The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-01-23


and legislator, that am induced to com
'i.in;case the circumstances to a friend to
the happiness and prosperity of his country.
During the week ending the last year, Il
MIR. Welics ut this town, "A Young gentie-i
man OF great activity and mercantile infor-
NATION, has received at the Custom House
certificates OK the legal mportation of goods
TO the amount OF thirty Thousand dollars,
which have been sent to Mr2tco by the
following rout:
Fgoci Boston tn Providence In Wagons,
thence 10y water through the Sound u Anu
boy, thence IN Wagons and by water to
thence in Wagons to Pitts
burg, thcn down tie Chi" aud Mississippi
20 rev Orleans and from thence by land
and in boats to Mexico. Thus transport
lns merchandise by inland conveyance a
greater distance th.n has ever been done
by the people OF any age or cou ltry, save
by those who trade betwecn China and
Moscow.
But what is most astonishing, she exptnce
from this to New Orleans is only four and
one half per cent. on the cost of the goods
IN Boston, while the insurance alone on such
as are sent by the way of the ocean, is 80
md not less than 20 per cent. At any rate,
the freight, insurance and other charges on
such as are sent coastways is not less than
80 OF 50 per cent. which makes a saving IN
favor OF inland transportat of from Is 1 .
20 " l-2 per cent. / am informed chat if
the war continues, great trade will thus
DC carried on between the northern ports
and New Orleans. and from thence to
south America not emily to places on the
isthmuS, but across the Gulph of Mexico
20 the various ports OH tue Maine and in
Brazil.
Such goods as are thus transported not
'eins entitled to a drawback of the duties
III perhaps prevent So great traffic as
therwise would take place, were deben
ures allowed to be issued on such AS we're
Xported from New Orleans, which had
peen Carried there, inland, from the North
Eastern Atlantic ports. But as they are
'ow transported, the advantage is in favor
Ut the new mode /; most of the articles which
are adapted tor those markets pay IS per
cent duty, but when exported, three and
halt per cent. is deducted from the a.
mount OF duties, which will not leave in de.
oentares enough SO pay the insurance.
rom this single fact, it is very obvious that
the facility OF transportation should be i'm
proved by canals and good roads. When
involved III wars, the people make eXer-
lions and discov cries of infinite Importance
co the nation, which are overlooked during
times of peace.
Many able speculations have been pub
iished on tine immense benefits which would
De derived from uniting the various waters
81 tie y. = ates, and bringing districts of
the Uulon nearer each other by turnpikes.
MT. GAllatin, some few years since, made
a mos able report to Congress on this sub
ject, which was read and forgotten. The
property wn;cl. has been captured by a
small British pr;vateer from Nova Scotia
this tall, OF Cape Cod, where she has made
two cruizes against the coasting vessels
from Southern ports, would more Than have
made canal from Bussards Bay to that of
Barnstable, for the cargoes are estimated
at S 10000 and would have been saved by
such a canal
have taken the liberty of making these
remarks from conviction that when view
is dispassionately taken of the subject, the
National Legislature will not neglect such
measures as shall tend to advance the best
interest OF their country. No nation on the
globe is capable of being so easily and per-
tectiy canaled as this. Our large lakes
and numerous rivers offer the means of in
tersecting every part of the country with
channels. Public and private land will
thereby be increased in value, while en-
p!oyment will be given to a large portion
or the inhabitans. Two hundred Wagons
TOR the last three months have been in con-
slant employ from Boston to Providence.
while before the war there were only two.
which were regular baggage Wagons
You may from these facts form some idea
OF the great advantages which must result
from Internal Navigation.
With sentiments of the highest esteem,
have the honor to be,
Sir, your obedient servant,
II. a. Y. DEARBORN.
Hon. SAMUEL L. MITCHILI