The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-26
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sATrTRpA ia suARY 20, ssssss.
county Roasss.

oniniSu and from MS 0pSfrFasi0H III sidfsi
ling, there was not another city ofg ,0OO
inhabitanfs lin the broad limits OF this Union
whose epviTons, presented so SAD and. neg,
leeted u condition as this city. Perpiexea
to know the cause OF this, Irepfied ttat the
root, N this whole great eyi. was TIE scdnt
of public roads and the utter failure OF all
legis,ation heretofore on this subject.
This subject have urged and discussed
publicly and privately, and have pre-.
pared bills to meet our loca! wants ana
begged their passage by the Legislature,
and, when almost laws, by a few eS cry
thing has been defeated.
In the effort, to demonstrate the expe-l
diency, the proftableness. and the very ne:
cessity to us OF this improvement, as well
as advantage to Richmond city, enough has
been heard from me. / but ask the asten-.
ton OF your readers to the following quo
tation from recent remarks Of Bishop Clark.
OF Rhode Island, writing on this subject:
THINGS TO BE REMEDIED.
BY Bishop Clark, OF Rhode leland.
Iwish now to write in a very plain way
OF certain things that need to be remedied
or reformed.
81. Bad Roads. In some parts OF the
land the condition OF the public highways
has not been improved for o hundred years.
and rocks are Us annoying to-day as they
ever were. Once or twice in the year the
people appear with oxen and ploughs to
work out their taxes on the highway, but
all that they do is to duBp the sods and
earth which have accumulated on the sides
back into the bed OF the road, to be washed
off again i'm the next high rain. / have
never travelled on road in Europe which
it was not luxury to drive upon, and all
along at short intervals there are lying in
recesses, left for the purposes, piles OF
Iaacadamized stones ready for instantaneous
repair wherever it.may be needed.
1--WE boast OF being highly-educated
community, but, in some respects, we are
very stupid people. We are supposed 10 De
very acute in calculating questions oiprofit
andl loss-why are we so slow to perceive
what wretcbed economy it is to leave our
roads in such dilapidated condition The
wear and tear OF vehicles, the injury done
to horses aud cattle, the loss of time and
temper occasioned by the necessity Of driy-
ing slowly and warily over these hideous
roads, would pay for keeping them in repair
twice over. Something might be said OF the
peril to life and limb incident to this state
Of things, but that is matter to which we
Americans are proverbialiy Indifferent.
We have only to take out an accident
insurance policy, and it is all right
Something might also be said OF the.excite-
ment and pleasure that we have in driving
over a smooth road, stimulating ones horse
to do his best, and enabling him to do it
without fatigue, Us contrasted with the mis-
ery Of winding slowly in and out among the
ruts and rocks-the carriage straining and
creaking, iolting and tipping this side and
that side, in front and behind-the poor
beast stumbling, and sweating, and pant
ing, as il ready to die-why, there is all the
difference that there is between the smooth
flight OF bird through the air and the at
tempt to fly with broken wing. II the
Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty to
Animals would take the reform OF our
roads in hand it might do the brute crea-
ton, As well as the human race, great SER
vice.
Would like to have the Bishop ride out
the Broad-Street road, where am COM
PEELED to travel all the winter. That great
highway OF travel is left to take care Of it
self from year to year-not even favored as
yet with the spade OF q single 'convict,"
and in few days too late to work it il they
would. q
In the Legislature soon to meet will nots
the representatives of your city and my
county unite to compel good, permanent
roads in which both are interested, and
thereby increasing the means and ability of
all to pay their part Of the State debt?
Provide, then, the means OF Kidding US Of
the burthen Of the present municipal coun-
ty government, copied from the teeming
North, but never suited to our sparsely-
settled country. Do. away with county
treasuIers, county judges excellent gentle
men as they areb and various other officers,
and with "boards," who meet 10 assess.
xho DO herr
upon the counties for their respective quota
OF taxes due her, and thereby lop off the
nsany officers here aud elsewhere. Let q
day OF economy return, when, for instance,
it will not require so much expense 10 bring
to this city and to maintain prisoners to
learn their trade in our benevolent but
costly institution
1t is not the State tax that now bears so
heavily upon the country people. But this
county levy in addition, which for this
year is 62S cents on the State tax and 20
cents levy on real and personal property
for the public schools, added to what they
otherwise get, and for which the taxpayers
of the county unlike your, city'S conye-
nient and efficient plan) are now realizing
little OF no benefit.
Until the last year disaster after disaster
has followed the farming interest OF this
county, which never had its start from the
loss and destruction OF property by the
war. Bound by an uEWise "funding bill,"'
which we had the heart, yet never the abil-
ity, to meet with not step towards econ
omy, vet oppressed by the numerous ills o.
some features OF II Constitution unsuited to
our wants or condition; never wanting re-
pudiatiOn, YET, in equity, was it too much
to ask that the creditor exact not no,o the
penalty OF his bond? II "a g
No demands or threat not consistent with |
the high honor Of this State will be made. |
But with Legislature fresh from the !
people, now knowing their means, wants, !
and necessities, we will place: our honest
debts upon an equal footing. Give them |
now foprper-eent. bond Tor otherwise as |
agreed), and with time to apply the knife |
OF economy deep to the sores on our body |
polite, and with county roads, rs so graph
icalIy described by Bishop Clark, we give
the pligbted faith Of this old Common
wealth that orr debts shall ultimately be
paid TO the utmost farthing. -, II 4
AS against the provisions OF bill SUBJ
stantially appro priating S2,000,000 of pub
lie revenues each year for thirty-four years.
some adjustment is wanted by some good. /
people OF this State who deserve not the i
styie of argument that has been used against
them. lis true that Antoni vS. Wright
decides that one Legislature can by any form
of enactment bind succeeding legislatures
and the public revenue. But the time may |
come. as Judge Staples says, when "a State, |
under some great ani orerruiing necessity, |
may feel impelled, to call TO its aid every