Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-02-04

with interest.
Goth JANUARY 1881.
Dear Sir: Your favor of14th Dec came to hand
sometime after its date aud found me under
mon press OF business, and has renared ed
since my return TO this place, because 1t in the
rear ol other letters, which could not tilsnow,
sistently with other duties finish answering. hope
you WI therefore sscrbc my silence to unIrlend-
~ motive You ask my views ut length of system
d internal improvement for the State of Virginia
ana the best and least Objectionable mode of raising
the funds In reply to your questions will give
YOU brief sketch, leaving you to fill M the details
think the system of Internal Improvement SET forth
in the act creating the fsnd of Internal Improvement
The best for the Srefer part Of this State thu; has
yet been suggested. \lf we hud more disposabe pub
tic funds, and had not many conflicting incres s.
1t might be batter to organize system resting alto
gcther the public funds so as to retain TIC poer
TO lower the tolls, and gradually in the process of
Tune TO convert the works into free highways subject
only to such tolls would keep them in order But
me adoption OF system exclusively public is reuder-
CD impoItic not mpractlcable, by the aversion of
the people to taxation, by the ieaousies and
tons between the local interests of the state and the
tendency oil such system with TO into abuse.
Under the system adopted, tho greater part of the
capital is contributed by individuals; aud if correc y
administered this system places it under the watchfu
care OF private interest. Fiery contentious will ac
company the administration even Of this Fund But
they are harmless when compared with those which
would break forth under scheme exclusively pubjc
No one, who has not set down and made the dalcua
ton, Imagine the immense results OF our fund for
tered with prudence and frmnes 1t would convert
the greater part of State intoa ca den am free
TO confess that | of those who voted to en-
cumber 1T by charging it with heavy appropriations
for the attempted connection of the Eastern and
Western Waters. have not changed nv oDlni.u as
to the value and Importance OF that connection But
the expected results necessarily POSTPONED To
an indefinite day, and were not availabe for the
prompt reimbursement of the fund for Internal In
provcment, have crippled a valuable institution
and brought the James River interest unde the dis
pleasure of the State. without having attained any
imported advantages for ourselves Tn Tdma= Riv-
Improvements las they nisnamcd) ought to have
been executed by other means and the Fund for H.
ternal Improvement should have been left to operate
the general face OF the MY. Under these
impressions would rerace steps as fast as pos
slbe; and &c, back to the point from which W. de-
pared With this view, and Il general rule of
policy, would from his time forward vote against
all GntrlpGtions of the income of the fund, and ap
prop1ia'e the umincumbered it accrues.
The practice which prevails of antIci pating the in
come is pregnant with mischief In regard to that
portion of the income which is encumbered would
hesten observation-disclosures by the aid of additional and
efficient means For this purpose l would MT hest
tate, were 1t necessary. to make addition to the
taxes. But this, presume will not be requisite. As
the now Government will be less expensive Than the
DID, there will be surplus of revenue at the DISPOSAL
of the Legislature; and instead of reducing the taxes
would apply it, sinking fund to disencunber
the fund for Internal Improvement; and for Other
public purposes. l would then let that fund march
forward upon the original principle offs srganZaon
This would restore harmony to the State, and re-
kindle the spirit of improvement the greater part
of its extent. But admirable are the effects of
our noble fund, if prudenty and firmly adnlnls cred
II is certainly from the principles OF its organization
inadequate to the achievement of of the NJ st
important objects OF State policy alludc chiefly to
the great highways mountainous renion
zssonfIal to bind together the Eastern and Western
parts OF ~tc. and to give his State its due par
ticipafIon he Western Trade These must be ex-
ccGrt3 :. STATE fGnds be left undone for a. rs to
a Of is rntjn nf liz
works may found in the proceedings of the Char
lottesvie Con eHtiJn. OF these, the most imDortan:
is the connect on of the Eastern End Western wa
tiers through the ravines OF the James, the Green
brier, and the New Rivers. The time Is rapidly
approaching when this g,eat work must Ae recon-
IneBced. Nothing can shew the great superiority at
this channel OF communication strongly than the
late overture from Baltimore to union between the
two States and connection of route with theirs
In the class of great Public Works not embraced
within the sphere Of action the fund for internal
carried on first, as promises most lucrative results.
may be under the influence of prejud local inter
est, but think the James River Improvement must
be admitted by all candid men to be the first object
OF the State This should be divided into two sections
Uniting Al the town OF Pattonsburgh and the eastern
should be executed first This should be done by the
issue of per cent stock, the interest of which
should be Guaranteed by the pledge of portion
of the public revenue, in aid of the resources OF the
James River Company; and for this purpose, the sup
posed surplus OF the revenue above mentioned, might
be in part aPplied-3ut ought rot to another
step towards this object, till The public mind is per-
fectly enlightened to the style of Improvement
which should be adopted in the execution Of this
great work. The want of information upon this sub
ject chief cause for stopping the execution of
the plan at the end of the first section. voted for
the suspension for this mainly, and stated at
the time. The motive exists for moving
again till the last doubt is removed. One great
error will damn the work for ever. Judge Wright
decidedly IN favor of n continued Canal Our own
Engineers prefer the system of Locks and DAMS with
4 view steam power. Recent discoveries seem to
shew the pTacca5ity of applying steam advantage
for the rapid transportation of persons Canals
Whilst the advantages of Rail Roads developing
themselves, more and moTe-and we hear OF new and
great inventions N elevatIng boats from level
another. The great works that IN progress near
us will settle these questions, perhaps a. soon
as funds will be ready. presume there can be
doubt to the exPediency Of Rail Road from the
town of CovIngton TO the foot of the fails OF Kenaw
ha, by the ravine Of the Greenbricr River. But of
what would this be- till the navigation improved
below Unless indeed it be the invited advance to-
wards cooperation with the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
Road, which is lately thrown uu, as we told from
very high authority IN regard to the plan of poun--
ding up the River by the numerous dams recommen-
ded by Civil Engineer, ave had for time
considerable doubts, upon the Of ITS superiority
a Canal. In the neghborhood where live, the
River is near 500 yards wide, and there would be