Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-02
THE PLAINS, JULY 10, 1877.

THE PLAINS, July 10, 1877,
DR.. H. Il. Woods, Albemarle:
My DEAR SIR:-Your very kind favor OF
July - date is just received. In answer it is
proper for me to premise by saying am not
candidate for Governor Of Virginia, and beg
leave to state Gly position. do not desire the
position, because it would involve the neglect
OF my very large agricultural busioass, add Is
one knows better than yourself what conslau.
| attention that requires to DC successful. ID,
because my manner oI life, lrcm ICY youth up,
has been most active, entirely 10 the country,
and fear q sodcrtary life ia city you'd be
| very Injurious to my health, yet atn rot in
sensible to the honor it would Dc TO be Cove:
| nor Of Virginia. you'd consider il tic Highest
| that could be Bestowed upcn me-, lar greater
| than 10 be President OF The UGl.td Ssasce. !
| am not one Of her citizens to Thor! Virginia il
| indebted, on the contrary ! eve I'll | an or
have to my uatiye State, and SO with E.y fore
fathers fer the past two hundred gears There.
| fore il my services are demanded vii! cheer.
| fully give them for what they are Wa.ta. lou
ask NY v!eSa Ct the State dctt. adjust
gGent Sc, as spoken Of by Gen. Mabonc.'
| l. zen. Malone bad given auy llaa OF adjust,
neu;i t would certainly be worthy OF the highest
consideration but as it requires TIE ascot .!
| both parties, the State and the bou;hJic:s, u
| az adjustment" see 90 possibility Of soy:!j".;
sI!c:t OF reputation, aud sec 40 way hy wc:.
that couli be effected excap. as to the $1,000
| go uDfuGdcd aud nol tax receivable Gabt, held
uost!y, as you ssy, by widows a1d orphans.
| also By the literary and sinking tun!. $3.50,
wau!d be naailestly most unjust, d!5aoa!ca.;.
az! ruiGous to the State, except as % Tie sink
lag fuod, which i; the States to do - IL,
peaacs With. As to your plan o! CoGS::,u
| Lieaa Convention to reconstruct The UJar: 6:
| Appeals 50 as to set aside the validity Of h..
funding act submit that could gQU ID 5, rc
garde:s cfthe houoc Of the State to the biG!:ns
oh!!gati3a of Ter contracts, made sl0cc the ;92r
when her eyes were open, or ougat 20 i:l""
been opeo, it would b. practical revolution. ami
| the Courts of the United States viii IL 0pan
70 the States creditors, and you would probably
! have to invoke the aid OF Gr.ot u again Re
constru:: the Supreme Court Of the Uol;eI
| States, this time for the benefit OF Virginia..
Is that possible? | thiok it both imprac;!cAbI'
and impossible OF accomplishment. | thiaA /,
| probable the tundlog act was, as you say, ''2H
egregious error" but that does not vl!iI:G ;ha
obligation of the contract, morally or legally.
since il was enacted, however uowlae!y, ty IT."
legally constituted authorities of tho STATE. A.
"aHjustment' of the debt between State AZ!
who have ncvcr for a moment thought how u
is to be accomplished. Nor have those who al
| vocae it given Us any plan. | Thick because
they can't devise any. frankly state it wouIj
he very acceptable TO me if could sec any
plan by which it could be Aonorubiy and lQ0ly
effected for | do not own one dollar OF tn
State debt and an a very large tax payer, bu'
| say unhesitatlng'y, after mature thought, that
| see 20 practicable plan of adjustment short Of
paging the debt ,chcN lOc cn,, and | state, with
cut aoy hesitation, That behevc it can be Coac
without increasing one mill the rate OF TAXATION
90 tie property of the State aye, - farther
aud say that by making available al the re
sources of the State, and properly husbaaiinS
her assets and reducing her expenditures, ~
can run the public schools, pay tho current c&
pcnscs of the State government end pay IN
Interest On the whole debt, less t:,at portion ; /
apart for West Virgins, a2I 10 less ibaa Ns@
years raluc: the rate Of taxation to i0Et?, poo
ably thirty, cents On the 500. For it IL evident
We Only have to provide for ani pay regularly
the interest and the sinking iuai wc a:reaig
hay, Of s., eco, 900 will pay the deb: in twHn;y.
uiuc years | have not time or space 10 - 100
the details o. The plan, but have fully worked
it out, aud with fair Legislature i c!1 ," ca
ricl out without the least hardship Ga anj
c;tZea. And is it uot unfortunate that TIA
question % adj lstn ,cc." should b: sprupG aoi?
10 aeitatc the minds OF the people, when /; -
utterly Impossible CT accomplishment, AMI taal
100 at time when the hountios Of Provldorc;
haze given our people better crops ard lnlrr
resources than VIC have had before &lo,2 the
war? | atn very truly yours,
ROBr. Beverley.