Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-12-25 00:00:00, page 3

> j^uginta aftgng.
RICH M O H~D,
TUESDAY. December 25, 1310.
{£7® We invite the serious attention
of the reader to the 1st No. of *« A. R.
en the utility of the Lock s now erecting
in Jiichmondf published in this day’s
paper. The subject will be concluded
[in a second No.] in our next, where
in the writer will shew ** How Locks
may be mended, or public money appli
ed to advantage.**
JOHNM’KEON.
. The following resolution, [offered
1 by Mr. Otey} for exp ell: ng thisunwor
ty member of the House of Delegates
of Virginia, was agreed to by the
&ouse on Friday last—Aves 102—
•Noes 55 >
“ ‘It'is proven to the satisfaction of
yoiif committee, that the said John
.McKeon has been guilty of conduct
grossly immoral* disgraceful and high,
ly.reprehensible, and as such, unwor
thy the character of a representative of
the nfonje.
Resolved therefore* That the said
John McKeon be expelled this house
FOR THE ARGUS.
FROM THE CLUB.
ON THE UTILITY or a TREE PRESS;
Richmond, Decern her 1310.
Th^re ha. been much clamor of late
ngainst the press ; and men in autho
rs ly have been said to denounce it on
account of the cut rent licentiousness
of the day. Persons who make these
denunciations go no farther than the
surface, or else they would perceive
that it is the passions ot me n and not
the press that is to blame. The press,
i i the , is nothing hut a heap,of inahi
mate types and a machine With a screw.
Thevicious emotions of profligate wri
ters may pervert the use of such ma
terials t but in that c se we should fie
cry thegu'uty propensities of the scrib
blers without rttisi? g an uproar against
the noblest institution that the inven
tion of the human mind has contrived
for the diffusion of knowledge.
7 be governors as well a* the go.
verntd nave an interest in the pn s- r
vation of a free press; for if, on the
one hand, faction and falsthood find a
ready utterance hy means of the facili
ties which it affords, wise and virtuous
men, on the dthef hand, are defended
. & justified before the nation ; 3nd this
wouid not be the case if the press were
shackled, or did not exis? ; b. cause ver
bal calumny (which would occupy its
place) is of a r.a ure so secret that it is
dinicuit to counteract it. And, in this
r nrc^, we may compare it to rust.
w :ch,' amidst apparent quietness and
r St, is alw:*ys the Micst gnawing and
corrosive. l'bt e observations may
convince us, rfta. the licentiousness of
"the press ts nothing more than an tvil
of the huxn.»n heart, displaying itself
through types and piper; and which,
if it could nor fnkl 'eut in that way,
would speed: y exhibit itself in some
other and '?orse mod<*. But flesh and
B*nnd i- no fastidious* that, ins'ead of
placing the vice to the account of its
true cause, it is laid upon the press;
just like some pious people lay all the.r
*in* at the do<jr of tht* IVvil.
Upon the whole* this oiiservatrrn
may be regarded as a true maxim :
That a fret press makes a free people.
It is by the press only that the repre
sent ive esn be checked and control,
led bv the constituent; and that the
great mass of the people can learn what
business is doirg and how it is done,
Stop all the p:e set> fiom the Potomac
to the Mississippi* and in the course ol
one or two years the people in the vasi
extent of country between would be al
most ignorant of the transactions or
the margins of the one or the oiher o
those rivers ; and travellers passing t(
and fro would be able to amuse the ig
norant with tales of wonder as in d-iyi
of yore. The inhabitants of the stat<
of Virginia would know as little of par
ticular events in Louisiana as thev nnv
do of occurences in Grim Turtary ; ant
a wide field would be opened for im
posture and fraud. In truth, the pres
ses of the republic may be called th
verves of freedom ,♦ because* if it wen
not for them, intellectual' and mora
sympathy could not extensively ex*st
the citizens spread over a large »orfac<
of earth could not easily act in u
nison. they tmild not speedily combin
•o as to prevent the sly encroachment
of tyranny, nor co-operate at a shor
warning for a great and beneficial puf
pose*
We grant that the press has bee
prostituted : but, what then! are w r t
discard it for a>failing to which so m?
ny other things are liable l Nay« wh
human institution is there that is nr
^ ubjtK.4 t©^irailt}' t i he aourc
M m S /
, *11C cv*.l is in human nature ; and all
we can hope to effect, is to mead it.
