Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-01-15

ila,,ag chreriuily acceied To the wish of our
friends from Mary Lad separate, in our
To Congress and 1" the legislatures Of the ijac.nt
states, the application Tor charter of incofpora
lion, from any reques, Of pccuiury aid, have mo~
MI. Chairm~n, reviewed, aud enJeavored To ex-
p'a'u, every amendmen, OF the Vwgmia act Of
the I'D at Eebi uary last, wkich l regard as |
essential 10 the utility OF our contemplated cd |
nal. After uespass,ng long On your attention, |
viii more briefly consider the remaining a,aend- |
menis proposed by the Resolutions. Although they |
may prove highly exped,en, they are u",iuesiioUay
OF minor Importance. They are all inciudsd m the
last clause Of the second resolution, aud provide for
u limitation oil the maximum p,cf OF the stock oi
the canal, aud ior certain improvements OF the canal
ise, to be made dependant ou the iuiure excess oil
iha, profit beyond the prescribed limitations.
The restitution OF the melt profit OF the stock, after
the completion ut the canal 10 ID per cent. per an
mum, rs derived from the console, alton that the TOLLS
from which thus profit is 10 lie drawn, will operate as
"a tax on the transit of persons and the interchange
OF commaJi,,es They should, therefore, he AS light
AS is compatible with the offer of adequate inc
live TO private wealth to embark in useful public
enterprise. BY the Virginia system VI Internal inn
provemrnt, the highest prof, allowed To any coMpa-
ny, tn whose stock the Commonwealth subscrlbes,
limited, alter the first sixty years io IL per cent,
and, alter the lapse Of century, 10 10 per cent per
annum but the subscription, by The state, which
companies this limitation, OF two hhs oil the stock,
with release Of any claims 10 share Of the d,vi-
dcnds until tue individual subscribers shall have
cetved AK per cent. per anuuui on the sums which
they shall respectively have paid, may be regarded
qualified insurance. against iuIuIe iuss. The alb
sence OF similar Indemnify Is here supplied by what
is deemed equivalent enai genient of the Var
g'nia li1i,aiion Of iutu,e p,of TO 10 per cent.
But after this limit shall have been exceeded, the
resolutions propose to defer reduction OF the tolls,
until, by tho application of such sss, certain sipu
lated Improvements shall have Leen efecied.--
Two VI these, the Strengthening OF the works, OF
every description, aud provision Ivy ascending locks
or short lateral canals, with sui oioni uaid-ga,es,
for the easy and safe admission oil Loais uio the
uai, from suitable points on the adjacent river,
mig ma Va we'll led l,,
uIscTeuon, guided by the interest, of the future
stockholders. The Latter OF these amendments is
designed, however, and, hope, calculated 10 OH
waite very natural Jealousy, sui's,sng between the
Inhabitants Of the opposite hanks OF the Potomac,
well as the na,igab,e streams which ell It's
Ii assures, trust, to both, during the unavoidable
uncertainty, whether the canal will be hereafter
conducted the greater part OF It's way along the Ma,
iylAnd or the Virginia shore The mutual rujoymenI,
an eiIhet event, al a cOmmou benefit purchascd ~ n
couimOn price. The company will, at necessity, take
care thai The Navigation Ui tie canal susiaips
rous injury from The multiplication of these local
Recommendations.
The third, which is also the last, object pr opposed
10 be accomplished, by The application oi tne surplus
rolls TO lining the sides OF the canal thr,ug houi with
sione from its novelty, well AS us possible vaire
warrants, IL II does not require, ample
s,deIatou. 1t 10 suggested with some dithdence,
and whatever he its merit, il is due very inge
NOUS gentleman of Boston, MI. John l.. Suili,an,)
from whom received, shortly after The establish
ment of the Board Of Public Works in Virginia,
leiier apprising me of has hayDg recently invented
steam boat adapted TO canal navigation The chief OBJ
jection which have since heard expressed its use,
arises from us supposed tendency, lay violently agiia
ing the surface OF the canal wash and the retore
weaken, its banks. The proposed aaendnen ut eeks
obviae this injury by two parallel walls, the breadth
oil The canal apart, and OF height corresponding
with its depth OF water. in country every wheT
ahonnding with stone, and along the margin OF u
nal aiordng peculiar facilities oi trasp1 rIi ion, the
expense OF such willis would be less than the cost of
those permanent enclosures which suirosnd The Gull
ntEH hall Ia 9lna .,E
Their iDiroductio would adm, oi Ihe enlargement
OF the breadth Of The canal, lis bas., to very
Ills width at the surface. They would afford support
TO the embark ments of earth AT the sides, prcse
the owing-paths from ious Injury by frost RAIN
snd save the leequent Necessity Of cleaning out the
canal.
