Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-11-22
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
To -fessrs. Peter John and Franc Smith cting
Members Of the Committee of The dbinginu Cun-

FOR THE ENQUIRER
To Messr' Peter John ton and Franc Smith, Aeting
Members Of the Committee Of the abingdon Con-
pentt0n.
GENTLEMEN Having road with some degree of
attention your address to the people OF Virginia aud
Tennessee, the New River Rail Road il has occur
red to that there is OF clearness in the
expressions used by you, with regard TO your third
qury, which seems to me the most important one TO-
wards deciding on the propriey Of thu undertaking. viz
Z" Whether the amount OF transportation the road
will assure to Stockholders safe and profitable return
for the expended on the work."
In your answer to this enquiry, 1 understand YOU TO
say the value OF the imports may be esna-
ted at S6t7es
And that tho value of the trports annual.
ly passing the The road from New River
10 Knoxville, may be estimated at 267,963
Forming an aggregate of saaa 76l
Exclusive OF what may be derived from the iran
talion OF the Mall conveyance OF Passengers, sc.
Your desire to give TO the public clear information
as the subject Is capable Of will feel assured excuse
me for enquirng, whether you did not mean TO saw
that the present of the carriage of the imports and
EXPORTS amounted TO the menoned in place of the
actual value OF the articles carried, might be
Inferred from what you say. by careless hasy
reader
am disposed to to the conclusion, that you
meant only to refer to the cost OF carriage and
the value OF the produce merchandise, Sc which would
pass along the road and the great difference In the
amount OF imports and exports, induces me TO come 10
this conclusion the weight Of Western productions
must greatly exceed the weight Of their imports
the value OF their imports might exceed that of their
exports
If have put right construction on your meanag.
think there be doubt but that the enterprise is
we'll worthy Of the patronage of all who have money TO
spare, who have the good OF their country at heart
Tor, IL so much Is paid for carriage even at the
present exorbiiant rates, IL may safely Inferred
dividends equal to six per cent upwards may be de-
rived on an expenditure exceeding i've Millions even
alter the raeso carriage greatly diminished when
we take mo view the increasing OF revenue 10
the road to be derived from the improved cultivation Of
fertile country, and from the developemcnt of the ma.
ny latent bounties of nature, which will speedily be
displayed, by the efforts OF rapidly increasing popula
lion, which will be fill the country as fast as lis
most sanguine friends can anticipate, should wise and
energetic system Of internal Improvement be deermin.
ed on and carried into immediate effect
Considering il OF the utmost importance, that the
and doubts OF the most scepca should be removed
as speedily as possible, have TO request you TO say
whether have put just construction on your meaning
or not and also that you will have the goodness add
such Information you conveniently can furnish in
regard to the data on which your estimates have be en-
founded A CITIZEN OF RICHMOND
NOTE BY THE EDIToRs.-It is in our power 10 an
swer the query OF our correspondent-The sums put
forth by Messrs. Johnston and Smith, quoted from
the Report made by the Select Committee to The Abing
don Convention, on the 9th August Iast-We extract
SO much OF that report, touches the point
"From the foregoing data, and from a careful enqu.
ry into the amount OF tonnage of merchandise import
ed into, and OF the tonnage OF exports from the eight
Southwestern counties of Virginia, and the twenty
counties oil East Tennessee your committee are
to the result that during the first year after the con.
srucon OF the rail road the tonnage imports would
amount to ,297 and Of exports to 60,352, making an
aggregate OF 67647 Estimating the above amount of
imports TO be conveyed along the whole road from Knox.
vile to New River 1926 tons for cents per ton per
n'tfe,' and the amount of transportation would be
$97,l96 90
Calculating the amount of exports the
same distance 60,352 for cents and
the amount would be OF