Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-04-04
RICHMOMD, APRIL 4.
FOR THE E.SQ UIRER
TO THE HON. JOHN COALTER.

SIX - am uiiueF many ODnSltlOnS 10 you Tor
the justice done my notifies, in your TO the
Communication l addressed 10 you'll am in
Sc arch of truth
too, have lived in the lower country, know
something Of the people, and freely acknowledge
they have always treated me wcli--As 10 info
rest, 10 my misfortune belt said, have Rone--to
me, individually, it matters not wlivrc this road
runs, or what rivers are improved. can, there
fore, lay some claim TO impartiality; yet, / can
not agree with You that, upon this peculiar sub
Ject-ihe Shenandoah River-the interests OF the
upper and lower country are the same because
every facility afforded Gy this outlet carries cor
responding proportion of the Vailey-tra from
Richmond and Fredericksburg to-not Norfolk
the District Of Columbia, which il will be impos-
sible ever to regain. In support of this, | will
merely state, that have seen ships of from 200
to 100 tons burthen in the port of Georgetown
Now, when vessels of this class can ascend the
Potomac to the head of tide-Water and there take
in their loads, it were from the very boats them
selves, to expect them TO incur the additional ex-
pensc OF having it transported by Steamboats, or
other craft, from 100 to 200 miles to Norfolk or
any other portin Virginia, before finally shipping
TO foreign port, is lallacious" in the extreme
Yes, Sir!-every cent spent upon the Shenandoah
tends TO injure the Richmond and Fredericksburg
trade; and, however faiidci0us the idea, strong
y suspect they see it, and will, if they can avoid
ito 90 so is man. But this thing really appears
SO pain-so self eriaent," that che that runs may
read, and he that reads may understand"
4 49,
fotomac Company, as an offset against my com
plant as TO distributing the public money | did
not intend the remarks 10 apply to that portion of
country benefited, Of any by the Potomac i'm
provement. had supposed, and do now believe
most OF the money was spent from HarpeI's-lerrv
down. You may say that, even admitting the fact
still it is beneficial TO Rockingham, Shenandoah
Frederick and Berkeley l grant it. on the con-
dition that the Shenandoah is improved-other-
wise, il is not. 1 have frequently known peonle
I residing ROCkiDuham IN hlul 10 :.
landing on James River-this, together with the
fact thGt zoe nOtC pay more than one third of the
price Of a barrel Of -four for hauling it to Rich
noHd, is strong proof of the benefits we derive
from it. Even admitting Ito crafty you) the de-
sig1,-the end has proven -Virgi,iia project
Let me now furnish you with TWO extracts
which viii throw some light upon that sGpiu o
ProJect-the James River Improvement. recon-
mend them as " striking Jacts"-the first is from
Col. Crozet's Report TO the Legislature-lhe other
from the last Report of the Beard of Public Works:
list. "The advantages of an immediate execu-
ton OF the improV ement of the James River are I
hope, so striking as to recommend that such posi-
tive benefits should not be further postponed
Ooler considerations urge, perhaps, still moro
earnestly, its completion of the annual interest
to be paid the debt contracted for the Improve
mcnt SO tar as it has progressed, there remains
unpid every year sum which varies with the
receipts and which, until this year, has generally
exceeded 100000.
~, g
CONSULTATION Of interest, to very near one million
Of dollars in thirteen gears
81. " The interest on this account charged. on
The income OF this year, will be ST. ,673 so, but
this charge should have credit for the amount of
surplus tolls, included in the estimates of REGENTS
$23,1OS IL, which will leave S4s, 264 7S Iaore TO
be paid to this improvement than is received from
H."
From these extracts you can. as Gov Giles
says, see the "actuGt condition. of the James
az IDnnN Nssaf WI L
TO believe 1 am opposed to it-sHactly the reverse
Is the case. believe, If completed to Covington,
it will be, if not profitable at least able to paw the
Interest on the money invested, which, in my OPT
Mon, as all the State ought TO ash.
Now, sir, when we see the state actually sub
hitting, from narrow and pitiful policy, to an an
nual loss OF near $4,000, and that too when she
can by spending some or hundred thousand
dollars more, not only save it, but render the i'm
provement productive-whcn we see our Lepis-
iature palsled (however unpopular the word) by
the fear ofdOing wrong and thereby guilty of the
gTOSSeSt omission Of duty-when we see them in
stead of supporting liberal system, shield them.
selves behind the poor but popular Argument
Z" we WON'T spend the peoples money! is it time
to, or can reasonably expect help? NV word
for it, we need nott 1t is this said but not done
this can help you, won't help you, nor won't let
you help yourself policy, which despiSe. ! COM
plain because the state WON'T help us, and adds 10
the injury by not allowing TO help ourselves
n
state; but 1t Is al-canyass work. 1 ask YOU what
UH b. done? You in an answer, tell what can
be done. Does it then, follow, as a matter of
course, that what can be, toW be, One imnlies
the disposition, the other the ability-JYe tOiH
suppose she has both. Then, sir, this becomes
question OF mere observation-disclosures as I have
always done, j go upon the suppostion that the
stale will give such powers and privileges o,,fy.
as are necessary to a speedy execution of. and
when completed, sufficient protection TO the rail-
road And on this point, which you think so IN
tenable, will 50 make what battle | can''-yyill
endeavour to show we are not deluded in prefer
ring the railway.
FIRST. The railroad will bring from 10 TO 90
thousand dollars of '' foreign" money AMONGST rs
for every mile that is made; whereas, if the ri
vers are improved, domestic means oHLy, would
be employed-one adding six or eight millions to
our circulating medium--ihe other not n cent
The RAILROAD Company do not care about the
states taking more stock than will ensure il a lust
projections; here, then, she runs comparaiveIv No
risk-in the other she has all
Second. Baltimore is better market rl,sn ri.
ther Richmond or Georgetown. You NAV here
ask i VIRGINIA has not ibe right. TO thi, trade,
say Mo- There is no right or tile i'm the case-it
is interest only--and when it shall become our's
TO alter the course of trade, YygiHfa cannot keen
us from u. If ia timore will enable US TO get in
to her market, at the same expense we ',yo,tld
be at 20 reach Richmond or GEORGETOWN. we viii
always give bert he preference; because from her
more extended foreign trade she can rive more
for produce, and take less for the articles we
want in return, than either OF the other places
Third. ! believe the Railway would be
more expeditions and cheaper cOnveysnce Ash
suppose you admit II is most expeditions. ! shall.
therefore, only cudeayour to shew il Is cbe3p,sf:
and TO do his u does not require me 10 be B,afhe-
D'aficG'ly particular. Colonel Crozet in his
report upon tho James River propoges a ton
Of cents per ton 10 Ifvnchburo hut the