Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-02-22

friends o. nternol Improvement, the fate of the mn
;ion To postpone it, may be 5iry construed as "a 20
fable indication of tho sentiment of tho Gnlsc il
iavor ofthe general principle, and Eortuna,c aurur,
Tor bill which, identical in principle shall be- dives
tea OF the peculiar objections fell against this W.
presume That when the subject again comes up The
friends OF improvement viii Be prepared with bill
Ii'h''ing the money borrowed to the prosecution OF
three or four great, and from their character acno
lodged, State improvements
Extract 1t letter from intelligent citizen of IN,
West. To his friend, ut Richmond
seeing The report made by the Second Auditor IN
The llOus" OF Representatives, in relation To the
pendurcs on public works, am induced 10 perform
d promise made tn you IN former letter of -
tha,l would give you, in desultory way, some gene
raj views IN connection with the subject on which
have corrcsp pndcd with you.
we have been well adam lnlsheJ by seversl, Stiles
vastly IN advance of ours IN npro ements that rel
ance cannot be placed private companies to i'm
prove the state 10 any extent and the Rcport above
referred to- confirms that aduoni,lon In REFERENCE,
to this subject, you have my in u former letter
and am more and more confirmed IN the belief that
'his state WI! continue TO hnger IN her improve
mems until she adopts some general enlarged and
liberia! scheme or policy Of improvements. am ap-
priced, nevertheless that the Legislature will have
To encounter difficulties in arranging a system
Of improvement wi;h which all viii be reconcilcd
patriotism snd Cancellation pcrvndcs the breast OF our
Statesmen. In support OF this opinion, there are
abundant proofs in the jealousy 'nanlfasled in the
northwestern section of the State and elsewhere in
consequence OF the patronage bestowed on tho
James river section. The Potomac, then ike the
James river, was in ched state for navigation
and noiwiths, arding the control which Maryland and
Baltimore had over that channel, and the manifest
disposition in the latter to exercise that con,rol-ye
much was said and wrote by the friends of tina, sec
ton. about tho Partially of the Legislature asd
Board of Public Works towards the james River
We are admonished too, by late publications u,
2c!ghbourlng paper, that such teengs yet are cher
isheG
That principles and measures, such as have adj
verted to, should, in disregard of The dclaes OF Il
generous and enlarged policy, have found advocates
amongs' those whose local interests would seem to
be directly promoted by such policy. is not rrecon-
cable with the preiudces and passions which con-
stu:c the nature OF and which, in themselves.
are calculated TO defeat the efforts OF the friends of
internal improvements.
But It is presumed that those feelings could be re-
concilcd by well organized system OF improvements
Take for example, the James river and all that sec
ton of the State CONNECTED with 1.-THE archives
of the Board OF Public Works, will show the stua-
ton of one of the branches of the Monongoia, and
It's susceptibility at dam and lock navigation, from
near It's to It's junction with other branch
OF the same river, which Is presumed to be equally
susceptible OF like improvements. These two bran
chcs unites at or near Morgantown forming the Mo-
nonnalia
In 100, got into orc ofthose common fiat bot
toned boats. at Morgantown, which, III company
with two other very heavy laden boats descended the
main river to Its Junction with the Allegheny river
at Pitisburg. The Monongaa appeared TO me to be
slug glsh stream with but little fall, and although
the waters scarcely in bOaiable order, yet
our flee; moved with but little interruption
until we reached within some fifteen or twenty miles
of Its junction with the Aheghany river, when we
found labor necessary TO get boats into the
main channel, (Ohiol n consequence of the eddy
ter accustomed by swell IN the latter RIVER. Hence
conclude, that by the AID OF dams and locks, the
Monongaa be rendered uavIgable for steam
boats, at least high up Morganiown, which, as
you know is situated in the heart of the north
tern section of Virginia including ion of Penn
sy!vania, which State would lend her aid. Wit.
these improvements on the Monongaa and lts
branches, the various products OF That section Of
the State, would find no difficulty IN reaching the
mouth Of the great kaGawha, 10 say nothing Of
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. /; is therefore.
obvious, that not only that section Of Virginia Hor-
dcrng on the Ohio and keUawha, are immediately
connected and benefited by the Improvements above
referred to, but that the heart Of tho northwestern
section Of the State, rs well as the southwestern,
by means of the Ohio, the SaUdy, ib New river,
the Grccnbrier, sc. &c, which. connected with the
James river interest, commonly caej, cnYcrs not
only half OF the State dependant upon Safe improve.
ments, hnt invites immense intercourse with the
! States of Ohio. Kentucky, &c &c.
TIE Shenandoah river must certainly command the
attention of the friends of improvements III the State
The valley through which It passes, is extensive and
fertile, Astounding with agricultural and mineral pro-
ducts, with the capacity 70 render the mineral pro-
ducts a source of revenue and wealth 10 the State,
! and therefore forms a most important link IN the
cham Of improvements: and although 1t has its con-
ncctou with The Potomac, &c yet It's immense ag-i-
cultural, manuiscled, and mineral products. gives
Sostvc assurance that the State will be more than
/ remnncraicd for the funds or capital expended in
rendering the Shenandoah a safe, and every day
navigation. II, moreover has other advantages tina,
! few rivers in the State posscss-is position in
the centre of the val!cy--Its sources lntcrscct
| Immediately with tho sources Of Ihc james
its course through the valley nearly parallel with
the mountains to its junction with the Potomac
! the nan channel well as rs varius branches, IL
affected less by the dfoughts Of tho summer, than
perhaps, any stream in YIrginiai falls, too, are
much less than the falls Of the rivers that the
various ranges of mountains and Of consequence
susceptible of dam aud lock navigation at much
less cost than many other Of of the same
length. With thus stein or link, could be connected
q turnpike road from Winchester to Clarksburg, on
\ the waters ofthr Munongalia, before mentioned also
with Patkcrsburr the Ohio.