Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-11-07

aDIIIy comply WIIIi,n reh-onnNIr
time aud whether amy, and what aid, should lac
given 10 the said company, aud what would he the
best means ol euecting improvement the nayi-
gaiiom OF the said river report:
That, compliance with the iniuncIious OF the
two states, they did assemble in Georgetown on tie
I'd day of July last, aud commenced e ,lisrl pc al
their duties, by examining the affairs of the PO,umac
company. Aud II appears the company have NOT ou
] " expended The whole of the dividing stock. hut
have incurred heavy debts, Which their present re-
sources can ne' enable them TO discharge Nor is
II reasonable To expect, in such circumstances that
they can ever elect the objects of their incorpora
uon A d i,linct statement OF the accounts debts,
receipts aud expenditures of the said company, is
hereto annexed, marked (A(
The provisions aud special conditions Of the char
ter, and laws Of the two States then occupied their
attention, previous TO tue examination of the works,
winch had been executed under tho direction, aud
az ne expense on tiis company, The river. From
! the best consideration which they could give the
SUBJECT appears TO the commissioners that the Po-
ton,ac company have failed comply with the terms
! anu conditions oil The acts of their ncorporaon.-
An abstract OF the charter. and the laws relative to
that subject, are herewith presented, marked (B)
IL VIII be thus seen, that the right take tolls,
aud NIL other privileges were granted them on condi-
ton that the navigation OF the river should he COM
pIeted within given specified time, which ias been
varlorsly extended by subsequent laws, and finally
expired under the Maryland law on the frs, Janua-
~, 1913, aud under that of Virginia, on the LIST of
January, 1920 that the navigation reauired To lie
erected, was such as should render the river well
capable of being navigsted, in dry Seasons bv YES
sells drawing one foot water - that, upon nppica-
non ny the Potomac company TO the legislature of
Virginia, IN 1902, for ap exposition of the words
dry seasons, that the legislature declared, that
those words, " as used IN the charter, were To he
Intended aud understood AT all seasons ~ An in.
terpreiation, of which The correctness cannot be
wen questioned From an actual measurement Of
the depth ol the river by the commissioners, il was
ascertaIhrd, that The time OF their examination Of
It there was not sufficient depth of waller for the
navigation OF boats drawing even six inches. It's
true, that al Their session OF 1902 the Mary land lie
gisature passed law founded the idea. that the
Potomac company had accomplished the object or
! lhe'r incorporation, confirming TO that company all
Tue rlghls ana privileges condliunaily granted ~ the
Charter But, is extremely apparent, thai TO all.
solve iton nm obligation, requires equal or paramount
power to that which imposed it and, of course,
neither Virginia Mary Wand could sinvy release n
| condition which the Potomac comuapv had hound
themselves, to both, To perform. The act of the Ma
ryanu legislature can, therefore, only be consitLre ed
ia nusaIury and, indeed, that legislature itself
seems so 10 have considered for, in The year 1909
seven years alter the passage the coniirmaoty act
! u phsseu another law, extending to that COMPANY
| me Tune ol completing the navigation of the river
| Inc commissioners upon full consultation, do mol
ueem prudent, or eXpedient, give further mid 10
inc fotnmac company. The only alternative, there
I3re, that now remains, is TO divest them Of their
c""!eT, ana adopt some more elIectual mode of inn
proving the navigation of the river Nor can this
procedure he regarded harsh when duly consider
Gu l"| Jaw anu justice oi 1t, II is presumed, have
heen made manifest WIN il he an injury 10 the
stockholders: Look AT the exposition Of their az
ia'Is, marked Co furnished 10y the company itself !:
oSe tue annual amount Of heir tolls and in the pre-
sch' ueiecuVe state OF their navigation, which they
nave no means OF improving, can IL ever be increas-
Ell: Deduct from it the expense of repairs md CON
""genc'es, as salaries TO clerks and loli-gaherers
am iheh compare II with the amonnt of their tIebls
or even me annual interest OF their debts and WIS.,
! i"na'y, indeed, must I've that man. who can exnect
ever 10 draw cent of profit from such stocks With
SUCH resources, can such debts he redeemed The
Tact ~, tue Potomac company are preciselv nm the
situation oil all other chartered companes who fail
III ,,eiI undertaking. their expected profits have
e'eniua'ed in loss and disappointment
IL IS due, however, 10 tla company to state that
ai'honsh errors under which they aborod in the prn
cIples and practice of improvements i'm navigation
have been great, and have caused useless exnendi-
lure oi large sums still they acted with The best
lights heretofore possessed by the best informed pcr-
sons III our states. They have not only Dded The
whole OF their original stock in attempts 10 improve
me river hut nearly all their tolls with the excep-
Ton oi their necessary annual expenses having been
appropriated 10 the same purpose And their Iaure
TO accomplish the objects Of their incorporatiop NAV
ne larry attributed 10 want of information on the
sn'Dec', NJ Tue very early period Of existence as
NATION, when Thai company was formed
Inc journal OF notes made by the commissioners Of
Tue condition oil the navigation and depth Of wafer
taken from day TO day, as they descended The river
IS herennio annexed, marked (D) from which il will
ne seen that the river TO Goose Greek, which has
been "scerained to he l57 miles long, in no section
o. zen miies AT all navigabe in low water by loaded
boats oi any Kind or dimensions and for more than
elghy miles, distractions from shadows sufficient 20
stop skill, IRE to he with on an average d;y-
sions Of Ii'at distance every half mile
Inc Present State Of The .tarigdiion
u has been stated, and is believed by many per-
sous, that the river Potomac, in its present condi-
ii0n, IS naVIgable half the year The Potomac COM
pany are required 10 give low water navigation of
loot depth throughout the year. This crcun-
stance" and the idea entertained Of the possibility of
combining the waters in the he'd of the river 10 mar
row sluices, have confirmed this opinion The COM
miSSIoners have given minnie examination TO tins
branch oi the duties imposed npon the M md satis
Ell themselves IRON their own observations and the
most careful inquiries, that such blessing is en-
flows.
The foods and lreshels give the only navioation \,
present uSeu lhey occur usually from The first Of
september, TO the 2Oih Of June vaTiousy however
IN various years, and il so happens that although
boats aIe known in some Years TO pass down tIro
each OF the months intervening between these CIales
yet, IN consequence OF the ice tluting winter and
AS short continuance of food giving navigsble
water, The average duration OF the boating lime in n
course OF many years, does much f al all tx.
coed eis or ten day passable water for full loaded
boats lde ~ the year, and from % to 80 tnys I'm fine
spring of the year making The whole time ,y6en
produce and goods he stream borne in the course
OF one enTe common year, from thirty three To for.
y'hVe days The duration Of this period necessari-
" increases as you approach the Great Falls and
decreases you ascend 10 the head of the river Tie
evils attending The present state OF navigation lessen
The benefits which might be supposed 10 be derived
from even this short period They chiefly consist in
us uncertainty, and dependence the yicssitutes of
The seasons, in tue great rapidly of The current Of
TIC fiver ~ consequence Of the gTpaf fall or incnn-
non OF lis plane III proportion 10 ID length in it's dan
ge'""s character arising iroH the wildness Of the
torrent ANA The suddeuuess Of its curves L. members
having worn It's devious way in tie Iapse of aces
through countless ridges of rocks and mountains
Aud 10 consequence OG huge fragments of rocks and
I"iSe oOse siones TIE remains OF lie wasted noun
mius, scattered hckly and ia some places rising o.
yer Tue enure bed OF The river aud leaving 90 tas-
sage Tor loaded boats impeed w he rapid and i'm
pcinnus current, but what may be found by varying