The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-10
-, ,,,,,c nchi OF Virginia.

- OHM Wet VIRGINIA auh Of the old
people 81" ,,.,,cr,nd 10 abide. We have.
49,, f " -" ~ ,cfraiucl hitherto from discuss
:"y' ~ ~ ,,;ar, the basis Of that apnoiLiei-
ms C"'lIL x.S;nati,r what share Of the pub
mr. NE 20 ~ VIRGINIA We believe to bc ]uSty
R' ~, ~, "a his safe. We have thouSh'
en-" ..,.,, that the action Of the rominiS-
IMt' %o,,II not lr toycs'allcd, ana that
- s;.,,.;niDn IN either stat" Shouiu en-
ID. ' 80. ;~a,.rnrr u;on thniT minds or pre-
.. FIJI acc4ic>ccrcc IN The concl'-
oa.,2, they may arrive. Inc ht'h-
,,a,,>,.@,t,., aIr. hoWcycr. ha'l"T
.t',. 49,, anon tie c&.e. and presenting
-" @ .;rr II The case: and II i no hi"ic
,.., N {. "iou@ Mn i"rii view % LAC
,.,... y ,y> spread before orr readers our
,.,,@, ,.,... ..,.n A. 10 Tie method o. artN'u-
n, u p'o?cr superintendent q the f"'tef
drtf. a..
...... :, :.vc;G ANY, ct their ju>' obligations.
..,.. s,r able 80 ply an! MrnG 10 pay
,y..y ,,nlar The, owe. Their honor Is rs
.,..r aud a. sensitive 1p"n that ncint aS Is
......r HE rranlr ra>; O! the Biu" Ridge.
.cf tIry do MOI relish tHc installations OF
M.,nuc>N lno.c Frequently implied than
..,..-.> >rGf which some speakers III the Nlr-
In legislature. aud SsUi" writers for the
i:rNa.a I'd, r,rc>> are il tie haDit Of making
,.i.>t ,lrM. For various reasons, which
-. ,.; necessary Ia ruUMrrJ!c here, no
...,,,r.larnfo, has e. been made, hu
og.. g /. tnpIn III" People OF sh est Viz
ri..t.. v3H l1v !hcir S!Iare a promptly and
=, r,r l. IL Virginia VII pay htrs.'
ri. wc refuse - ilay our Just deotS, IL
u..,.,t H." veil to cease the expression oil
uauuadci suspicious. and refrain from
threatening 4 suit II law.
Tar lahi.c debt m;tSi lee paid from the
-n,nnlt., ~ the state, and that revenue
....r, !ro!n The pcol ,crty held lN Individual
.E'.1.H>. t De laNa'lr property within the
~'..c must pay he Geht, AND tho relative
t.'.~,. NE laNa'iH property i'll the two
=, .,.> Al the time o; eparation seems 10 us
the rnly true basis for u division Of the
feht. According to Auditor Benefits re-
plrf 10 The Gcnc.al Assembly OF Virginia
n i>,I. The assessor value of all the prop
?, ruN.h'c FOR state purposes Ill the coun-
r:r. Navy composing TIL state OF West IT,
.;n;a w. Il &tt,r les than one-iii1h of that
IL the cus!r- commonwealth OF Virginia.
Va,u. e ir-nia Ut hat time dd not
.,Wn our dollars worth Of property. ANA
as financially "w"r.c than nothingH by
lust The amount Of her public debt, West
Nugiri4 would lac bound HOW TO pay nearly
'.EitH Ok tU.l UtBL. JkN 81
FIR ~ West Virginia a. one OF the partners
bv whom the debt was contracted is con-
yrrned, the chief item on the debit side Of
ullr account.
Eat Virginia held large amount Of pro-
perry. in TIE ownership ut which the peo
pie Of West Virginia had IN interest," nearly
equal 10 onc-tiitlI Of the whole. When the
dissolution OF partnership took place nearly
all Of this property was retained by Virginia.
