Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-20
Immigration.
The SOUTHERN STATES SINCE THE War
Ru Rnhert Sinners Macmillan & Co. Lon

The SOUTHERN STATES SINCE THE WAR
7 Bv Robert Somers, Macmillan & Co., Lon
don and New York, 1871.
EXTRACTS. Page 81. The land question
is the absorbing one In Virginia. There are
dozeus of respectable agents, every one of whom
has lists of farms and estates which be offers IN
fee. simple at a rate per acre that in England or
Scotland, or even IN Ireland, would be deemed
but moderate annual rent
Page % Land rights are carefully regis
tered and guarded in Virginia, and there is
seldom any difficulty in tracing aclear title back
through long period OF years: :,
Page 23. A large proportion OF the landed
property of great and long settled State Is
literally going begging for people to come
and take it. The like has seldom been seen
before. The deluge of encumbered estates IN
Ireland was nothing compared to it, for the
land in Ireland, when brought to sale under
parliamentary title, readily commanded pur-
ehasers at good prices. Yet there are no
agrarian murders in Virginia Nor is it new
and undeveloped country, where every element
of civilization has to be introduced, but an old
land of renown, where law and order prevail,
and every social comfort can be enjoyed. There
is hardly any part of Virginia, where settler
on the soil would not only find towns and mark
cts and roads and railways, but have as his
neighbors gentlemen who are no mean agrlcul.
turists, who are versed in all the science OF
husbandry, many of them breeders of the rarest
and finest stock, and deeply inlbued with the
spirit of agricultural progress and improve.
mcnt
Page %. There can be no doubt that from
AQUA Greek to the South Of Richmond, and
from Richmond toward the sea, beds of mari
are to be found mot far from the surface; more
Or less rich in pbesphates and ammonia. Along
the Eastern Shore numerous banks OF decom-
posed oyster shells have been found, enabling
the agriculturists 70 dispense with lime. The
Piedmont or granite region, from the less ex-
hausting nature of its husbandry, stands in less
need of chemical manures than the tobacco,
cotton and wheat lands but in the great Valley
limestone everywhere abounds, and there can
be no question of the ample and convenient
means which Virginia possesses for the renova-
ton and enrichment of her soil. .
Page 81. The State is we'll intersected BY
the great through lines Of railway, both South
and West.
People who desire to change the old world
for the new, and to acquire either large or small
farms without great change OF circumstance,
nav do so more easily in Virginia than proba.
bIy in any other part of the United States
''For emigrants of superior class with
moderate capital to invest, Virginia possesses
peculiar attractions.
1T seems only nightmare, or some hideous
misunderstanding, or unaccountable caprice OF
evil fortune, that can retard the progress of
Virginia to prosperity and wealth greater and
more substantial than she has. known at any
other period.
The PUBLIC DEBT The Richmond CORES
pondent OF The Petersburg Index gives the toll
lowing figures taken from the speech OF MIR.
Counally 10 the State Senate on Friday: Funded
and mortgage debtot the railroads of the State:
Richmond and Petersburg, 1926, 300 %; Rich
moud, Frederick sburg and Potomac, $735. 544-
&c. Norfolk and Petersburg, $l,05S,59l Ga;
Richmond and Danville, s2,295,99o; South
side, So 3G6, SOP Sd; Virginia aud Tennessee,
81, 7G7 ,329 H. Orange, Alexandria and Ma
nassas SIS S72,326, u; Chesapeake and Ohio,
$4,000, 900. Total $50, AZ, 5SS IS. The gross
earnings per anuum of the railroads are 81,
$40. $50 81; number OF miles Of railroad in the
State, l,l93.H Number OF county officers in
the State, 1909; their salaries per anl;um
$SSS. 525 lest. y number of township officers
1856: their salaries $915,695 lest )-whole
number of officers, county and township, S,7I5;
pay 1885,, 220; an amount more than sutl-
cient to pay the interest upon the public debt.
Virginia paid to the federal government in
1871, a tax Of S., 900, more than was paid
by ali the other States Of the South combined,
leaving out Louisiana.
The New York Herald thinks that in the
approaching Consistory some American prelate
ascertain to be chosen Cardinal, and that al
though Archbishop Spalding would have been
certain to receive the honor had he lived, it
will now be conferred on Archbishop McClos-