The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-11


EDITORS AND PRoPRIEToRs.
aONDAY MORNING. FEB IL
INC RIu before the Legislature In Re-
gard to the baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road---An Appeal 10 the People OF
wheeling
FELLOW CItizens:-The undersigned beg
to call your attention to the bill now
pending before the Legislature, in the
interest of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company. 1t proposes in contra
vention of the spirit and letter of that
section of our constitution which enacts
that taxation shall be equal and uni
form throughout the State" and that
all property, both real and personal,
shall be taxed in proportion to its
value" TO release the Railroad Com
pany JoreUer from all State, county
and local taxation, by the payment of
a mere pittance, not worth mention,
into the treasury.
This city and county is now groaning
under the weight of taxation. The Bal
-timore Company, possessed of large
property in our midst, the richest cor
poration in the State, dividing and ac-
cumulating large dividends, proposes
to free itself, without our consent, and
in defiance of our interests, from all
liability to taxation, and from all share
in the public burdens that rest upon
every taxpayer.
We beg to call your attention to a
memorial addressed to the Legislature
praying that the said bill be defeated
that will be presented for your sigma,
lures during to-day aud tomorrow
We trust that every citizen who feels
himself interested in the protection and
advancement of our State, county and
municipal interests, will not only sign
the memorial, but likewise render all
the aid in his power towards making it
effective with the Legislature.
H.K. LIST, JSo. G.. HoFFMAN,
L. y. DELAPLAIN, W. F. PETERSON,
WIN. PAXTON, JOHN BISHOP,
JOHN REID, g. OGLEBAY,
JAMES MAXWELL, J. X. BoTrsFoRD,
JIG. ORR, ARTHUR LITTLE,
f. NJ. NORTON, J. a. ARMSTRONG,
THos. HoRSBRooK, J. 5. RHODES,
JSo. E. WILSON, 4. w. CAMPBELL.
The following is the memorial refer
red to above, that will be circulated for
signatures to-day:
To the Legislature of West VItgiaia /:
Your memoralists most respectfully
object to the passage of the bill now
pending in relation to the taxation O
the property of railroads, and of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad in partic
ular-ror the following among Other
reasons:
l. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
as we are informed, is now the owner
of property in this State, including the
North Western Virginia road. to tn,
value of upwards of twenty million.
of dollars. 1t is proposed by this
bill before you, to release this property
from all past taxes in consideration o
the sum OF $4,000, while your memo
rialists are informed that said take:
amount to not less than S2OO,O Ant
II is further proposed to release it from
all future taxes, State, county and mu
niciPal, upon the payment of one mil
per mile per passenger, amounting, by
the company's estimate, to $4,000 pei
annum, whereas such future taxes, fol
State purposes alone, at the rate of II
cents on the 800, should yield sO,OOC
per annum, and for county purposes d
much larger sum.
Your memorialists believe that the
proposed arrangement would be vic.
lation of the spirit at least, of that pro.
vision OF our State Constitution which
enacts that NIL property, both real and
personal, shall be taxed in proper
"tiOn to its value, to be ascertained by
law"
3. From the annual profit realized by
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com.
pany upon its property within this
State, your memorialists believe that it
is much better able than our citizens
generally, to bear its fair and equal
proportion of, the public burdens.
4. We beg most earnestly to re-
mind you that when this State shall
have assumed its proper share OF
the public debt of Virginia, and as
sumo it she must, the Baltimore
and Ohio Company, by the arrange
ment proposed, will virtually escape
all, liability to contribute to the dis
charge of the same, even though our
present taxes shall be doubled in
amount.
3. We need not argue to you that the
foe to all enterprise-to all immigration
to all progress, is heavy taxation. 1t
retards both local and State develop.
ment, keeps down the price of land,
drives capital from the Commonwealth,
and impOverishes and expatriates pop