The State Capito! and grounds, the peuiten-
tiary. the arsenal, the university, the mill
iarl institute, the aSylunlS. the railroad and
bank -tocks, ard other items which ccnsti-
tulcG I'll" public propcrty OF the State, and
IN " hich West Virginia bad nearly one-lilth
Interest, were retained and used as The
property OF Virginia alone. The Common
wealth Of Nir&,iuia Therefore owes 20 the
Drppl,' ui West Virginia about one.1llth of
}nc value of Ill the public property pos
,c>scd jointly in 1861. Iui, Claim we place
upon the credit side Of our account rs an
Offset t. the portion OF the public debt we
owe.
80 have spoken above in merely general
.rrlnS. There were some portions Of the
uU!Lc property Of Virginia which, being
with /" III borders Of Wet Virginia al the
rnl' 81 Sc 'arftirn, Wer" converted 10 the
u>rs 81 ,uu new state. and four fiji rs Of their
value i 10 be entered OF the debit side i'll
oar arc",i',t with Virginia. The asylum 1t
Weston il III this class, and the stock in the
Northwestern and other banks. Upon the
other hand, We are entitled 10 credit for the
iol!ey> ia tie JelicrSonyile branch Of that
ialk. and for its circulation. which was re-
""cMcN mere. these aIc particulars into
Wb.,I, i. viii he necessary Tor the roinmis-
t.;}"g> tu enter, but whr;l are not includcd
~ IN outline which il l. OILY our present
purpose 10 draw.
A"". Il Virginia was financially solvent
~ 1851; that i, il her i; Z property was
v4aal III VALUE - tee .tinrunt Of her debt
t,ud We believe this WAS claimed ut that
timr1, certainly Cnc-tiilh of the property
VA. i sufficient set oil for one-ffth of the
G"i,. aid therefore West Virginia olces
e"thu,g. Il matters not indeed what pro-
portion ot the public debt may be charged
- our account, we must BE credited with
4 lI'" share U the public property. II we
owe "nc-thrd Of the debt, as is sometimes
-aid in Richmond, then Virginia should
~; Us onc.thir0 OF the value OF the pro-
pcrty IL lS6l. And il is IA matter of no con-
Gern 20 lis how far that property may have
Grpfcciatcd in value since the separation,
ar 10 what uses it may have been Put. the
value Iii lS,Gl i ali that "c care TO inquire
latu. ana the financial condition vi the State
a; 1hat time j. Ill that can be considered III
Aiuking the settlement.
These are the general principles upon
which We believe tie appoltionment Of the
'iclr should be made. They are simply the
rules of ordinary business. and the tian>-
action under them viii lie plain, iutcllio-
tie, aud just. The people OF Virginia must
know thatnu correct ipportioImcn5o of debt
caa nc made between Us wiihout at the
same t'inc irving us credit for rrlinIuiSIi-
ing our share III the ownership OF the
property wnich was held by the Common
wealth ct Virginia At the time the Separa-
ton took place. 1t is probable that when
The exact balance is aScertained bv the
comml> ~oner, thar ii will be found that
West Virginia owes somcthing-how much
We caunOt say, but certainly not nearly so
lnuch as some ol the members Of the Legis-
iatGre Of Virginia seem to think 1t NAV
ne that the aggregate value Of the public
PROPERTY held in 1861 was not equal to the
amount 0: tie State debt. in which case Yves
lrgnia would be justly chargeable with
her share "t he excess. Yhis can only be
"N'clt"incd by careful estimation of the
NHiHc vi The property OF the State at the
flut OF separation, and when the balance is
iouud ana It IL ascertained just how much 4
'"e p"oF!+ .! Vest Virginia owe, arrange
iGeniS Will be promptly made, for its dis
charge.
Certainly the people OF Virginia will not 4
refuse 10 allow Us the credit We claim. We
were partners in business holding proper
y ana owing debts. The partnership has
been dissolved. A division Of the property
necessarily accompanies Il division OF
,i'e ce"i: Certainly nothing could bel
more unjust chan for one Of the part
Her> 10 insist upon the other paving Il
proportion If The debt CORRESPONDING to
lis interest in the firm, and DENYING him
any share OF the property on hand ut the !
'lh!e OF dissolution. 10 state such q pro-
position is to show its absurdity. We are