Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-12-05

Georgia to Massachusetts. This. it may
Justly be said, is a National work but the
co operation of the States is herhahs indis-
pensab.e it W ould certainly greatly facil-
tate its accomplishment. To Virginia,
more particularly. belongs the improve
rnent ct her own rivers and roads, will
take the lbeity OF asking yonr attention to
those which l consider of primary impor-
| tance and to the funds which might be
appropriated to the undertaking. BY emu
merating some improvements, | am very
tar from wishing to exclude others; on the
contrary, think this great work should be
catered upon, with a determination to ex-
tend its advantages to every part OF the
State
To improve James river to its source,
ana Connect it with the waters OF Greenbri-
er and Kanawha rivers by turnpike road,
would confer incaculable ben fits, political
and ccmmerrial. I am in d ,ily expectation
osreceving from Philadelphia the Report
OF the Commits oners with the map of
James and Kanawha rivers, and hope to
have the honor of laying them before the
General Assembly. Roanoke, including
communication with some of the waters of
the Chesapeake, presents the next great
object, and is perhaps of inferior value to
James river, from the single circumstance
of its not being entirely within the State
What remains to be done on the Potomac
and its tributary streams, particularly
Shenandoah {: and to remove the obstruc-
tions in the Rappahanuock, merit the at
tention of the Legislature.
With regard toroadS, | would recon-
mend a revision of the laws, in order To
embrace the Improvement of all the mar
ket roads of the St2te Thos. Of chief IL
tiity should beturnpikcd and where all
the funds could not be obtained by individ-
u1i enterprise, a proportion to be contiTbu-
ted by the State. The roads, that demand
our eai lest attention are, The Mail route
from North to South, passing through our
towns at the head of tide water the road
from Abingdon to the Potownac, west Of
the Blue Ridge the great roads leading
from the westward to our market towns
and road from the Northwestern part Of
the State to Rockfish or SwiItrun Gaps so
as to give direct communication between
the Seat OF Government and that section
OF the State. 1t is believed, that few of
these roads, in the present state Of our pop
ulation, would require TO be paved or gra-
yelled, and that, excepting the vicinity of
the large towns, it would be sufficient to
straighten, graduate and shape them and
to have sufficient bridges and causeys. In
this way, 1t is presumed Adventures would
be found to make the necessary improve
ments. for reasonable tolls. if the State lent
assistance by taking part of the Stock
L he great impeachment to such improve
ments, is the difficulty of commanding
funds. 1t is in the power of the State to
draw money from several sources. First,
the Stock owned by the State, of the vari-
Gus companies for improving rivers, in cases
where such stock will sell at or above par
as the stock of the State in the James Ri
yer Company the stock of the State in
the Bank OF Virginia, and in the Farmers
Bank or at least the dividends arising from
that Stock and the interest upon the debt
due by the United States. These various
sources afford ample means for the accom-
plishment of all these great objects.
There is still another subject to which |
earnestly solicit the attention of the Legis
iature (; the Education of our Youth. In
Republic where every member OF the So
ciety is called upon to discharge public da-
| ties, and may aspire to the highest employ
| ments, it is of indispensable Importance, to
| place the means OF instrut ton within the
| reach OF all. Sclf-government, our dear
est privilege, cannot be exercised without
Intelligence which can only be attained
| BY means of Schools widely and equally
| distributed through the country. That we
| are lament IDLY deficient in Summaries of
| Learning, is evinced by the f4ct, that ma
| ny of our citizens find it expedient to send
their sons to other States for insiruc-
| ton. This repr0ach to our public spirit
will, hope, be removed by the wisdom
| of the Legislature.
On The day that the " Act authorizing
! regular force for the Defence of the Com
| monwealth' was signed, it was put into
the Post Office. under cover to the Score
| tary Of War, with an assurance that every
| thing in my power should be done tc give
| the utmost dispatch to the execution of the
| law. The papers enclosed in No. /, are
| copies ofthe Correspondence with the Sc
| CT. tary upon that subject, and my General
| Orders of the ooh Of February last. Hap
| ply, the restoration of peace superseded
| the necessity of exc cutting the law. ! sus-
| pended it until further orders, believing
| the good of the State required me to take
that step, and thatI had authority to do it,
under the power to fix the time for the
! Courts to proceed to execute the law. In
| consequence Of the peace, immediate mea-
sures were taken, by dsbanding the militia
| means in the power Of the Executive, to
stop the expenditure of public money
| Notwithstanding which, / have been under
| thenecessity of borrowing of the Farmers
Bark S 100000, under the powers given to
| the Executive by the Act OF the 10th of
January, 1915. The proposition to make
| loan was made to the President Of
| the Farmers Bank, when the payment of
the loan of s 100000 was completed. lie
/ offered whatever sum should Ue wanted at