Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1853).djvu/202

186 merely accidental, than that history should have been silent about them.

I am aware that there are differences of opinion as to the ancient weights and coins. Those here stated are taken from Brerewood, Kennet, Ainsworth, and the Encyclopedia, and are as likely to have prevailed with our ancestors as the opinions opposed to them.]

The first symptom of the depreciation of our present paper money was that of silver dollars selling at six shillings, which had before been worth but five shillings and ninepence. The assembly, thereupon, raised them by law to six shillings. As the dollar is now likely to become the money unit of America, as it passes at this rate in some of our sister States, and as it facilitates their computation in pounds and shillings, and e converso, this seems to be more convenient than its former denomination. But as this particular coin now stands higher than any other in the proportion of 133⅓ to 125, or 16 to 15, it will be neceesary to raise the others in the same proportion. 



THE PUBLIC INCOME AND EXPENSES?

The nominal amount of these varying constantly and rapidly, with the constant and rapid depreciation of our paper money, it becomes impracticable to say what they are. We find ourselves cheated in every essay by the depreciation intervening between the declaration of the tax and its actual receipt. It will therefore be more satisfactory to consider what our income may be when we shall find means of collecting what the people may spare. I should estimate the whole taxable property of this State at an hundred millions of 