The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-06
Flanking the Court Of Appeals.

Mr.. CLoproS, of Chesterfield, on FRIDAY
introduced into the House Of Delegates Dill
providing new mode Of collecting the rcvc-
nue. OF the State. II is proposed thai the
First Auditor shall assess each county ana
town of the Stale with It's quota OF the tax
necessary to pay the expenses of the Govern
ment, and leaves TO such county or town the
whole business of the collection thereof.
II is understood that this expedient is
thought to avoid the compulsory receipt by
the public officers of the coupons OF the
bonds issued under the funding act, and
thus escapes the judgment of the Court of
Appeals. The laws have Neld that the pro-
perry Of the debtor could not escape the
claims Of the creditor. The debt has fol-
lowed the property, which has been amena-
BILE to the claims of the creditor wherever
found. Whether the stratagem invented by
Mr.. CLorruN is adapted to It's purpose we
shall, we suppose, learn should it become a
law.
If it is intended only to facilitate the col
lection Of the revenue, and TO collect the
revenue to meet the ordinary expenses and
nav the public creditors ut the same time,
that would be different matter; but we
suppose all can sec at once that the purpose
Is to flank the Court Of Appeals.
II is deeply to be regretted that the State
should be presented in the light of endcavor.
iug to escape her obligations. Had the law
making department of the Government taken
steps Immediately after the war to scale the
public debt for the reasons then existing, 1t
is more than probable that the public credit
ors would have readily concurrcd in one that
was reasonable and backed by prompt meas
!lrcs to pay the interest. 1t is probable that
had the step been carried further and made
TO embrace private debts under certain cir
cunstancc>, everybody would have acqui-
eSced in it.
But this was not done. The representa-
tives of the people in two successive Lcsis-
iaturcs superior for mental qualifications to
any that has succeeded them, proposed to set
aside part of the debt for payment by West
Virginia, and provided for the payment Of
interest upon the remainder. The accrued
interest was funded. and nobody questioned
the ability of Virginia to pay. Private debts
were interfcred with no further than to enact
Il stay law to prevent the sacrifice Of pro-
perty.
This action was reaffirmed by the lcgi>la.
tive body, and the people have been left ever
since the war with no "rclicf" 60 called but
the stay law and the homestead law. ISOLATE
as last winter the only practicable measure
OF relief before the Lcgi>laturc-that abating
theinterest on debts that accumulated during
the war--was lost in the House of Delegates.
With these flcts known to all we can
hardly see with what face Virginia can now
take measures to resist the payment of her
just obligations, and further, how she can
possibly undertake to do that in resistance to
The authority of the judiciary department Of
the government. Certainly the "Sit,Gltlon
upon the financial question is not very pleas
ing to those citizens who appreciate the bind
iDg force Of publicand private obligations
When we consider what the French people
have done in the way of sustaining the pub
Tic credit, and how, utter unparalleled re-
verses in u war with Il foreign enemy, and
when torn and almost brought TO anarchy
by civil strife, they kept up that credit and
now, with government unsettled aud pro-
llcInatical maintains it at value twice that
of Virginia bonds, we cannot see how the
people Of this State talk Of failing to meet
the public demands upon them. Such talk
we certainly never expected to hear in Nir-
GINA. But time may bring about different
state of things. When gentlemen come face
to face with questions OF paying or cvadins
the public obligations and setting at naught
the judgment of the highest judicial tribu-
raj in the State. we may hope that some.
thing will be done to save the State from
hopeless reputation.
1t is very clear that if there is not nerve
and patriotism in the Legislature to do some
thing to maintain the public honor, and that
now or i'll short time to come, the end
will he reputation. The public indisposi-
ton to pay will increase as the burthen of
debt accumulatcS; and il takes no great
stretch Of imagination to see thut u people
who may refuse to lay now will hardly be
brought to paying when the debt is largely
increased. Moreover, public Insolvency ne
cessarily carries with it private reputation.
We shall see if Virginia will consen. TO these
dreadful things.