Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-25
From the Baltimore Sun.
THE DEBT OF VIRGINIA.

[From the Baltimore SUM-
THE DEBT OF VIRGINIA..
REPLY TO SENATOR ELECT MALONE BY
SENATOR JOHNSTON. i.
Senator J. w. Johnston, of Virginia,
furnishes to the press, above his own
signature, comprehensive reply to the
recent address" of the readjusters in
Virginia and the interview put forth by
Senator elect Malone on the State debt
question. Mr.. Johnston says that he
answers for both his State and his peo-
pie, and his response is certainly COM
prehensive. After giving a history of
reconstruction in Virginia, and quoting
dates and resolutions where necessary,
showing that the first opportunity the
people of his State had to legislate for
themselves was in January, 1870, when
the State was already divided by the
setting up of West Virginia. Senator
Johnston says that to Judge them fairly
the people of his State must be judged
only by what they have enacted since
that date. After reciting the acts under
which the State of West Virginia was
separated from the mother State and the
constitutional provisions relating to
those matters, as well as the financial
embarrassments to both governments
which inevitably ensued, Mr.. Johnston
plunges into the middle of his subject in
an effective way. Gen. Malone, he be-
gins by saying, has laid certain details
of figures before the public, which he
proceeds to demonstrate are not only
erroneous, but grossly SO. Mr.. Johns
ton says:
"Gen. Malone says that the property
of all kinds ed with taxes in Vir-
ginia now is only $267, 439 900. 1 have
before me the report of the auditor for
the fiscal year ended September 80, 1879,
and these are the official figures: Real
estate taxed, $24S. 455, 1913 So; personal
property taxed, $7O,937 ,625 81; total
$319, 393, $50. A mistake of $51 1854 $50,
upon which, at fifty cents on the one
hundred dollars worthy ofproperty, the
annual revenue would be nearly $780,
900. The positive averment is made
that the McCulloch bill would arbitrarily
impose debt of $33 ,22S, 671 upon the
Virginia of today, &C."
Tie McCulloch bill is found in session
acts of Virginia, 1879, page 264. 1t did
not fix or attempt to fix the amount Of
the debt. The constitution requires that
the Legislature shall publish with the
{ acts each session statement of the pub
lie debt and full receipts and expendi'
lures, and this has been done every yea
since our constitution went into effect
The same Legislature that passed thu
:. McCulloch bill, in compliance with thi.
requirement, did publish detailed
statement of the debt and its condition
and make the aggregate of principal
| $29, 1861, 958 06.
Gen. Malone claims that the readjus
tiers had a majority in this Legislature
and if they had and made no protest OF
counter. statement to this document, il
, must be accepted as correct. The Nc
Culioch bill authorized the funding o
unpaid interest at fifty cents on the dol
> lar, and whatever interest was funded
would have to be added. But here il
the most material and at the same time
the most grossly incorrect of all tn
averments, viz: I'm 1880 81, when ev
cry species of property is taxed. the rev
enue of Virginia cannot be counted ups
on for more than So 1OO 900, though thu
levy is now since 1871, fifty cents ant
whereas formerly the State levy of fort.
t cents was substantially the whole ex'
tent of our public burden, now the az
gregate of city ,!county, State and fedora
exactions equal tax of 81 per cent OF
f the assessed value of property, or 1888
, on every 500 of our taxable values"
4 First, as to the revenue, it is claime'
e that the total revenue of the State cal
g only be So, 100000. I will demonstrate
, otherwise conclusively, and, as in othe
cases, I will do it by official acts and re
cords. I refer now to the statement G
t actual receipts to the treasury, omittinl
e temporary loans, found in Senate doc
ument IA, under date of January "a
. 1879, beginning with l869-'7O, and com
ing down to and embracing 1S77-'78.
get 1873 10 from the auditors reports Q
that year.