Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-01-07

plhltu dbn ocfu lot many
wears ia the enjoyment of very large profits
upon their stock. Much complaint. however.
was made against them, for Imputed negl,r, OF
duty and violation of their charter These
co,nplaintS were most earnestly and perseyer-
ingy urged from the south side Of The river "A nd
the Legislature was repeatedly p' essed TO char
ter an other company With privileges inCom-
patible with those Of the james River company
and 10 declare its charter forfeited aud void.
These measures resulted IN II resolution Of
the General Assembly, directing pro- ecutor
in the general cuurt, 10 ascertain whether The
charter vas forfeited. Pending this prosecu
ton. the l. g5lsture, by a compaci with the
company, assumed The whole interest aud en-
tire control Of the subject and passed law for
effectipg an Improvement deemed Of great in
portance TO the comm oawealth by continued
canal from Richmond 10 the MOUTH Of Dunlap's
Creek a turnpike road from thence to the
great falls Of Kanawha, and removing the OBJ.
s.ructions TO the navigation of that river, from
thence 10 the Ohio This law provided for the
assessment of tolls upon the transportation for
the purpose of indemnitying The government
for the expenses of the improvement and in
order 10 give assurance 10 he local interest
that il would not be prematurely or uujustly
burtheued, pledge was gwen III the law itself
that the additional tolls imposed should not ex-
coed one third of the saving in the price of
transportation. e1ec ed by the improvement.
Great pains had been taken by repeated surveys
aud reports OF comm ssloners and engineers to
| ascertain he probable expense and value OF the
Improvement and some confidence was en-
teri aimed in the opinion hat II was practicable,
at an expense not burthensome tn the State
that its consequences would be very beneficial,
and the reduction of freight SD great as 10 jhst-
r.. H. ooh ,t,tp nj he
money expended, aud not exceed one third OF
tue saving in the p,Ice of transportation. Ne
vertheless, the Legislature, with WISE precau
ton so laid Out the whole into convenient sec
,ions a. 10 give themselves the benefit OF actual
experience in the progress of the work, and 10
enable them. f they thought I'll, to arrest nj
such points as, falling iar short OF the whole
plan, would have achieved objects valuable ~
themselves, and promising a reasonable profit
upon the expen liture. The first section was
the canal from Richmond to convenient poiut
on the river beyond the limit OF The r,cn mlnes
of coal which lie in this vicinity the second,
the turnpike road,-aud he thHd, the improve
ment OF the navigation of the hanaWha. lie
tolls upon coal we"e expected TO indemnify the
expenses OF the frs, the tolls upon tho road,
the second, the tolls on the valuable salt trade
then growing upon the kanawha, were relied
was believed that if experience should forbid
the further prosecution OF the improvement,
these three sections wonld be permanently
useful. They were therefore Immediately pro
yded for, and in the course of a lew years
completed. The moanlaln seciion-the canal
through the Blue Rldge,-waS the result OF
subse quen legislation. When the three hrsl
sections had been finished. the expenses OF the
canal had SO far exceeded the estimates that
the most jealous friends of the Improvement,
doub ed The propriety of prosecuting the who'e
planrto lis completion. II vas IN TINS state OF
things that the additional toll on tot acco was
recommended TO the Legislature BY tle boari
of Public Works, and was advocated on ;wo
grounds first. that the interest OF the tobacco
planters would well justify this otfrrng, which
by increasing The revenue of the company,
would restore confidence, and might ultimately
secure success 20 the improvement IN which
they were deeply interested And secondly
that Justice required il, inasmuch as HE toll on
tobacco had been originally too low, IN com
parison with the toll on -four and other pro-
ducts. bill passed the House OF Delegates
imposing this additional ax,-and tue De
uate of which was then u member represent
ingla farming and mol planting district, !
united with tho most decided treIds OF the
James River improvement, IN the obacco DIS
tricts and elsewhere, in & jealous opposition TO
the law, Insisting that il would be breach OF
faith, that il was wrong in itself, and would
ALLEVIATE from the Improvement tue anectlohs OF
some of lis most constant friends Inc OH,
hoN ever, was carried by the vote o. the East,
combined with the enemies Of the Improvement
every where and with few western mem
bers, who were, or had been friendly TO IT. II
is not Just, therefore. 10 charge tins law 10 the
bad faith Of the West, charge itnot TO bnd faith
or Improper motives any where. Gent emen
no doubt acted as they thought was right but
the law is uuques,ionably to be charged to the
vote OF those IN general, who were unirIend'y
TO The James River improvement. have nut
one word more 10 say in relation 10 ms Im
provement--and that is that notwithstanding
the bad economy with which the work mas been
done, il having cost at least one hundred per
cent. more than we now think II ought 10 nave
cost, yet the income from the tolls furnishes a
reas enable profit upon the whole amount eA-
pended and that the freight upon tFanSpor-
tation, from that district al the head oil the iis,
SECTION, which can avail itself OF the inIl bene'
CT of that Improvement, has been reduced Que
half.
thought this explalion called for, by the
remarks Of the gentleman from Fauquler 9lr'
Scott) aud others, and hope that il may remove
some prejudces and quiet some trals'
learn, Mr.. Chairman, that other Tears are
induIged. BY the gentlemen of the East. from
the :. ansfer If power to the West.-They fear
NOT oRy that The estates oft West are 10 Oe
improved, but that the poor of the West are to
be educated, at the expense of the East. II IS
most deeply TO he regretted, that there is any
thing in the local situation OF particular pro-
perty in Virginia, which gives rise TO so many
and such apprehensions. Interests The most
general ard most important, those most inti-
mateIy connected with the prosperity and hap,
piness of the whole peope,--the general pro
lection of property, the Improvement OF al! our
roads and rivers, the education of our people,
and the organization OF our eovernment'-a''
by the maigu influence OF TINS unhappy cause,
are made the subject ofiocal jeaiousie', and
marty contests What is the foundation, sir,
of this new alarm For nearly fifty years,
we have bad, from time to lime, various plans
of public education, submitted TO us, and DIS