I'he press may be likened unto an ar.
mJVin which there are individuals who
plunder, assassiuate, and commit the
most outrageous crimes, whilst the main
body may be still controlled by the laws
of honor.
Much of the ribaldry proceeding
from the press can be traced to a no
tion which many individuals entertain
that the community may be written in
to any sort of project, which is as much
as to say that the community can be
scribbled out of its wits. This reminds
us of the raw collegian, who undertook
to prove every thing by logic .• but in
attempting to shew that two partridges
made three, was complimented with
the third for his ingenuity, and ao got
nothing for his pains. For any writer
to succeed he must adduce, at least,
plausible reasons in support of hia o
pinions. The great artof writing well
*® the enabling readers to perceive wi h
facility the real truth of a subject; and
what comes nearest to this art without
being the art, is to persuade men that
what they read is true when it is false
or only partly true. Thia latter is a
species of phantasmagoria, which, by
keeping you pretty much in the dark,
attempts to impose shadows upon you
for realities. ,v .
Men are not so much in the power
of falsehood as is generally imagined.
1 he freedom of the press sharpens the
understanrlinrr. Rr must Km
ty well contrived not to be cut up by
the scrutiny which is so prevalent.
Hence, those who get into an ill humor
on the appearance of any little scandal
fret themselves at a disadvantage. One
sure mark of a calumniator is that he
de:;ls in inuendoes, which shews that
what he asserts is not only in all pro
bability untrue, hut proves that he does
not [from any proof] believe it himself;
for, if he believed the story he tell**,
upon good evidence, he would not in
smuate, he would assert. This reflec
tion occurs to a great m-'nv people, and
blunts the edge of defam ti- n.
Magnanimous minds disregard the
^ensures of the press, where they are
founded on falsehood, because the
str« ngih of their characters i« too great
for the force of such assaults. Dirt
thrown at a huge rock m?y defile it for
a few days, hut it will be cleansed a
gain by rain in the r.arur 1 course of e
vents.* feeble minds only are irretated
«»t printed slander ; for, like pebbles,
they yield to the spattering of filth : and,
being easily moved;, they are at the
mercy of evt ry scavenger that chooses
to be foal them.
Another class of men become lu,
dicrous by their vanity. They are
pi" ud to have their names in th; news
papers ; consider every philippizing
paragraph inserted against them as a
feather to their rc putations ; and, these
feathers mul iplying, they at length
display a political ail so spreading that
it would vie with that of a peacock.
* 1 he irritable p< liri* ians and the *an
tail patriots, are the genuine food of li
centious presses.
1 hese observations, miscellaneous
as they are, may serve to satisfv a
doubling mind of the real utility of a
tree press; and that a'thoogh it is, like
other human inventions, susceptible of
p«i version, it is very extensively bene
ficial to society.
Z.
Extract of a letter from a Member of Con
gress to the Editor, dated,
Washington City, Dec. 14, 1810.
“ The view of our Foreign relations
presented by the President met the un
divided approbation t f the republican
party, —We presumed of course that
the withdrawal of the Berlin and Milan
■ decrees had left our commerce with
France and its dependencies in the
state it was, previous to their being is
sued. There is however just ground
r for believing that at hough the Berlin &
Milan decrees are withdrawn, our to
bacco and cotton is at present exclude d
from the ports of France and its depen
dencies by regulations of a municipal
character. If these regulations are con
tinued we shall gain nothing hy the -ar
! raogemcot. On the contrary* bur
ports will be thrown op-nto the wines,
brandies andoth'^r articles the growth,
’ produce or manufacture of France and
' ! its dependencies, while thr two im*
j j prrtant staple* of ihr Southern coun.
| tr\ are exclud'd from their ports.
“It seems to be the general sent!
