Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-03-01
OUR RfsfEmoxD I ETTER.

| The Legislature at last has made a
| forward movement, and a hope nov
! brightens the horizon that something
| will he done to afford relcfto our over
| burthened people. The rece:vability I
of the coupon feature having, in effect
been destroyed, there is no question
| thatthe taxes may I've reduced to the
amount necessary to carry on the Gov
eminent and pay three rer cent, L do
not think il would be wise to attempt
more than three per cent, and that for
! this year only. j is curious TO observe
! how little progress has been made in
| this debt question. Whenever, during
the debate, question was raised point
/ ing to the destruction of the coupon
feature, or the repeal of the funding
bill. the anti-fnnders hy majority Of
or TO would suceeed-but when the
time would come to bring the PROPOSE
ton to a tangable shape, it was so
wrapt up and cloggcd with amend
ments, that in the confusion of the
majority, the minority would Invaria-
bly, reap q victory. 1t will coufound
many of your readers how to under
stand this, but the riddle is easily
:olved, when they come to learn that
every other member, jealous Of h:o
neisL1o-, is unwilling TO .fo!toto, but
must have his way or none. Here has
been the trouble. A consequence up
on such condition of things is that,
hardly without exception, thes gen.
tlemen have lost, entirely lost, the ear
and confidence of the body to which
they respectively belong. Were it
proper / could point YOU TO several,
who entered the Legislature with high
reputation for talent and great learl-
ing, and for time were looked upon
Us eminently proper TO take the lead
upon all state matters, who to day,
have so utterly lost their prestige, that
10 secure defeat of a measure it is
only necessary to obtain their support
of it
Every man seems to have an axe of
his own TO grind, and grind he will, or
no one else shall.
One would snprose that in this great
hour of need the relief men would be
very charry of schemes which look to
an increase of taxation; yet there are
found those who are actively engaged
in the widest legislation, involving
large expenditures of money. A
scheme of Senator Andcrscn's in ref
crence to common schools is ali cEor-
nifty, if l rightly understand it. II
seeks to impose q tax of l5ctS in the
hundred dollars Oh property, real and
personal, independent OF the 10 r.:
cent, and the capitation tax imposed
by the constitution, which will raise
over q million of dollars for the school
fund, in the face of the cry from every
individual "my present burthen is
greater than can bear" An Immi-
grafton Burea is suggested which is TO
cost $4,000. When it is admitted that
this sum multiplied into itself will be
necessary to make the thing work
successfully. but then you know
everything must have q beginnin"
"Tall oaks from little acorns grow"
Give us $500 nOw-it is all we ask
and when the State is more prosperous
the balance may be given" So it is,
just to get a foot-hold, that is all. The
poor old State has never yet seen the
day when an Office, however useless,
has ever been abolished. A foot-hold
once obtained is never lost.
The Norfolk & Great Western Rail-
road in dying gust has grasped at a
straw afforded by an amendment to its
charter. AS it stood, it was required
to connect with the A. NJ. & o., road
ut some point below Bristol and Glade
I
Washington had conceived the idea
that the thing was a humbug and
would not be induced to make coun-
~ subscription, and now to force
them the amendment allowing the
road to terminate at any point on the
Tennessee line. This bait is hardly
seductive enough 10 catch your people.
The hook is too palpable, and it will
take far more eloquence than has yet
| been expended, to make the citizens of
| Washington to subscribe their money
to pay a few officials. They would
| prefer to learn little more of the dis
position of the Eastern counties given
in subscription to this great and mag
nificent bubble, before their bonds are
put into such pool. Your delegate,
Col. Fulkerson, tried to have the bill
committed TO the committee IN
roads, but the House would not
resist the personal appeals of the
railroad officials who fitted over
the House as bees {" gathering
honey from every opening flower"
and the thing went through. How
| Snythe will fancy the damage is yet
! TO appear. Your other delegate unfor-
tunately was absent on leave to visit
his home.
| One of the funniest schemes imagi-
nable is a bill to charter a road from
some point in Giles county on the w.
| Va, line to some point on the Norfolk
& G.. Western road west of Carroll
county. 1t occurs to me it would be
just as well to have the n. & G. W.,
built before other roads are chartered
to connect with it. Suppose the road
for which q charter is now sought
were built, it would verify begin no.
where and end at the same place.
Pocket charters should no longer be
! granted, One would suppose that the
/ n. & G.. w, management had a full
trial, and that the thing should be eX-
! ploded, or new hands put upon trial.
! 1t is rumored that n citizen of Pittsyl-
vania has declared,that he understands
/ the management of railways better
than any other man in Virginia.
Would it not be well to give him trial,
though the opportunity might cast a
shade upon the great Tom Scott.
You ought to come down TO Rich
! mOnd and see the alligators nand the
/ Governor 1t would be worth a trip
/ and if you will let me know when you
will be here, you shall have the run of
! the kitchen. VIAToR.
j. G.. e. w. M. BURROW,