Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-07
EOn TIE WHO.

|
y ann truly gratified to find that the commcrcia
interc2ursc between this CITY and forci.-n mort.
! Las clcltcu the atcbtion of my fellow cj,iycr. nj
thIs place. 1t appears that two distinct uronos;
tions arc now pending before the present Icrisla.
ture Tor consideration, namely that of inproyip.,
III. navigation OF James river from tho obstruction.
ut arrsonS bar TO this place, so that vessels pyn
IRON th'S to o:cIgn ports could he accommodate ed
a thIs port. The other is by the construction of
hh! hoa' TO some place where safe and con
Heuent port could be- made for vessels OF the largest
size and draft ofwater which the prcsen, and future
TRADE If this place may require. The former con
templates The improvement OF tho natural high
way, namely, the bed OF the river so as to accom-
snoGotc ~ wen the foreign as coasting trade TO
| the city Of Richmond, and the State at lurge-and
as such being the natural, it should be The FIRST
subject Of consideration.
:he petitioners have exhibited, no doubt, a can
did detail of the Inconvenience under which the
present foreign trade of this place has suffered -
Their petition is truly worthy of the most minnie
examination. These petitioners have exhibited mn
ny, though not all Inc inconvenencies under
winch the trade, well domestic as foreign is
no" subject, such the want Of the communica
ito" from the basin to tide water, which has been
neglected by the James River Company: their rot
zen LOCKS are now lncomretcrt to this object even
!! their operations had not been combined with
t,'o iLchnonh Dock--cOnscgucnily the trade Of
liI3 p!rcc har been transported from the basin 20
the shipping, whether in or out OF the Docb,) Oh
Wagons ana drays along street II feet wide
including the foot ways-a large portion of
'Fe pavement g this street was taken up last sum
h.er' ana remained IN that situation for many
months TO The great Inconvenience of the citizens
ana annoyance of strangers and others.
ne othcr proposition is, to construct a Rail!
''oau 20 some convenient point, where a safe port
ior shipping can be found below Iarrison's Bars
inc former Improvement is inled in the bed of n
"aVIgabio river whore ilc tide Gibbs and flows con-
| seqnently natural high way which belongs to the
ChIed States under the federal compact, or it be-
'OigS 10 me state, consequently should not be
surrendered by either, to n Joint stock company,
unless III case of great emergency 1t is &c
khoWiedgcd that this river is susceptivc OF great
Improvement, which would add greatly to the
c"HiAefcIa! convenience of this city, and the state
';t large. The design Ola rail WV is entirely ar
tIie a.; consequently, By letting tLis DESIGN to &
JOINT - 'cN company under circumstances such as
now exist, the iUblic Intercourse, as we'll local Is
connerci1i, would likely be benefited iiduc cai-
| lion be preserved 10y the State in granting the
charter. This design would most likely 90 into
immediate operation, and it's good or useless e.
lee; fairly tested, before the improvements on the
river could be complete, if the right 90 iurs-
dclIon were now settled, and operations inlne.
aia>ely begun. Should a Rail Road succeed under
present circumstances 1t would no doubt continue,
IN case the State extend her commercial comnu.
ntcations TO the Western waters. The trade q,
tins place will likely increase particularly in YES
sc!S OF burthen and draft Of water hey0nd what
could be brought TO this place, if the river were
| improved IN the best manner it is susccpl i5lc-
The jealousy prevails in this city, that the
business of this place would descend 10 the tcrmin
alton o! the Rail Road, at the port on the river
ihey should know, or recollcc:, That Edinburgh
! has her heith; Glasgow her Port Glasgow; anc
London her Docks; yet sc find that the CONNER
clnI business has not dies cCndcd to either Of tho
places OF receiving ana dschargnn the cargocs oil
me shipS or vessels which enter these porfs al
Docks Those OF London are three OF magnitude,
all Of which have been recently built! thos, of the
East and West Indies within about thirty wears.
and the London few years before The " est
India Dock covers 81 acres of grouud it is located
near The lower extremity Of the Isle of Dogs, more
than ) miles from the Custom House. which is
| built near London Bridge. These Docks have
their entrance from the river at near Black
| The East India Docks are small distance lowe
! down the river; they cover 81 acres of Ground
| The communication between these Docks and In,
c!ty IS By the Commercial road and the streets ic d
ing to the various sale and warehouses i'm the CITY
| ne valuable india goods conveyed in corCrCi
| Wagons locked mp TO prevent either amupgiin,
or frauds. The house of this Company is fou
miles, or more, from their Docks and it is caicu
lated that their wagons move at the rate of t~t
n and a half miles per hour; that their conncc
ton as To time IS near the it would rcuuir
from the Basin of the James River Canal to tn
contemplated port. The London Docks are locat
cd more contiguous TO the city; thcv cover tyyant
ceres OF ground and are more than three h,ndrc
yards from the river These Docks receive all IN
vessels laden with tobacco, and have two war,
houses attached for storing the samc thew are y,
der the entire direction OF the officers of the On,
toms. The stock OF this Company is q 800 00l
their profits limited 20 10 per cent, which has no
4, yet been verified. Whoever has examined Lott
Port Glasgow, or these Docks, will ahundantly yC
riiy, That neither have ever diminished the trad
OF their contiguous cities; but, OH the contrar,
have been found agreeable convcnicncas TO Gael
, When the West India Docks were about TO h
erected, much excitement prcya led as TO tlcjr di
lance from The city; but the good effects of thcs