Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-08-25
IL IL CENTS sEGCLEl

! Canals, it is acknowledged, are not OF
such Indispensable importance as roads.
But, inasmuch as The routes they open
VIII eventually supercede the necessity of
roads in similar liue, from the vast diff
ference in the prices of transported on, il
IS impoita that an carly designation and
execution OF them be made to prevent a
useless expenditure OIL money on turn
pixies, OF little. or no utility after lie es-
Enlistment Of CORE spondeut canals. Nor
can The interests of great seat of trade
be more extensively promoted than by the
formation OF canals leading Tito The ute.
ror county. Though the expense of ca
mails IS greater thar mat Of tu,up kes, the
fcir'huiion more than Keeps pace with il.
s.. Another argument against ali pubic
works IS that public money IS generally
wasleluiiy applied. Oi the ius,ness OF
this abstract rema,h as little doubt can be
entertained rs OF the former. But it is
not thence dedncible tia: all public works
are inexpedieul. II so, we should have
no Ialls, court houses, poor houses or Other
pubic edihces. Al that can be reason
ably inherited isIhat w Should ALWAYS leave
10 individuals the accompiisL ment of those
objects 20 hich they are competent md
no. that we should oppose the execul on
by the public Of those Objects Of utiii,y,
which they alone can eff g. II would
Gouhtltss cost a nation less TO name one
man to make lheir laws, and to execute
them: than 10 cal! together large bodies,
In different districts; but 10 enc is so
much ot mad man, as thence to infer
the preference OF despotic 10 republican
Institutions. The ruth is, there is no hu-
man benefit without lis attendant ALLOW.
Every thing valuable has its price, aid
1t is folly 10 revolt against a law OF orr
nature.
(But this argument may be easily dis
armed OF more thaD half ITS icrct.--1 ho'
u be true that the dsburse Inent Of pubic
money on objec:s thaLr quire yigilant
ureunlendsnce IS often accompanied bv
pr"dIgni waste, yet experience Shsws rs
that II may be co-uolied by conneG ion
with individual interest, IS Il not ahcee.
Tier TO overcome lit evil, al least greatly
10 reduce L. Several NOME ins'iI IL
ons, such as Banks ard ,nsu3 :, CO CofnA
paI.ies, have been established / .nu5,oa
OF pubic and private conrlbu icns. The
state governments have Contributed in
some 81 these Instances as much IS enc
third OF the carigai; AID The general 90
ve'nment III IS, abl' hing The bank of the
United States, took sock To the amount
ot two millions and half, being one fourth
OF the capital Of he institution. n all
these cases certain portions OF the general
upeintendance of the institutions were
reserved by the governments md innonei
oi Tho m mas II ever been sand iha, this pub
lic saenoy operated njuriously TO the ee-
neFal interests oil the incorporated bodies,
or To the interest OF the sta Jon The
contrary, it mas invariably ven.i' repu-
Iauon 10 them; they have ACQUIRED more
oil the rublc con1deuce AID their 81, k
mas flStn highe! than that oi Institutions
resting entirely On private supper
4 his fealu'e may, without any difficult
y, be introduced Ito any system of matte
oniI Improvement. InasnuCh as it is i'm
possible To efiect any part of such sys-
tenn without directly or immedia,el, adj
Val cinS the interest OF a particular dis
VIct or county, and generally of some
seat OF trade or manufactures TO which il
"ih be tributary on facility of inter-
course, there VII never be Nantiue those
Who "Iil make considerable pecuniary adj
v"nces, which in union with public contri~
u'ions viii lom JOINT stock capable of
beng placed under the direction of pub
nc and private agents. BY these means
a reciprocal check will be created the
one on the prodigal expenditure of pubic
money, and The other on the narrow views
OF personal interest.
(Io be confinued.)