But the great purpose sought TO I've accomplished
by tins Improvement on the canal, If, as the resou
tons intimate, the substitution of for the labor
oil horses, ms the moving principle Of it's navigation.
inexhaustble beds Oh coal, of The best quality, lying
on the margin Oi the canal, wcu! supply, IA cost
not exceeding TWO cents per bnshel at the mine, all
the fusI required for this purpose. Should The TOW ing
paths OF the canal no longer he required a.ssi The
Ravisation by heing widened they might lie
into profitable ,urnpikes. Sieaui-b accommodate
ted IN their breadth and structure TO this use, ,
after navigating The rivers Of The Wcsi, might pro-
ceed, without obstruction or delay, to The various
markets oil ihe Last. Last, bui not least, among all
these advantages, would be the superior rapidly OF
motion, which, IN boats Of heavy burlhen, veil ne
OF passage, might be continued without impeachment
benefits OF such increased facility oC navigation
must be added the political and, of these, none
should he regarded as more impo' lant than those
which especially apperiain 10 % stale of war.
They may he summed up in The single purpose OF
expeditins every military movement from lie seat Of
governments in The direction Of tho Canal 70, bear
TO dwell upon thus interesting topic longer than to
peat the tre, hut, therefore, true reHark, that de-
lay oi day, or AN hour in campaign, is, soine-
times, pregnant with the fate Of battles and Of en-
PUes. How awful was that interval ola few days
only, which elapsed near The close of our late war
between The appearance Of The British fleet on Lake
Pontchartrain, The memorable night attack Of the
British camp on the sd Dec. and the glorious de-
lence Of the American lines on the 9th of January
10 government charged with the protection OF a
frontier SO exposed, SO remote, and al the same time
so important as That OF Louisiana, whatever accele-
rates the march Of rs armies, and the transportation
Of The materIel OF war, has value inneas ufabe hy
pecuBlaTy estimates.
come next, Mr.. Chairmau and last Of all, 10 ex-
plain the scheme of finance which the resolutions
nave presumed 10 recommend 10 the Convention, M
the event that the specific sun, required for tie first
section Of tile Canal, shall be supplied by pri-
vate subscriptions, ia the mode provided 10y VIZ
gina act, And first, sir, ~ proper perhaps, pre-
mise some reasOno for fixing this amount at =, 1850 eco
dollars.
The earliest estimate that have seen Of The pro-
bable cost of Canal along the Potomac, is thai
which was Submitted by the principal Engineer to
me boaid oi Public Works, and, by them, To the
General Assembly OF Virginia, along eiIb the sur
vey, TO which have already adverted. This est.
male furnishes 10y reference, only, TO the cOntem-
plated James River Canal, the dimensions Of that
designed Tor The Potsmac. Allowing for Tue exca-
walton OF the canal, a, 800 dollars per mile for the
oeh"ge, Go dollars per foot, The entire cost Of
Canal from Cumberland 10 The Grant Falls, dis
lance Of nc miles, computed III 500 dollars
1 he Engineer, who WAS OF equal mOdesty aud
integrity, aware that ibis esIo,aie was very moder-
ate, compared with the OF siD,ar works else-
where, adds, az hs apology, that Canal, Conduct
cd - along tie raVIne of rIvei, use his own tan
guage, being free from the interruption Of " deep
valleys, will he less costly Than requiring greai
enbanknenIs and elevated aqueducs."
The ehiimale of HE surcea.nr III ,Lis NM.