I meat here among men <»l all patties,
j i that the faith of the nation is pl< Aged
i for earning into effect the arrange
* ment made under ih' act of the Iasi
i session—nod that until th.i expiration
of three months from the datr of th<
Picsidert’s proclamation (the pt rioc
n allowed f »r the n vocation of the nn
* lawful order and blockades ot the B i
* ti»h gr V, rbrneuil no mtisurr* ough
. ; to be adopted except such as are ne
' cesftnrv for glvitvr rompte’.e efficacy t<
e j the non-importation system in thee
vrnt of Its goir§ into operation. Whe
ither C>reat Britain will withdraw or
not is a question on which it l*» iifcpos
f sihle to o/ler any thing bir' conjcciure.
Her policy towai da tiie Uu:ted States
has been consistent in but one feature,
uniform hosttfi y. Whether the occu
pation of the portion of Florida claim-,
ed by the United States under the
Louisiana convention mav have any
effect on the course pursued by the
British ministry is not known. It is
,5°t onlv possible but highly probable
that the friends of the British govern
ment in this coun- rv, ever active in pal
liating the conduct of that government
and criminating its own, will se«ze
with avidity on this act of the execu.
tive of the United States in the event
of a refusal on the part of Great
Britain to. withdraw her order and
blockades infringing our neutral rights
w The Bank has again been refer
red—its fate is doubtful-—I think'
however it will fail.—Resolutions on
the subject of Gen. '' iikinson are again
introduced and referred.—We shall
soon have the Yazoo before us also— rhe
Batture we are clear of.—Mr Living
ston [his suit notwithstanding] has ta
ken possession of it, and according to
the fashion of the times issued a pro
clamation.”
For The Arcus,
N°. I. |
On the utillity of the Locks now
-... «*.
As large sums of money are about to be J
expended In forming a communication be
tween the Hasin of the James River Canal
and tide water, it may not be improper to
state the inconveniencies winch that mode
of conveyance may be liable to, when ex
ecuted, and to ascertain as nearly as pos
sible, what advantages may be expected
from ir, compared to its cost, and to tbe
expectations which have been generally
formed of it.
The first inconvenience to be met with,
will be, from the length of time which boats
coming down the river must experience in
passing the Locks, which from the number
of them (via. 11) will require upwards ot
one hoar, when no impediment intervenes*
to past them-»but if it should happen, as it
very often will, that boats had entered be
low, only a few minutes before tnose wish
ed to pass from above, the latter would
be compelled to wait an additional hour
before they could be allowed to enter them,
so that from the length of time it wouid
take t. pass the locks in going down and up,
tlie hindrance to be met with by other boats
interfering and preventing an immediate
passage, and the tncrease of the distance
in delivering their loads at Rocketts, it may 1
be stated that the passing the Locks, would
seldom be attended with the sacrifice of
less than half a day, and would consequent
ly reduce thesaviogof the water conveyance
to almost nothing. It would also frequently
happen, that n conveying Tobacco truin
the public warehouse, or flour from Galle
go*, or Kuiht riord's mills, h ? swells of the
tiver* or high winds, so frequent in tne
spring of the year* would compel the dray
age ot it. It this should be the case when
vessels are supposed to be waiting to re
ceive their cargoes, additional impediments
occur in respect to the depositing of pro
duce* either on the Basin or at Rocketts;
tbe latter placets so situated, that no de
posit could be formed* which would uc
commouaie more than one fourth part ot
the produce ot Richmond, without going 1
belcw the Powhatan Warehouse, in which
case the drayage up a considerable rise et
the bank, and back again in shipping »t*
added to the storage, and to the loss of
i lime in the water CoovoyAnce* would be
l more than any saving which would be ob
tained by this arrangement, es| ecial y as
the most cons derable Merchants have their
private Warehouses, where they have their
tobacco and flour, immediate ly under their
eyes (which since the custom ot re-iuspec*
t ng has prevailed, is of very material con
bc^uldcc io loeraj and where they wruld
have scarcely any inducements to send It
in the other direction. The same cause
would operate in preventing the storage
on the a»«in, »1‘bo' perhaps not quite in
tne same degree ; there are a sufficient
number of private deposits already el ected »
and the back merchants would generally
prefer their property being in the imme.
dim e care of tht-ir ti lends, where it would
always be convenient to a re-examination,
than to be placed in more distant and se.
