Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-12-19
WES7ERN co anUNIC17TON.
No. ..
TO TIE EDITORS OF THE ENQUIRER.


quest you will have the goodness TO Law
them before the public through the medi>
um OF the Enquirer.
According TO estimates accurately
made, The quantity OF Coal brought down
the canal has not exceeded tour hundred
thousand bushels for an average of the
last four years.
II is difficult TO conceive upon what
principles il is expected, that the guam.
THY will suddenly increase TO two million of
bushels, the smallest quantity coniem-
paied IN the report of the principal en-
gineer.
The toll now charged. amounting to
abOat 75 cents per hundred bushels. is
though; charge sufficiently bur,hensome
by those who have il 10 pay II, there
fore. they are required TO pay 50, il is to
be feared II will have the tendency 10 in
duce some OF The golfers, who now use
the river, TO cease working Their pits for
tine, which would exactly sui The pur
poses at those who Wagon their coal
altogether, and enable them 10 dispose
OF theirs 10 The greatest advantage.
In place of fixing high toll on This
most important article, ii would seem To
nae better policy to fix il al The lowest
rate possible, tn induce The workers of
pits a, some distance from thp river, To
lay oul money IN Improving their roads 10
tile river, that they may avail themselves
OF the improved navigation. Indeed, l
believe that more revenue would in time
be derived from THIS article, by making
the navigation OF The river free 10 the car
Fiers Of coal tor a cefi,iu number OF years,
than by the imme,'iaie imposition of the
toil contemplated Tor, in that case,
feel assured II will be long, ere much of
the coal from the neigEiborhoed of Black
heath or Deep Run will be carried 10
The. river at all, 10 pay toll.
From The comparative estimates OF ex-
pense OF bringing coal 10 Richmond stat
ed III The reports, il will appear Obvious
10 every reader that The expense of wag
gonlng Is stated therein al rates The most
enormously nigh. and which prevailed
only while provisions were al the highest
rates; whereas the bringing il down BY
wafer, after boats of one thousand hush.
els buriien can navigate the river, il rat
ed so low IA scarcely TO come Within Tie
compass Of probability.
Moreover these reports assert, tina, the
coal ~ dtteriOraIPd, rs il is now brought
down lhe river, from the extra bandIIug
gwen To u, al the raie of five cents per
bushrl. The GOALS certainly deieriorat-
Ell IN some degree, bat il is not perceived
how less handling is 10 be given To that
which is consumed in Richmond, aud i, is
well known 10 The inhabitants of this place,
thata large proportion ofihe coal now bro't
down the riveris preferred &c that from
the Deep Run pits which is all waggoned,
and that the coal from the Black Heath
PITS has always borne an extra price,
rot Oh account VI lis having been wap-
g0ned, but OH account OF its superior
quality, tor the use OF CRATES 40 thai i, is
absurd 10 ascribe the extra price given
Tor the Black Heath coal, eniireIv 10 IFS
heing less handled than The coal from The
other pits.
LIT me not be thought 10 undervalue
Tie importance of the coal irade. No one
appreciates u al higher rate than do;
and because think II capable OF becnm
ing most fertile source of revenue bv
tolls, wish il TO be f9siured and enconr.
aged BY all reasonable means, aud not
checked IN It's infancy, las il Ipay vet be
called by heavy and ruinous rxaclions.
would suggest, therefore, that The Lee
gisialure take this part OF The subject
again under their attentive cOnsideTal lion,
Dotl lor the sake 81 protection 10 the coal
trade itself, and 10 guard against the
drawing any delusiYe calculations of rev.
Ilue tlerefrom.
| would farther respectfully propose.
that The boards of commissioners appoint
ell Tor the James and Jackson rivers be
entirely independent oil the board appoint.
Ell Tor The kdnhawa river and road. and
thal IN like manner The last mentioned
fOdd be also independent of Tie former:
as Otherwise II may fairly be apprehend-
ed, that their proceedings will be greatly
embarrassed by conflicting Interests and
opinions {: whereas, if these boards are
made entirely independent of each other.
II may reasonably be expected that tI,ey
VIII vie only as 20 which, shall execute The
work entrusted 10 their care in the spee-
dIest, best and cheapest manner besides
each OF these boards will ihen be laid
under separate and distinct respunsibi-
lily, which will afford the best guarantee
Tor their Jealous and faithful exeriions.
From an attentive perusal Of the sug-
gesiiOns contained in my remarks onihis
subject, il will be found that have not
extended my views farther, than TO sug-
gest such means as think necessary, 10
insure tie Improvements OF the James and
Jackson rivers leaving 10 others ilie care
oithe Improvement OF Tie Kanhawa river&
the contemplated road OF junction which
wish 10 see also forthwith CARVING for.
ward, for deem these improvements also
+ TO be OF most essential consequence even
I TO this part Of tile state, and | leave this
/ latter part OF The subject 10 others in con.
hdence, that there will be no want of zeal.
s amongst those who are locally Interested,
to take care that all impedimenls towards
these improvements should be removed.
Trusting therefore an active cooperation
on the part OF those most immediately
interested IN the kanhawa navigation and
ROAD, have only TO repeat, that | deem
" essential towards insuring the immedi-
ate pIOUresa Of The unrk ihaf ihn aiai..