Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-18
MR.. BovELL's REMARKs'

Mr. LOWELL said, that since ne had apnro,r,,I
nearer to the honorable member from buckingham
S""s ~ pe aoie To near aud understand him. he
p''e'"e" "hat hshad at fist supposed to he a diff
.e'co IN ueir calculations and in their ritlne tic
""S' =" nc uiefehce III principle; for, while I
nave oaSeu my calculations upou the Necessity of
"i's upon sum, necessary to compl, viii, all our
engagements, and to complete the whole work with
'e "ooitinhal three miles and quarter of anal
through the Blue Rhlsc, The gentleman from Buck
ingham Pounds his estimates upon the sum alone
wncn WIZ be required for the ensuing year, and
excludes altogether any additional sum for the f,r
'hei extension OF the canal. believe, SIR we nov
Understand each other; and, un,iea this view of ,le
saoJsct, ana upon the grs,uud which ii has plea ss
the gente'na.' from Buckingham Ia place hi, o,,,o-
Stionl ain Induced to take more compreh,,,si
view oi tile subject than iutened, 1T this time
Ana believe, sir, that shall be able to satisfy,
this House that much of tie alarm vvheL has re-
sounded within these walls, the panic wl,ic! seems
~ nave prevailed WITHIN tlieu has been unfounded
III any,rcal ddnger IN this good old commonwealth.
o"' p..S rather oeeh the consequence OF u surface
examination OF the accounts of the James River
company, ana the accounts aud report of the Board
on subiic " orks. But before dn this, sir hermit
me To express my regret, that while had expected
10 have received the aid and the counsel Of the gem
uc'nan from Buckingham i'll this great and serious
undertaking, fjnd him leading and in the yerv van
oil the rather than removing
TIC ann cmO0frdSslnentS under which Inc
friends OF TINS measure necessarily la bnr-
Ing Sif, IL is FIVE wears since I-had first tl,c
honour OF a place on this floor. II was them Sir
Wtiis yet "a young man, and inexperienced in the
business of this House, that this splendid under
taiits was first laid before me. The member from,
Duckingam was one OF the flist to embark with nc
IN IT, Tie, sif, MAS Of the fathers of the wo.k
Foot to foot and side to side. upon this very floor
we con.cndc;! togethcr--lHd ii a nv meausre don't
ell at That time now threatens consequences other
and different from what we had anticipateri a share
OF the s!n ought 10 rest upon the head of that zen
ticnan--n we are plunged into the slough, it was
through his guidance. Might we not then have ex-
pactod that he at least would have len; a h,lnin.,
hand Until he had placed us upon firm grouud aga M
bu' sill, while llIave lost the aid of that honora h
gentleman III the support Of thiS measures so far
II IS recommended by your committee, will sta nd
~ the last ditch with its friends. You ought, then
Mp speaker, TO finish the NO k which YOU have
csmmensed--you ought to extend the canal through
the Blue Ridge the further distance of three miles
aud quarter-you ought 10 carry the kanayha
road still furthelSto the west.
understand it tobe granted, that the works now
in PROCESS should he completed, for the good eason
ii ttCr tihGr, that what had been ex-
pcuded should not be thsown away. The argument
to sustain the proposition that you should make the
'ddiin:al three miles aud quarter of canal, is
principally To be found III the report of the Piinci-
pal Engineers and IN the report of the Con.m
ct the kanawl,a River aud Road. II is recon-
men'!ed a measure oil ecuNonYy. 5t W. Xix.
in the extension, the excavation
would he tic only expense. The same feeders and
the same lockage will be required whether the canal
De extended or nct--and sir, should we determine,
at any future day, further to progress with ills
work, which ! am not prepared to say we
ought to do there vii be clear saving to the Com
monwealth of more than 10000. The other fact
stated in of those reports, is also worthy of
your considerations The canal, as al present To-
Gated, would terminate at tile foot of a steep and
blua nCuntain entirely accessible to the lia-
rent country; while, ii you were to continue il 10
WauglrS Ferry, the proposed pcini, il would be
connected with g.e3i itsliiSs road which crosses
the river there and by which the productions of the
couotry might b. btoughtsto live cinai. will nor
dwe!l upon this prr OF the subject, but would reief
tc the cfiots which have mentioned, and eavcit
to be prop'd aui sustained by other geEtlaneD,
more particularly interested in it.
have heard il snih, sif, ii,a:-thjs work IS syval-
lowing up tie whole income of tho fluid for in;Gs,
Improvement. Surely, those who made the ;,sser-
ton have not sufficiently examined the subject. If
you viii look into ttr report OF the Board of Public
Works aud examine their accounts you will find
&c have had nothing The p,st year, but tihing
two Oh three hundred dollars, beyond flre annual
appropriation of Si8OH0; and that, up to the end
vi the next year, nc; dollar will be required
from that fund. At this pclo shall bc rec civ
lug tells, nay, have commenced already to re-
cpiye them; and, if the calculations which ha We
Just nnw presented To the House, and which sha
not again trouble tilenrwith, should be near the
truth, shall 1ecyer want dollar f.om that fund;
our own Income will b. ample for tho supply of all
our wInts. II those calculations and estimates are
based in error, challcge~ gentlemen to rcfute
thorn. Here Mr.. Lowell wcntinto examina ton
of fhe amount of the tolls. and other income of the
James Rivcr Company, Ia shew its capacity to pay
the interest n'r redeem tie principal of the des;
and proceeded as follows: / will now, Mr.. Speak :
or, trouble the Horse with somc few general reiicc-
tonS upon the subject Of this inprovement-and
first, excuse ne foY remasking that although for
some years have been ardent adniirer Of a ELL
organized system of Improvement, am no ent1u-
siast pr This particular work, but have heretofore
patJouzrd IL because il seemed 10 be practical Bile
md usei,rl: aud have still continued Is patronzc
IL because nothing has occurred To change my
opinion. Upon the same principles, viii patronize
every work which promises to contribute to the &c
general prosperity. Acting a representative
he,e, lock upon ;hc whole Commonwealth IA the
tl;tte gaidrn in which am to labuur ] would
'adorn, would beauiily,I would enrich it. would,
ia thc amsuase Of former report, That we all
might say, Il love my country, because she is wor-
tiny Of MY affeciiun.it is some twelve or four
ten years since VIC first set abou the vvOik of in,-
provenenf in eafnest The best talents of tie couu-
t,y wese assembled around it, apd in all We have
since done, we have had tie sanction of the best
and wiscst iu the country. At the period alluded
to- Chief Justice Marshall and others, under your
sanction, made the first examination aud survey
Since that period, various other surveys have been
made, all of which have united in recommending to
your patronage this splendid work. We have pro-
crossed with caution, sir Following in the pa tn,
and tleadiug in the very steps of the State of CIV
York, no measure ofprecaution observed by her
in her work but what has since been adopted ny u.s.;