cuded situations, especially as the saving
ot t X|*.u»c in the latter case, would be too
inconsiderable io attract notice, while the
additional i rouble and inconveniences would
i>e greatly eucre ,sed—even of the tobacco
•toied in the publ c warehouse, considera
ble quantities would still be conveyed by
drays. 1 he shipments from Rocketts are
generally made in vessels ot between fifty
and one hundred hogsheads burthen—the
merchants have their cargoes to collect
lioni different warehouses, viz. three in
Manchester, and fivs in Richmond, besides
what may be stored by individuals, so that
in sh.pp.ng sixty or seventy, or even one
hunuied Hogsheads, it would seldom hap
pen ihat mure than ten or twelve hogsheads
would he tn the public warehouse, which,
as drays wouid be employed, trouble sav
ed, and no danger of delay to be appre
hended, it would be far more convenient
to forward by drays, than by water, when
the difference, if there should be any at all,
would i.e iOo inconsiderable to deserve the
smallest consideration.
If the tobacco inspected and stored In
the public Warehouse, w th the flour lodg
t. ed on the Rasm, s'mold amount to one
fourth of the whole which comes down th»
Canal, (and it la levs than In that propor
titn) and a considerable part ot that wil
L be drayed, it wdl Inflow or course that no
. more than one filth, or rne sixth of th<
, produce of the buck coontry, would re.
erne any advantage whatever from th<
’ i water conveyance through the Locks.
, C**nl wrv’f? v'niffine 4o bo convrvrt! ni
heretofore, the trouble ami expense o‘‘rai'
«mg it to such a height at Rocketts, as t«
secure from freshes, and the l->i8 0|
time in getting it down, would more th m
counterbalance any saving to be obtained
by the water conveyance* and when once
deposited on the Basin, it could not be
raised up the bank rii^ again put in boats,
even if vessel* wtre waiting to receive it!
It will only be observed in respect to that
article, that such an arrangement mi^ht
have been made, as to have reduced the
expense of shipping it, to nlmosr nothing,
and that it'Vould have received such encou
ragement, as not only to have produ
ced very considerable public benefits, but
to have added 3 or 4000 dollars per annum
to the revenue of the James River Com
pany.
Altho* it has been stated, that not more
than one filth, or one sixth of the produce
coming into the Basin, would pass thro*
f^e Locks, yet there may be many days in
a season, perhaps several in succcs.ion,
when they might bs fully occupied; if this
should happen at any time between the
months of June and November, when the
Canal generally a Herds no more water than
is sufficient to supp'y the mills, it mud
: cause a serious inconvenience to (hem, or
will require considerable expense to reme
dy.
Another evil w.ll be experienced, of
great and lasting importance, where there
are such a number of Locks 5 some of them
will frequently be getting out of order, and
in the course of about once in every eight
or ten years, a new set will Require to ue
erected, from which an enormous expense
will be repeatedly incurred, without any
prospect of its ceasing or dim<n shmg, and
all this to accommodate, not more than one
fifth, or one Six h part of the produce which
will enter the Basni, -nd even that, under
circumstances, which must prevent its be
ing attended with any thing more than a
very inconsiderable advantage.
A citizen o* Richmond, being struck with
the inconveniences, and little prospect of
public or private benefit* which was like
ly 'o arise from this communication, at*
tempted to devise a plan, which he sup
posed would be equally conducive to the
interest of the community* atid of the James
River Company. It was, to form a Ca.
nal from Rocketts, to pas* under the river
bank, to communicate by an arm, with the j
Market bridge* and to terminate at the
toot of the Basin, to be secured by a stone j
wall, of such width and depth as to admit, I
by two or three Locks* any vessel which
might-come up the river—to communicate
with the Basin* by an inclined plane, or
by Staples’ machine, and to accommodate
the trade by a range of Warehouses, for
the purpose of receiving and shipping of
produce, which wouid have been immedi.
ately *on its bank, and of more than one
mile’s extent. It was estimated by the most
accurate calculations which could be made,
at the expense of 134,000 dollars* which it
was proposed, should be reimbursed by a
toll on the produce passing througu it* e«
qual to one tourth ot the present expense
or drayage and wharfage*
On that fooling, it w- uld haVe been attend•
ed with the saving to the trade ot Richmond,
as it is now prosecuted, ot not less than
30,0t.0 dollars per annum.
