The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-12-07

-. = sss;i IT, g. #.rl bt a. poutls i.s4nled bg
Il =, lhfourl tt elet poatfun ofthe wear.
ii :, .ai en- ed WhicH so-id agitate them
you'd be AVA geous. sinrt II would assist in
thp 3e,cch, with he loaded boat. aud ubeu We
,'r.i'ler tia rapId aIsdhc,s wit-l sriepts. IS -.
cry iay uaailt. aud has airradv .naae u, the
stree e HI SIC All boat, 10 ttzard Thy thing
IN sd.lng that steam might and soul he iutfo.
duced aud TINS furnish as chcan If not cipap-
CT moving power tian W uld b. found on a cnualf
fnlel al cist u4stanuts, ii7tines even OF ,,rcat
ireshtts, the steam hat would control the en-.
rent. and transport N Sllei, its attendant boats
Has Upon such occasions would be It's principal
offcc
la deciding upnnthe merits ofths mode Of inn
provemrut " should not hastily reject it hr.
cause ofthe dissppointmentS which has some
times attended il. These dsappontmrnis NAV hc
traced more 10 the imperfectons connected With
its execution, than 10 any other cause If the
dams be constructed with care, with due regard
TO permanenrv, aud IN such manner as 10 admit
of being readily repaired IN the even, of that dc
cay, to which all the works Of man are more or
less subject, no approximations need be entertain
ed. Canals are also liable 10 serious damage
and time too often bclrsys the little care bestowed
in their original structure. But admitting thai
tho Canal would be superior to the locks aud
looked that in REGARD to the James river, the
State occupies the footing of a chartered Compa
nv and il should not fail 10 look 10 a return OF
profit III the execution Of the work Having an
eye To tins result, while IT is i matter of great
doubt whether any profit could be expected up
on So large an expenditure as a continued canal
would requrH, vet that uncertainty wholly VAN
shcs in reference 10 the other scheine. These
considerations, then, induce me to recommend
10 your adoption this latter mode of improve
ment. Vixen this desirable work shall be com
plCted new era vii he opened on the country
watered 10y this noble staeHm and It's tributaries.
AT present, with What errut hazard and cx-
pcnsc Is it. navigation attended How great Is
the loss which society suStainS III the subduction
OF SO much OF its Iabour and of so much time
Let this Improvement be effected, and new rela-
tons Will Immediately spring up between the
merchant and the farmer, 10 their mutual bcnc-
n. \ country now so far reno, Ell from market
ms scarcely to contribute thing To the nation
al wealth, III comparison with MS actual and IN
tllnsic capacity, will he awakened into life and
be made 10 develop al its resources An cNtcn-
slvc portion ofthc state, In a measure alien IN
feeling from the tide-Uaier country Will bc bro't
into closer union with the latter and admitted
10 participation in advantages to which II is
now almost a stranger-Thesc are the high con.
Slderations which should operate on the Lcglsla-
ture to complete this improvement; but there
are othctsut great force and Of immense weight
TIE General Assembly, in the exercise OF
ITS legitimate authority in the year 1881,
granted the exclusive right of improving
the Jhmes River IL company composed OF
individuals, who, in pursuance of their char
Ter, proceeded 10 the accomplishment Of
their, work hy emitting a cnnal of short extent,
"a n al IN IN hpH al
river as far rs Lynchburg. The improve.
meut thus affected, was justly considered nne-
quad to the wants of II large portion OF the
State aud the state itself, in the year ls2o,
purchased from the Company its chartered
rights nj high premium, and resolvcd To
prosecute the Improvement on scale at The
same time magnificent and uselnl.-By tina,
purchase, il not only restored itself To It's u
riglnal authority over the subject, but CON
frmed lis exclusive title by the annexation OF
individual and chartered rights.
Thus, it wonld seem to follow, TINT no1 the
most ardent advocate of Internal Improve
ment by theGeueral Government, could look
for moment 10 that quarter for aid in-thp II
Chirvenent ofthis great enterprise. The rights
efectnaily vesied in the Stat, aud the improve
nents rnust be effected by State means, ernotst
all. BY these proceedings, hopes have beer
created, aud Just expectations excited, which
II would be more than unWise to dlsAppont,
Tue extension of the Canal IN Madens' Ad-
venture at a large expense, while it has led
to the imposition OF new hnrthens on tho
pc ope residing in all the couni~y above il,
by reason of the increase ottolls, is attended
with comparatively small advantages. Whilst
IT is admitted, that some few of the risks OF
navigation below its termination, are by It's
means avoided, il is nevertheless manifest,
that it has tended in no degree TO diminish
the charges OF transportation, except to the
country lying contiguous to il. Tins is com
planned oil rs a grievance ; whether justly Or
not, il is not my province to decide. But II
Is Il complaint which will give WaV before a
wise system Of policy.--But the Legislature
extended its views still farther than to the
Improvement ofJamrs River II proposed 10
form bond OF union between the eastern and
western portions of our territory by cham Of
improvement connecting the waters ofthe Great
harawha with the waters of thcJackson's River
and orthi> purpose directed the improvement OF
the kanawha to the Grca, Falls, aud the CON
slr5ciiou OF a Turnpike road from thence to the
town of Coyington on Jacksons River. The
Improvement OF the kauawha is nearly conSnin
mated and the kauawha road is entirely com
plctcd 80 far as was originally contemplated.
The necessity and propricty, then of completing
the improvement by rendering naFigahIe the
JackSon's River from ,CoVington, and i'm
proving the navigation of James River,
aud thereby furnishing the Intermediate
link between the two extremes must be en-
tirclv obvious. As IT now stands, of what
utility is the kana~ha road, except for the pul-
poses of ncighborhood Intercourse, and as fur
ni,hlng the facilities of travelling Higher and
nuber objects dictated its formation. twas des-
tined to bring the man ofthe West and the man
otthe East nearer TO each other; 10 Introduce
and sustain a knowledge of mutual dependence,
and thereby TO encourage feeling OF affection
and regard for each other AMONG the mcm-
beers OF the same community, II was intended
to excite anew spirit of industry by furnishings
market to lis surplus products, and thus TO ava
ken new energies aud to open ne" sources OF ma
tional wealth. Butin lis present condition, of
what avail is the expenditure which has thus
been made The farmer beyond Go'isgton
finds himself as absolutely shut out from market
now, as he was anterior TO the construction Of
the road for, having reached Co'neton, he
can advance no father Hpennittcd to remain