Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-10-04

FstIon sbufE Shem, Ge. h,
twelve miles t"r her and that the estimate Of the
cost OF arsi'way Tor s,oes track (wh prepar alton,
for another rack hsre.hsrJ with s,ons sis, engines,
wagons sation' &s (gssdustsd fer iosolnotiv.s) I,
81 .2G 7so--or aSou sii 900 per mile +"
IT. the Editors Of the Enquirer.
upon tho ca,.liii MosS,.i".. > sspe &c 49,,
reached ;his place las night after a shor, but Piles
SAINT sxcu' sion through New England, and day am
continued by tho rain to the Ho'el WHICH 10 kept here.
The house Is deserted by company and 10 hink Of Nh.
Ola Dominion 10 the best occupation in my pow en- and
ss good as would desire. 1t Is impossible to con-
trss the policy and condition OF Virgins, with thu
policy aud condition OF those States thT ouyh which 4
have passed 10 make the best aud fullest use Of all
their natural resources. has been their constant etIor
course we all know has been different. Thev .x
hib every where well cultivated farms and
hnlshed houses, with the appearance Of competency
and naePenuehee our country Is. comparatively
speaking, badly cultivatedour houses often In state
Of ruin and decay and our general condition very far
from being prosperous 10 not this difference OF cond
ton owing chiefly TO the course pursued by IN. Co.
vernment and People of our Slater throw out of yev
the Tariff which certainly furnishes us some cause of
complaint and lo9k merely to those matters which
our Government aud our People have il in their pow
TO remedy.
Why should wo pay annually to the North. immense
| sums ot money Tor articles which have IL i'm our
power TO produce: There must be bad ma engagement on
part, allow broom eon hay onions and o,ber
such articles TO be raised Now England transoored
to Virginia. and ihsn sold at lower rate than our
country people can sell them. In Virgins, the people
generally have but little Idea OF tho profit derived in
New England from such articles have mentioned
connecticut he vel v
best low grounds OF that river, broon-eo.n is staple
product Extensive rs the view 10 from Mount Holy
oke il exhibits scarcely any other article Of cuya ton
Let il be said that lands i'm VII gina produce mr.
tices which more valuable, and that we can afford
TO purchase broom.corn The answer is If our great
planters generally make from their tobacco wheat
and Indian corn, II certainly is the case with all
and indeed, question whether any crop Yields more
than the crops made upon the Connectc low lands
Twenty-Five dollars per acre, 1 understand. IL com.
mon rent for tho low grounds Northampton; and
the maker OF broom who this rate usually
calculates upon product OF seventy vo dollars or an
hundred dollars annually. This 10 an immense prof,
for article esteemed tr6ug in Virginia The spe-
cficstion OF IL may lead people think that thew
had better il IN. pay it, and the instance which II
management on the part oil the New Englsnders NAV
be equally applied TO other articles which have
| been designated.
| To effect, However any great Improvement In the
condition OF State, is Indispensable that its CO.
vernment should act. The means of transporting the
products must be furnished the people, or they will
have sufficient incentive 10 make and cultivate he
people and its Government have slept too long: 1t
time for both to awaken aud neither should rest
until aspirit OF energy and enterprise is dused
out the land, aud the wants OF the whole community
| sat SIZED.
That great improvement, which has for its object not
only the accommodation Of large portion OF our own
State, but also the enrching il by OF the trade
from the Southern and esern States shou never be
forgotten. We should consider the advantages
which New York has resped and is yet respng, from
her improvements. and never sold I'LL have
realised some Of them Open this great western ave-
me, and now fields OF enterprise will be open our
citizens How greatly would our articles OF product
be increased? Who would have believed before the
Erie Canal was opened that slaves for barrels and hogs
heads, would be brought from the Lakes Albany and
yield good prohR and yet such is the fact now
Through the same channel OF transport alton salt is
brought to Albany from the Saline " orks about $50
niles distant; and all foreign salt is shut of
ket West OF that city, Beio the opening oil the Cham
plain Canal, the bar iron used in New York was always
| imported II is now constantly brought from Lake
( hsmplan 10 New York, by means OF the Champlaip
ia larve and q
is constantly increasing An the bar iron that is IN ade
ON the Lake will not supply he demand, and of course
Giles in Western Virginia. We have SALT and iron and
gypsum also. Let The way be opened for them from
the Northwest and the Southwest. We must have a
! continued line OF improvement from Richmond TO
iynchburg, and probably as far Pattonsburg, and
then two lines: towards the Kama Ina and another
Let be said that these improvements W III Tot paw
legal interest upon the principal expended in making
them Perhaps this will turn out TO he the case, but he
reasons narrowly, who considers this sufficient cause
ior nor Undertaking any Improvement. Upon the Erie
Canal farmer may now get dollar bushel for his
wheat, in towns where before the canal made, (and
when the price was the same in the seaport } lac
could only have got 30 10 cens. He NAV n,sks
wheat now when before he could afford make it,
This unae sonaby increases the value of property and
enriches the State. Eastern Virginia might look Al the
subject in this light and thus her interest in help
| ing 10 make these Improvements By furnishing the
means OF transportation. the articles OF product are in
creased the exports greater the cities in the easter,
part of the State TO which those exports are
must increase in wealth and population, and with the
improvement OF the cities, the country around them
mus, improve. II it be said that the Improvement will
be rapid in the than in tie eastern por ton
Of the State, then il may be answered that the amour
OF taxation upon the west will be
ed. The tax upon land is in proportion TO its value
and the value increases the increases So that
with view OF diminishing its quantum of alton
eastern Virginia is Interested improve the we
part OF the State and thus increase the value OF western
lands.
have said nothing TO any particular kind of i'm.
lDTOVemPnt-IOcks dams. roaH ba
Connecticut river furnishes probably the best
of the lock and dam system that has yet been under
taken in our country ] travelled the river from
Hartford TO Springfield, about "a miles; six of which
were in canal. with three locks the over md of il
and one at The upper. he boat during the whole q
miles, both in the river and the canal propelled by
steam, but nevertheless went at slow pace ON
about fo.r miles hour II about the same size
with the horse boats the New York Canal probably
little smaler for said 10 draw only 10 inches of
water. or the improvement OF the river navig alton
above Springfield, obtsined information that can
rely upon. From all that have lie rn, believe that
James River could be so improved by means OF locks
and dams and short canals, to admit of navig alton
in small steamboats, 10 Iynchburg that this would be
preferable 10 the present state OF the navgaoD and that
II cotld be accomplished less e1pence than either
continued line Of canal or a railway.
", however our State is now prepared 10 encounter
that exPence which is necessary to make an improve
ment OF the best kind, incline think that a continued
canal along the bank OF the James would be better
adapted to our people than the Improvement by lock.
and dame. The transportation canaI is effected in
simple that each farmer could have hi, WI
boats horses and slaves to carry his produce down
Whereas the lock and dam navigation would he of no
value without sieamboa and they would require ma.
chnery complicated for the mass of our slaves and
an expense greater than most farmers would he willing
10 encounter, aud OF would bring common cor.
rers into use. This remark is also applicable To rail
roads. The consideration here advered TO- IT, under
stand leading one with Judge wight, in ommend
/ ing canal from Richmond 10 Lynchburg; and il seems
| to me to have great force.
railroad must Of course be made across the noun.