The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-11-28


TO THE LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.
JAMES RIVER CoMpANY.-A petition was
prefented to the laft AiIembly, hgned by fcvc-
raj inhabitants OF Richmond, whole profened
oble0 was To obtain Il charter for the incorpo-
ration OF company, to deepen the channel &
clear away obltruStions, in the James River
TINS general ichemc comprehended two flbor-
dinate operations. The hrf was to open COM
munication between Warwick's and Rockets
landing, naoi gale to vefes that carry between
800 and 500 tons The other was to extend this
communication from Rockets to Rock landing
FOR veiiels that draw about feet of water. The
diitance between the two iirt points on the ri
yer, is about fix miles: the dtance from Rock
stt'sto Rock landing is about three quarters of
mile. 1t was itated in the petition, that theie
operations would require comfortable ex-
pence that it would be necef1ary TO blow up
iome rocks in the river near MIR. Rofs's mill,
and that III order to force current of rapid wa
ter along the ihore and fweeping Rock landing
and the mouth of Shockol creek, it would pro-
baby he necef1ary to cree dam, OF fold ma
terials, from certain point in the river to Col.
Nayo's i1and. 1t is plain that this operation
alone would involve comfortable expencc, and
ali expence too, that was difficult to reduce to
aprccile Ultimate without the aid of fomc preli-
minary trials, and the refearches of fome expert
artiit. The OTHER part Of the plan, the clearing
out of the river between Rockets and War
wick's, would probably require a greater ex-
pence, and would involve an expence more diff
iicult to reduce to any accurate Ultimate. a
iuiicient enquiry might have eaiily convinced
the Legislature, that vaft MATES of fand were to
be removed from 4 fand bar near Warwck's:
that the nature even OF the bed of the river had
not been afcertaincd with any degree of certain
ty: that no express experiments had been made
for the purpofe of determining whether the OBJ
itruttioDs between the upper extremity of the
bar and Rockets landing conlifed OF foft or
field fubhance; whether it was find or whe-
ther IT was rock and if of rock, whether that
rock was too compact to be broken into fnaIler
fragments by the ordinary mechanic powers, or
whetherit would be neeeliary to exhauft the wa
ter from the bed ard fracture them by the force
of gun-powdcr: efficient enquiry would have
iatisfed the legislature, that all thefe facts had
net been dcertaiT1e6, and that tine mott conitant
mariner in the river, or the moft nterefted inha-
bitant in Richmond, had not taken the trouble
to explore them. 1t follows from this fate
ment, that the eXpence OF accom- liihing the OBJ
ject ofthe petition zuould probably be peyy con-
.F4erabie, and that il qUaS at that moment CON-
pleatly iUeer.ain.-Yet without knowledge of
theie neceii&ry data, how could the legislature
determine the rate OF Tolls, which they ihould
impcte upon ve6eis? How could they d-ter-
mine whether certain foliage multipi'~6 By
the an'olmt Of tons on which they would T.. n
titled to receive tolls, would furnifh or nor an
adequate dividend on the company's flock
There was anotbe- clais of facts, perhaps
equally important, and aIruot equally unknown
to the members of the Legislature. How derb
was the lowett part gifts channel? How many
feet of water NUT tie veGel draw, which can
navigate this part of the river? the river is
conftantiy filing up; if it is every year becom-
ing mere and more gtalow, what period rnuf
clapf. before it ihal become inacceiiible to vef-
fels of certain draught Of water, which eafily
navigate it at the prefcnt time Yet without
knowledge of tbsje data, how could the legilla-
ture determine what vefIels fhould be brought
within the fcope of the law, or what draught of
water muft thofe vefiels have, which fhould be
exempted from the payment of the tolls? And
how could they determine what period mutt
elapie before vellels of a 6n0lier drausht of wa
ter fhould be fubje6tcd to foliage; if they fhoud
think proper to adopt the principle, that all vef
tcls fhould make 4 compensation to the compa-
ny for the eXpence ofclesring out the river, from
the moment VIXEN, without fuch an af1ifaoce,
the,i'er, by filing up, might have become mac
cefIible to them,
Under thefe circumstances, what Qct me alc)
was the mott advifable policy which the lesina-
ture could pnriuc: This fcheme, which they
had before them, was not one which demanded
the immediate exertions of focety. II was not
like an infurecton or war, that required the
inftantaneous interference of the government.
On the contrary, this was work which was to
be calmly agitated in period of peace, and
which might have admitted al! the maturity of
experience and the d!fcuilions of wifdom, The
evil, which it was intended TO redrefs, was evi.
IDENTIFY increahng every day but it was increa
fling in fuch a Iilent and imperceptibe manner,
that it was not calculated 20 excite comfortable
alarm, and il was not necefary to apply imme-
diate remedies. The auvion of the fands of
the river was certainly progrcflivc; but its pro-
grefs fIrely was not 70 rapid as to require that all
experience and deliberaton f1ould be com
peatly surrendered. Even the law itfclfallows
the incorporated company two years for the
commencement of their undertaking. What
then Qet me repeat) was the policy mott obvi
ouny prefented to our legillature? Was il not
their policy to Paufe, and enquire, before they
proceeded to organize this charter? They might
have appointed commifiouers to make the ne
ce6ary experiments. They might have empow-
cred them 20 found the depths and afcertan the
nature OF the bed of the river. They might
have even empowered them to have employed
Tome ikfui artft TO have explored every minute
circumfanCe, and TO have formed fome proba-
bic Ultimate of the expence of the undertaking.
The report of all theie details might have been
prefented to them during their enfuing FELTON,