Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-02-04

enlightened and worthy source, and viii be read
with interest.
2O;h JANuAny lg3l
Dear SIR: Your favor Of lIth Dec cama 30 hand
sometime altar its da,c and found under IN acon.
mon press nj business, and has rCnaiucd unanswered
slnce my rel urn 10 this place, because It was i'm the
rear of other letters, which could not tilinoy ccl
sistcntiy with other duties finish answering. ] hop.
you VIII thoroiore ascr'bg any silence no un.sGcnd-
~ motive. You ask my views at length Of . system
of Internal improvement Tor the 5 at. of Virginia
and the best and least uctionablc mode Of raising
the funds. In reply to your questions, will give
you orcf sketch, leaving you To al the details.
think the system OF Internal Improvement forth
IN the act creating the fEnd of Internal mprov
the best for the greater part Of MS STATE that has
yet been suggested. If we had more diSplsablc pub
nc funds and had not muny conflicting interests
II might DO bottcr to orgauiX' Il system resting alto
gether the public funds so US to retain the power
to lower the tolls, and gradually in the process of
time 10 convert the works INTO free highways subject
only such tolls would keep them in order Bat
the adoption OF system exclusively public IS render
ed impolitc ii not impracricab.e, by the aversion OF
the people 10 taX1tI1n, by the "alouses and con,en
lions between the local interests Of the STATE and The
tendency of such system w! INTO abuse.
Under tho system adope ed, ;hc grca. or part Of the
capital IS contributed by individuals aud if corr-c ly
administered this system places u under the watchGu
care of private interest. Fiery contentious N &C
company the administration even OF thls Fund But
they are harmless when compared with hose which
would break forth under IA scheme exclusively public
No onc who has not set down and ina &c tc calcuiu
tion can imagine III" immense results OF fund Tor
Internal Improvement If unncumJered. and n mnl.-
tered with prudence and 6rmnes IL would convert
the greater part OF our State INTO den. free
TO confess that l of those who Vol ed to en-
cumber 1t by charging it with heavy appropriations
for tho attemp' ed connection OF tho Eastern and
Western Waters have not changed my -pin.n MS
to the value and Importance Of that connection Blu
the expected results necessarily postponed To
indefinite day, and were not available for the
prompt reimbursement OF the fund for Internal In
ln,~ vNlnl l.
and brought the James River interest undc the dis
pleasure of the State. without wing attained any
import ed advantages for ourselves Tn jane Riv-
improvements las they UisnaDisdl ought TO have
been executed by other means, and tue Fund Tor To-
tcrna Improvement should have been lett 10 operate
over the general face OF thu couu. Y. Under these
impress lons, would retrJce Steps IT, fast rs pos
sible; and get back to til point from which We de-
parted With this view. md general rule Of
policy, | would from this time forward vot" against
all anticipuOHs of the income of the fund, and ap-
proprate the unincumbered income it accrues
The practice which prevails of anticipating the IN
come is pregnant with mischief In regard to thai
portion of the income which is encumbered, | would
hasen dsenthralmen by the aid Of adh ional and
efficient means. For this purpose | would MT hest
tate, were II necessary to make an addition To the
taxes But this, | presume, will not be requisite. A.
tue new Government will be less expensive han the
old, there will b. surplus of the disposal
of the Legislature and instead of reducing the taxes
would apply it, as sinking fund TO disencuaber
tho fund for Internal improvements and for other
public purposes. | would then let that fund march
forward upon the original principle Offs srganzaton
This would restore harmony to the STATE, and re-
ktndc the spirit of improvement the greater part
Of is extent But admirable are the effects of
noble fund IF prudently and firmly admInsl cred
II is certainly from he principles OF It's organ,Zatpn
Inadequate to the acRev,m cnt of -nme of the m st
impo tlnt oblecs OF 5 ate policy allude chiefly o
the great highways across oar mount anous region,
essential to bind together the Eastern and Western
parts Of State, AMI TO give his State due par
ION Western Irulp. Those rntis ha
ccued by Sal" funds or be lett undnno for Il . - to
come. sp ciic .'lon Of this description ut pubic
works may az found in the proceedings Of tn" Char
ottesville C"nveoti N. o. these the mos: Inpurtan
is The connect on of ia" Eastern and Western Wa
ters through TIL rayines of the Ilmcs, the Green.
brer and The N Rivers. The time Is rapidly
approaching when his q eat work must be recom-
menced Nothing can shew the great superiority of
this channel of communication strongly than the
late overture from Baltimore union between the
two States and a connection of our route with theirs
In the class of great Public Works not embraced
within the sphere Of action of the fund for Internal
Improvement selection should be made, & such part
carried on first, promises most lucrative results
be under the influence of prejud local inter
est, but think the James River Improvement must
be admitted by all candid men be the first object
Of the State This should be divided two sections
uniting the town of Pattons5uTgh and the eastern
should be excutcd FIRST This should be done by the
issue OF per cent stock, the interest of which
should be guaranteed by the pledge of some 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 appIcd-But ought not to move another
step towards THIS object, till the public mnA 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 ;his sub
iect, chief Cause for stopping the execution of
the plan at the end OF The first section. voted for
the suspension iJ' this mainly, and stated IT at
the time. The motive exists for not moving
again till the last doubt IL removed One great
error viii damn the work for ever. Judge Wright was
decidedly IN favor of continued Canal our own
Engineers prefer the system of Locks and Dams with
to steam power Recent discoveries seem 20
shew the prac liability of applying steam advantage
for the rapid transportation of persons Canals
Whilst the advantages of Rail Roads developing
themselves, more and more and We hear ol new and
great inventions N eleyatug boats from one level 10
another. The great works that progress near
us, will soon settle these questions, perhaps
our funds will be ready. presume there can be
no doubt to the eXpedcncy Of Rail Road from the
town of Cuvington To- the foot of the falls OF Kenaw
Ia, by the ravine ni the Grcrnbrcr River. But of
what would this be, till the navigation improved
,.yg TF-I. ,rI. II % ~ st.