Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-01-22
MEMoRIAL OF the CONVENTION
Held al Edskiag'oa, concerning tAs
POT0WMAC NAyIG ALTON.
y, II

q duty imposed upon them by an as
sembla-e OF citizens Of the states of
Virginia, MARYLAND and Pennsylyaaia,
and of the District OF Columbi,, at
Washington, on The 9th November,
1898, and on theis behalf--beg leave,
respectfully and earnestly. to invite the
attention of your honorable body 10 the
subject of the improvement Of tile navi-
CATION Of the Potowmac river, with All
ultimate view of connecting il, Ly a
water communica alton, with the naviga-
bic rivers of the west.
Inc attempt that was commenced,
near ferry years ago, under the aus
piees of Virginia and Maryland, to fit
this river for the purposes of the com
merce OF the extensive and fertile re-
gion drained by it and its tributary
streams, has eventuated in absolute
failure, The dangers, the difficulties,
and tina uncertainties of its navigation
in ats present state, are minutely and
faithfully detailed in. the report Of the
joint commission, provided by the act
of February 10th, 1923, to which your
bt@ ttafs W Ttt&I-
The funds Of the Potowmac company
are exhausted, and no doubt remains OF
the utter incapacity of that company to
make any further progress whatever in
the ss5ject Of its incorporation.
The act of the last session Of tie
General Assembly, providing fsr, or
rather authorizing, the makins OF
canal from the highest practicable point
OF this river to :,ssa water, has also, IS
might have been confidently anticipat-
ed, proved wholly abortive. Indiyidu-
al enterprise and capital, at this period
especially, when great arrangement in
the nonied concerns of the country has
every where shaken private credit to
its foundations, arc not to be relied up
on for werks of such magnitude. Gcy-.
ernments, alone, are adequate TO un-
dertalIings that require great .expendi-
lures of money, aud much time for their
completion.
Under these circumstances, your
memoralists, representing the interests
and speaking the wants Of a popuiation,
amounting probably TO half million,
beg your honorable body to bear with
them, while they endeayor TO lay before
you some OF the views ia which this.
subject claims, as they think, your
most serious and anxious attention.
It's rot for your memorialists to seek
to instruct those to whom they now adj
dress themselves, in relation to the ei-
fects upon all the great interests Of com
munities, of facilities Tor internal inter-
course, and of t.latby canals, the most
perfect <nd the most beneficial Of all. s..
r Will be sufficient here to state in
the general, that the expense Of trans
portation upon well constructed canals,
is to that upon the best made roads, as
one to ten. The effect of such dimi-
mutton in the expense of production,
scarcely needs to be illustrated by ex--
penence While it Increases, very
greatly, the value of all commo dities
that already bear the charges of trans
portatioa, it generates new articles of
commerce, or gives value to commodi-
ties possessing none without it--gives
birth to occupations that before had no
existence, and thus adds to the popula-
ton, the wealth, the security and hap
piness Of nations. Canals, in a COM
mercial view, are valuabl:, principally
if not precisely, in the degrae in which
| they open new commercial intercourse,
in relation either to regions beLsssen
which the re previously existed none, or
to commodities which were before un-
known to trade.
| In both Of these views, your memo
rialists are thoroughly satisfied that a
canal on the line of the Potowmac, is
more important than any other scheme
! of internal improvement that can be de-
lgised.
On the upper waters of the Potow-
mac, the territory Of Virginia abounds
| in the most useful mineral productions;
and nothing but access to market Il
| wanting TO call forth resources OF the
utmost value to the best interests OF the
Commonwealth quantity and varie
ty, certainly unsurpassed, and probably
unequalled in aay similar region OF thu
Union. The limits Of this nsemoria
will not permit a detailed view Of Ties,
resources, and your memorialists mus
eoafne themselves to one or two o
those the most prominent Iron ore .
the best quality, abounds Throughout
this section Of the state aad Oh
streams that intersect II afford unlimit
| IL .anvqnianeps for aypry SnGeips q