VIRGINIA. 



1, 1874, will be $1,207,027. There is, more- 

 over, a balance due and unpaid in money on 

 interest, payable since 1871, of $880,059, in- 

 cluding interest to colleges, to literary fund, 

 etc. ; the whole amount, therefore, necessary 

 to meet the interest obligations of the State 

 during 1874 will be $2,242,083. In 1873, 

 $931,203 was actually paid in money as inter- 

 est upon the public debt, and $301,104 of 

 coupons were taken in part taxes. 



The public debt of Virginia presents a seri- 

 ous question to its inhabitants. In the early 

 part of the year Governor Walker publicly 

 took the ground that the United States should 

 assume not only the public debt ot this Com- 

 monwealth, but also of all the other States in 

 the Union. 



The various taxes assessed for 1873 in the 

 counties, cities, and towus of the Common- 

 wealth, were as follows : 



Tax on white males $154,457 00 



Tax on colored males 'J5,08 00 



Total capitation tar $249,625 00 



Tax on property $892,423 78 



Taxon Income 88,14033 



Total tax on personal property 425 504 n 



Tax on real estate 1,272 434 45 



Tax on licenses 321J086 57 



Total tax $2,2U8,650 13 



D. In many respects 1873 was an 

 eventful year for the capital of Virginia. The 

 year witnessed the completion of the Chesa- 

 peake & Ohio Railroad to the Ohio River; the 

 finishing of the James River Free Bridge, which 

 makes Richmond and Manchester practically 

 one city ; the opening of direct rail communi- 

 cation with Atlanta, Ga., by way of the Rich- 

 mond & Atlanta Air-Line, the completion of 

 the Church Hill Tunnel, great improvements 

 made to the river and harbor, and to the 

 streets of the city, and all the highways of 

 trade and travel centring here. A very con- 

 siderable number of private residences and 

 business buildings were erected, and the work- 

 shops and manufactories of the city were in 

 most prosperous and profitable condition until 

 the great monetary panic unsettled the affairs 

 of the whole country, and compelled them to 

 curtail their operations. 



The value of merchandise imported directly 

 during the year, was $118,872, besides which 

 commodities valued at $28,389 were received 

 in bond from other districts. The following 

 statement indicates in detail the commerce of 

 the city for the year ending December 31, 

 1873, as compared with the preceding year : 



TXS8ILS ENTERED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



VROOM, PETER D. 



CLEARED FOB FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



769 



COASTWISE TRADE. 



EXPORTS. 



Whcat-nonr $1,166,192 44 



Leaf-tobacco 1,857,97902 



Manufactured tobacco, 



Recin 



Lard 



Oil-cloth 



Staves 



Farnitnre 



Machinery 



Quercitron-bark 



530 00 

 4,813 11 

 1,675 00 



15800 

 3,100 CO 



850 07 



200.00 

 1,464 65 



Total $3,026,492 22 



VROOM, PETEB D., LL. D., a political lead- 

 er, Governor, and Congressman, of New Jer- 

 sey, and minister to Prussia under President 

 Pierce, born in Hillsborough, Somerset Coun- 

 ty, N. J., in 1791 ; died in Trenton, N. J., 

 November 18, 1873. He graduated from Co- 

 lumbia College, N. Y., in 1808, at the early 

 age of seventeen, studied law and was admitted 

 to the bar in 1813. Mr. Vroom was a warm 

 supporter of President Jackson, and in 1829, 

 his party having carried the State, he was 

 elected Governor of New Jersey by the Legis- 

 lature in joint ballot, which was then the 

 mode there of choosing that officer. He was 

 reflected in 1830 and 1831, also in 1834 and 

 1835. He was a member of the State Consti- 

 tutional Convention of 1844, and represented 

 a New Jersey district in Congress from 1889 

 to 1841. In 1852 Mr. Vroom was one of the 

 two electors at large on the Pierce presiden- 

 tial ticket, and in 1853 was appointed by 

 President Pierce minister to Prussia, where 

 he held that position until 1857, when he re- 

 signed. He was a delegate to the Peace Con- 

 gress of 1861, and afterward took little or no 

 part in politics. 



VOL. nn. 49 A 