It Would have encreased the revenue of
tbe James River Company, at least 10,000
dollars per annum
It would have added to the resources of j
the Cny of Richmond, in the improvement I
of a slip of waste land, more than 5,000 1
dollars per annum.
And it would have encreased the value
of ind v dual property, upwards of 200,000
dollars*
It would have been profitable in a high
degree. It would have been as safe^ as
convenient, and as useful as any thing ot
this kind* could be conceived or devised.
It would have been elegant^ beyond any
pubhc locks whic have beer, as yet* execu
ted within the United States* and would j
have reflected credit, not only on the James
Uiver Company, but on our Legislature,
and even on the whole State of Virginia.
Impressed with these Ideas, the propro
ser ol it, communicated his notes and ob*
servations to stverl of those he knew to
be deeply interested in it, and from such
of them as possessed any knowledge of, or
turn tor mechanicks* it met with the ful.
lest approbation. It was also submi ted to
four ot tbe directors* (Col. Ramble was not
applied to) and finally the City Represen
tative was applied to* and obtained the
appointment of a committee, to investigate
and determine what improvements might
be made, on the tormer acts of the Leg s
laturc, on'itm subject.
way me Chairman ot that committee
should have tailed or negl> cied to have
ootamed a ^meeting ot it, in conseqmnce
of which, a considerable and very n ed.
less waste of public mon y has alrea
dy accrued, It may be difficult for any
01 e, perhaps evtn himself, to assign sa
tisfactory reasons for—but if there may
be blame attached to the conduct of that
gentleman, as loo evidently appears to be
the case, the directors ot the James Ri.
ver Company, were certainly lar more
culpable—As the representatives of that
company, they were bound by the strong,
est ties of du*y and honor, to endeavor to
promote its interests, on evt ry occasion -
As inhabitants of the city ot llichmond they
were equally bound to promote the general
welfare of its citizens, without entering into
a critical examination, whether the South.
K.*et or North-West divisions of it woold
be benefit ed in the highest proprrtion, tho'
w.thout d> ubt, its advantages would have
bt en diffused through every part of the
city. And^s members of the state, it was
their duty to have promoted the general
welfare, at least by counti nancing and for.
warding the investigation of a subject, In
which the into tests ot the community ai
large, and of a great number of individu'
als, was deeply interested—instead of be.
mg actuated by motives so commendable,
and which would have been so honorabii
to themse lves, they, in the first place, tt ea.
. ted the communications made to them, si
I lar as It r ■ sj.ected the pi'-poser of them
: with silent contempt—U>.acquaint*d witl
• mechanical subjects, they, or some c.
. them, took it in their heads, that it wtu <
t be attended wiih an enormous experts',
and instead of obtaining the opm.ua oi bat
i ter jtuTges, thr'r ignnranc* 'n respect to lU
' I “PPeared to produce a prop>-rnon*hb' ue*
' * |r*e Jet*ce, «t]<l of ot*,it'Oiicy*^>a! r—
i ,k^‘ Wlt.h ,,,e-'r own unerrfng jodginen
tnry failed to perform » in s* evident
, duir. *n discountenancing, or at any ra •*
i ,n no, •’’d^voring to promne tin* nrei ?
ganon which was proposed—In the me,t»
tune, totally forgetful, or regardless of ti.«
tenor of the conn act, enured Into be.*.-<?*
I, public and thems-lvs, they brought
. forward different pr^oosnls te the lei-isl
; ture, dictated altogether by the desire of
saving expenditure, and as these could not
"0t *Cco‘,e‘l they crown
, the, O'flefent improprieties of their con.
duc,t, by plunging into a contract, at least
twelve months sooner than there w:»« *nv
necessity for it, know.ngiy and witful.y ot ,
J‘™v‘nK.the *rust reposed in them, and
! Purposely, and obstinately sacrificing the
, general Interests, and those of their lel.ow
■ citizens.
i Expense has Indeed been incurred* and
damage very unnecessarily sustained, but
whether the sacrifice of a small sum mihe
discontinuance of a work of very little util
ity—whether the farther expenditure of
Urge sums in its sompietinn, w iich will
require to be continually repeated -or
whether the executing * design which
would be in itself equally useful and profit.
