Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-11-19

addressed powerfully TO the interest of tho
Stockholders. He says, 6 if the public
accommodation was the same each route,
the Stockholders would be gamers and not
lossers by the increase of distance, as they
are entitled to toll on every mile they finish,
but as the accommodation to the public
would be infinitely increased, by the In
creased distance, the toll or benefit of the
Stockholders would, by this combination
of distance and accommodation, be much
extended" When the Wagons from the
westward arrive at the Ford at Little Ri
yer, how can they be said fto be accommo-
dated, if they are put out OF their waytwo
miles and an half, in about thirty, to the
Trough Hill?--Almost nine-tenths of the
Wagons which bring -four to Alexandria,
come from beyond Little River and Goose
Greek. WHY will not those, when they
can save the toll, take some nearer route!
And, if they do so, will not the Stockhold-
ers be loosers? But what right have the
Stockholders to lengthen the road, by Civ
ing it circuitous route, for the sake of in
creaslng the distance upon which to de-
niand tolls? Instead of increasing it two
miles and an half, why not insrease it five,
or ten, or twenty, and carry the road by
Hay Market or Fauquier Court House.
The Stockholders should be reminded,
that no toll can be demanded until the road
is finished according to law, az least the
distance of ten miles, and the Governor of
Virginia shall certify it to be so done; and
the law requires that the route of the road,
shall combine shortness of distance with
convenience Of ground, or,in other words,
the road is to be as short as possible: if it
is not, the Governor may refuse the Com
pany the power of collecting tolls.
The control over the road, both as to It's
route and the manner of making it, which
s.placed in the Governor of Virginia, may
be found in the following extract from the
act of Assembly:
" SEcr. 7. 4aa be it farfbey esa9ea, That
" as soon as the said President and Directors, shall
" have completed the said road, ten miles from
s. the said linc, OF the said District of Columbia,
&c towards Little River, and SO from tine to time
g airy ether like distances progressively, they
/" State, who shall forthwith, appoint three skill
Z" full persons toview and examine the same, AID
'ss TO report TO him, whether the said road is so
{" far executed according 10 tbs meaning Of skis
/" al, and ii their report be in the affirmative,
/" the said Governor, shall permit them to ere6e
such, and 80 many Gates, or Turnpikes, upon
g the said road will be necessary, and also TO
ss appoint toll gatherers for the purpose Of coll
% leGiing the tolls, herein after granted to tie
" said company"
IF then the road be made longer by seve-
raj miles, than it might be upon another
equally convenient and practicable ground,
in order that the tolls may be multiplied,
what ought the Company to expect? They
are to expect, that no three skilful persons,
having viewed the road, will report that it
is executed according to the meaning of
the act, and the people of the counties of
Shenandoah, Frederick, Jefferson, Berk-
ley and I1oudoun, as well as part of the peo-
pie of Fairfax, will demonstrate against the
Turnpike Gates being erected, and their
being subjected to tolls, when they are put
out of their way so much as two orthree
miles in thirty two. Such persons for
whose benefit especially the law was pass
ed, will have good reason to insist that the
meaning of the act has not been complied
with.
To the Company, therefore, it is scri-
Gus matter for consideration, to what ex-
tent they would be injured, if the meaning
and letter of the law should be disregarded,
by making a long circuitous road, instead
OF a short, strait one to the Ford.
STRAIGHT-WAY.
(To be continued.
-an CD ~s~-
G. o N GR SIS