upon the amendment OF Mr.. WHITE
Mr.. SCoTT, of Charlotte, addressed the
House in behalf of the general proposition
to change the usury law. He alleged that
in taking this view of the question he re-
presented the agricultural interest. 1t was
the duty of the Legislature to do some
thing to revive the agriculture of the
State, and he thought the bill before the
House would be beneficial to it. The
country south of James river before the
war had not been employed in cultivating
the land as q source Of Improvement or
profit. The people there looked to the
raising of slaves for their profit; and to
support them the land was cut down,
cleared, and exhausted by this policy; and
the result of the war left that country in
condition almost as destitute as was Ro-
binson Crusoe on the desert Island OF Juan
Fernandez. They had nothing but their
exhausted lands.
To revive such q country was at best
Here lean labor. Money was indispensa-
bic to that object. The people then must
learn to apply labor upon the proper sys.
tenn; and they must have money to aid
them in that improvement Of their lands
which was indispensable to proper re-
ward for their cultivation. We can only
hope to recover from the products OF the
earth; and money was an important agent
in the work of improvement and recupera-
ton. The repeal of the usury law would
give us more capital, and though, he feared,
not as much as some anticipated, yet
enough to do much good to agriculture.
The Valley of Virginia he looked on as
the granary of the State. 1t supplied the
Confederacy, and when the enemy devas-
tated it the Confederacy failed. But the
Valley RECEIVERS with rapidity, while with
Southside Virginia the. process was slow
and tedious. There the condition of thing
was discouraging, and the people needed
every assistance. The farmer, on his i'm
proved lands, could not pay eight dol:
lars per month for labor. Unless land
Welded six barrels of corn per acre, in hi:
opinion land did not pay for cultivation
The only instances of successful farming
he knew of was with a few men OF means
who could buy manures to improve then
lands, and could pay for their labor II
cash.
Mr.. SCOTT required to his point that thu
people must have money to improve thei
lands. 1t could not be had at 6 per cent
nor per cent. The farmer could not b.
injured by the repeal of the usury law
He was able to take care of himself, ant
knew how to make his own contracts
Would the Legislature undertake to be TIT
guardian of every man in the Common
wealth {! Money to assist labor, our mail
reliance, would restore prosperity. " Ldbo
omnia uincet, &c.," said Mr.. SCOTT: Labo
conquers all things, and we live by labor.
once had little acquaintance with Latin
Mr.. Speaker, and like the man who hat
very little cash, jingle it occasionally
"iust to hear the jingle; (laughterl bu
it has been about five years since | hear(
that jingle Ia laugh; and, he added, if w
adhere to our old-fashioned laws and eX
ploded systems, it would be long time We
before any of us heard it.
Mr.. SCOTT continued his remarks upol
the present policy of farmers and the ne
cessity of change-te necessity OF i'm
proving their lands to make them pay 10
cultivation, and the need Of money 70
that purpose. He was for free trade ant
sailors rights, and leaving untrammellet
both capital and industry. As thing
stood, everybody was dissatisfied. In hi
country some people cultivated on shares
others by wages, and they were all discon
] tented, desiring to adopt the opposite sys
/ tenn. The yield of the lands did not pay
Help the farmer to improve his lands, ant
there would be change. Content would
succeed to discomfort, and prosperity t
prostratiOn.
Mr.. POWELL, of Amherst-the oldes
member of the House, a gentleman lon
in the public councils, and now totterin
with age-addressed the House in oppo
sition to the measure, and was listened I
with great attention. He said that tn
bill under discussion transcribed in i'm
portance any subject before the House
The gentleman from Henrico (Mr. WHITE
said the usury law was dead. Mr.. Powell
would like to know what law on the statut
book had not been violated as often. II
knew of laws which had been violate
more often than the usury laws: TIL
gentleman from Richmond (Mr. EVANS
compared money to other property-to tina