Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-02-07


o menl to complete the works already commen
ced. aud to construct such others as the inter
u fst OF the public may lender necessary. II
administering the fund 10 the wants OF so ex
> 'e"sse country, presen ing great varieties o
SITUATION, sou and productions, with pupnia
: ION IN some instances separated by mountains
ana ihreets, any uniform rule, founded upoi
me principles Of Justice q equality, seems to b'
lmpract,cabe. If the principle of only applying
'he funds M combination with lndiylduals, II
the TORN OF JOINT stock companies, according
10 HE provisions OF the lih section oil the &C
creating the fund. should be adopted aud ad
hered 10. tho consequence will be that the
energies ofthe Fund will be exhausted upon
tocai objects of par ial benei aud extent, TO be
'ouhd inoSi generally in such parts oil the State
where The population has already acquired
sum 1leni surplus wealth ~ enable them to EN-
DARK IN such enterprises, and where the end to
oe gained is the advancement of individual
intercs, rather than the public good. On the
o'her hand, II only the Income that arises upon
The capital stock or investments Of the Fund,
rs to DC applied as il annually ac"rues, the a
mount Is totally insufficient TO cfIec, any eK-
'enued scheme Of improvement, Commensurate
WIN the great interest OF the State.
Inc act creating the Fund contemplated the
rendering na,igabl., ana uniting 10y canals,
the principal rivers and of more intimately
connecting by public highways, the different
paris oil the Commonwealth" Objects em-
braced by II, are SO extensive and importan,
| in their nature, as 10 be excluded from the
reach oi Individual enterprise aud capital Be
sides, II may happen. that Improvements ale
Tequl cd, essential 10 the best interests OF the
| country, but from which 10 direct income Will
| be realized, although the State will be album
dainty remnnerated by the stimulus II will give
TO industry, by the deveopement oil new sour-
crs OF wealth, by enhancing the value OF lands
aud by the increase of population, thereby
| adding TO the moIal aud physical ability Of
tue Slut 10 sustain itself in war aud peaLe.
The Legislature, early after the creation of
The Fund for Internal improvement, foresaw
the necessity ofnot relying altogether upon
associsiions with individuals in the form OF
Jont stock companies, or upon the limited ex-
pendtuie OF only the income oil the Fund Tor
the execution of the mora important improve
ments, and IN the year lS2D, acquired by an
arrangement with the James River COMPANY,
| the rights OF that company 10 the Improvement
OF that river, with the determination to connect
with II tie Improvement OF the Great kanaWha
RIVER, aud thu create a continuous line OF iu-
tercom uuaicaiion from The Chesapeake Bay
through the heart OF the State TO the Ohio river.
For the accomplishment OF this ohjeCt the State
became bound to the James River Company,
Tor The pay mrut of an annuity OF $40, b ". This
sum constitutes permanent change upon The
Fund for Internal Imp, ovement besides which
a loan was authorised of ! 235 900 dollars, to
be- expended upon the Improvement, and which
has been so applied. The interest upon this
| loan amounting to $7l 1913 90, likewise con
stitules charge upon the income OF the
Fund for In.ernal improvement. These
charges have materially diminished the
! capa.Iy of The Fund for the immediate and ex-
| tensive usefulness that had been auto ipated
| "a ON il, and the Board deems il proper 10 state
| its conviction, that whether owing TO the de-
| sgn OF he Improvement, or to its execution,
| the benefits have not been commensurate with
| the amount OF the expenditure 3; that the cost of
transportation has not been diminished. nor
the facilities oil navigation increased, 10 the
degree that might have reasonably been ex-
pecled. II is believed not 20 DO within the
scope oil .he duties of this Board, nor would il
I he profitable, TO enquire into the causes that
produced this failure in the just expectations
| Of the public. 1t 10 the duty. however, of the
! Board to state, that the expenditure W. made
when the construction ofsuch works was not
| rs well understood as at present. The subsc-
uuent cultivation OF the science OF Civil En-
sinepling, and the lightstbal experience has
.hed upon the subject, together with the d-
intuition that has taken place IN the prices OF
labour and provisions. give assurances thai,
future operations viii be conducted in more
profitable aud Satisfactory manner II is graf
il, ing, however. TO the Bo.rd III state, that
notw Outstanding the benefits from the eXpendI.
ture upon the James river and kanawha i'm
rrovement had not equaled the expectations
that had ben created. yet that profitable i'll
come has been realized from il, indicating IN
the cIearest manner the import NICE that should
be attached 10 its completion. II appears from
n report OF tho Second Auditor in r. latIon to
;ua ip no the Sfafa in y1TkS O1 in
ternal improvement alrea dy before the L"gls-
lature that The income from this imp, oyempnt
has increased fifty per Centum within the last
five years that the nett income OF the LAST
wear was equal 10 five per centum on the total
expenditure upon it. II the trade of the river
should increase 10 the same ratio wnh the last
five years, sn income will speedily be realized
sufficient 10 meet the int, est upon the e1p""-
di,ure. aud liberate the Fund Tor Internal im-
proyement iro n that change. 10 compare
the other navigation improvements IN the oale
TO which the patronage of the State has be-n
extended with the James River and kluawha
imp oyemsni, by the income upon the invest
ments the great SUPER urity oithe Latter is.naio-
tainrd for willis the latter improvement, as
i, shewn nets an imcome upon IT'S expend ure
of five ner centum, not one Vi the Juint stock
navigation companies has Vel realized any
income TO the Fund.
The Board has gone into the preceding
view of The subject, on account Of the enquiry
tina, naturally and iorciby presents itself, as
to the expectancy OF completing the improve
ment oil The navigation of the James river To
Covington, and its connection with the Great
Kanawha. The importance oil the improve
meat, the objects to be a'tai led by II. and
its iofuence upon the moral aud physical con-
dition OF the State, require no illustration
from this Board. Its sufficient TO STATE That
! il feels the strongest conviction OF the eIped'
ency of proceeding as speedily as practicable
in lis completion. The best means oil etectiog
this desirable end, constitutes the remaining
difficulty. II appears from the report Of the
Principal Engineer. that to complete The naV'-
ration of the James river to Coying on, BY a
system OF dams and locks, will require an eA.
pc ndilure OF ,29o .954 dollars aud II cont"
| ro,s c.nal ia n,sf,lred or a canal in connec-