Hble, would be the most eligible, the le
gislature can alone determine Investigati
on will produce information, and without
being informed* no proper decision can be
mad?*
It is thily mortifying to a native Virgi
nian, who has some feeling for the hon»r
and welfare of his country, to contemplate
that the good sense and public spirit of the
present period, is too likely to become a
subject of scorn and derision to future ages,
by the erection of an useless, exp ns.ve and
perpetual bubble, when they have it in h ir
power to reflect a credit on themselves,
and to benefit generations to come, by the
accomplishment of a design, equally grand,
useful and profitable.
A D
The remainder of the documents
accompanying the President’* Mes
sage. shall be published m an extra
Argus, as soon as possible. The
most important of those papers, how
ever, are already iq possession of our
readers. ^ .
A splendid dinner was on the !3ti A
inst. given by the citizens of Pniladel
phia, without distinction of party, to ^
Gen. John Armsrtong, our late Re
presentative in France.
Died—On Thursday evening lust,
in this city, after a v ry short iiuevs.
Col. WILLIAM TERRY, a d-e
gue in the present Ge eral Assembly
Irom the county of Halifax.
——— Latel , at York-T.»wn, in this
state, CYRUS GRIFFI \, Esq. aaa0
ciate Judge of the Federal C mrt in #
this stae, and fo merly Pr.aidcot of
the olti C >i gress.
Washington City, Dec. 20.
The following article is extracted from the
Boston Centinel of Dec. 12.
" Intehejtino.-It is stated from an an.
thentic source, that the Spanish Min ster in
Washing-on lias dispatched a cutter to Cadiz to
communicate 10 the Spanish Regency and Con
gress, the measures \\hi~h President'Mauisost
Ins taken for the invasion and occupancy of
West Florida From the spirit which the Sp»n
jv c®»£ress has exhibited on other subjects
it is not improbable they williake >his invasion
ol their territory in dudgeon and will pass ac«.
in retaliation injurious to the commercial in
terest of the United Mates in territories under
their jurisdiction.”
From a consideration of the source
from which we derive this article, it
may be considered a sort of demni-ofF,.
cial notice, from whom we cannot say j
for who the 41 Spanish minister in [or
out of] W shington” is, we know not.
It is remarkable with what compla
cency this article Contemplates the
44 Spirit” exhibited by the Spanish Con
gress, which seems toafPrd he patri
otic editor additional gratifies ion from
the hope that it naav be induced to a
dopt 44 acts in retaliation injurious to
the commercial interest of the United
fll.'.a >• I. 1. In k. U „ I .L L _
—— — - >uai mu
Spanish authorities will display more
prudence than to suffer themselves to
be induced by their doublR-dealing al
lies to engage in so a surd and ill judg
ed an undertaking a< a retaliation on
the cotnmercid interest of the United
States, it would be a contest in which
they could experience nothing but dis
comfiture.
WAITE’S LIST OF PlUZ S IN TtsK
Vineyard Lottery
Ncrw Drawing.
TWENTIETH DAY’S D * AWING.
1 PRIZE of *1000 dollars vfi st drawn) No.
12323
1 *1000 do No 9574
1 *200 do No 15051
1 *100 do No 15793
2 50 do Noe 6244 9042
4 20 do No* 3132 I0M6
11200 15823
And 128 prises of 6 dollars.
• Sold at W* tr •
IT^OR SALE—An eX H'ent iu'1 panne 1 d.
^ CO AC r< EE and H vRNESS lor two
Kories, in goo<i repair, ni.«y oe #c< n at my
Tan Yatd.-Wanted to hire for the e sui j
»ear, a 1 EM AL 1. COOK, tor whom alibi ra
! ,rr Will be paid, quarterly in advance f • ••
quired. ®- 1
‘t Ric'iiyond, Dec 24th 1810 (t f;
Hentng' v Statuhs at Large.
f • • The tec end rd. of this wotk is j- 1 pub.
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