Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-12-25

II u
/ heretofore, the tro0,le and expense oe raj
sing 1t to such a height a, Rockets, as e
! &c secure from, freshes, and the loss o
! ume IN getting Il down, would more III IN
counter'balance any saving 70 be obtained
| oy the water conveyance, and when once
Deposited .on The, Basin, it could not be
raised up the bank and again put in boats.
even 1T vessels were waiting TO receive it.
twill only be observed in respect to that
article, that such an arrangement might
nave been made, as TO have reduced the
expense OK shipping it, to almost nothing,
and that tNRoaldhave received such encoa.
ragement, as not only to. have produ-
ced very considerable public benefits, but
to have added 8 or 1000 dollars per annnm
70 the revenue of tie lanes River Com
pany. .s
Altho' It has been stated, that not more
than one hith, or one sixth of the produce
coming into the Basin, would pass thro'
the Locks, yet there may be many days IN
season, perhaps several in success lion,
wren they might be fully occupied; if this
should happen at any time between the
months ct June and November, when the
lanai generally affords no more water than
IS Sufficient to supply the mills, it must
cause a serious inconvenience to them, or
VIII require considerable expense to rene.
dy. - y
Another evil VIII be experienced. of
great and lasting Importance, where there
are such nunter of Locks; some of them
viii freqsenty be getting out of order, and
IN the course OF about once in every eight
or ten years, new set will require to Oe
erected, from which-an enormous expense
will be. repeatedly incurred, without any
prgspe ct OF its ceasing or dimin shing, and
all this to accommodate. not more than one
fifth Ior one SIX hpart OF the produce which
VIII enter the Basin, and even that, under
circumstances, which must prevent its be-.
ing attended with any thing more than a
very inconslderable advantage.
citizen o. Richmond, being struck with
the Inconvenience, and little prospect of
public or private benefit, which was like.
iy 20 arise from this communication, at.
tempted 10 devise a plan, which he sup
posed would be equally conducive to the
interest OF the community, and the James
River Company. 1t was, to form Ca.
nal from Rockets, to pass under the river
bank, TO communicate by an arm, with the
MARKET bridge, and to terminate at the
LOOT OF the Basin, to be secured by stone
wall, of such width and depth as to admit,
oy two or three Locks, any vessel which
might come up the river--to communicate
with the Basin. by an inclined plane, or
oy Staples machine, and to accommodate
the trade by range of Warehouses, for
the purpose of receiving and shipping of
produce, which would have been immedi.
ateiy 'on its bank, and of more than one
mile s extent. 1t was estimated by the most
accurate calculations which could be made,
at the expense of 1874 600 dollars, which il
was proposed, should be reimbursed by
toll on the produce passing through it, G.
quai to one fourth OF the present expense
OF drayage and WHARFAGE.
On that footing, it wouldhave bcen attend.
ed with the saving to the trade of Richmond,
as 1t Is now prosecuted, OF not less than
5000 dollars per annum.
Ii would have INCREASED the revenue of
the James River Company, at least &c, 900
dollars per annum
1t would have added to the resources of
the Cry of Richmond. in the Improvement
OF slip OF waste land, more than 5000
dollars. per annum. ,-
And it would have INCREASED the value
OF individual properly, upwards of 200, 600
dollars.
1t would have been profitable in a high
degree. 1t would have been as safe, as
convenient, and as useful as any thing of
this kind, could be conceived or devised
IL would have been elegant, beyond any
public locks whic' have beer as vet, execu-
ted within the United States, and would
have reflected credit, not only on the James
Niver Company but on our Legislature,
and even on the whole Stare of Virginia.
Impressed with these ideas, the propro.
ser OF it, communicated his notes and OBJ.
servations to several of those he knew to
be deeply interested in it, and from such
OF them as possessed any knowledge of, OF
turn for mechanicks, it met with the full
lest appreciation. 1t was also submit ted to
four OF the directors, (Col. Gamble was not
applied to) and finally the City Represen-
tative was applied to, and obtained the
appointment of committee, to investigate
and determine what improvements might
be made, on the former acts of the Leg s.
lature, on this subject.
Why the chairman of that committee
should have tailed or neglected TO have
obtained meeting OF IT, in consequence
of which, considerable and very led.
less waste OF public mon has area-
dy accrued, 1t may be difficult for any
ore, perhaps even himself, to assign sa-
tisfsctory reasons for--but IL there may
be blame attached To the conduct If that
gentleman, as too evidently appears to be
| the cases the directors of the James Ri
yer Company, were certainly lar more
culpable-As the repre- sentatives of that
company, they we're ound by the strong
| est ties of dutv and hooor- IN endeavor m