Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-03-27

cdly advocated the bill when Parkersburg was made
the western point of termination. Is this good rea
son that he should now insist il, when it is
shown the public good does not require ii? i must
differ with that gentleman, as the people of Tyler
las, year peti,oned Tor this road to be made from
Clarksburg by the way of Middebourne to Sisters
villc | must say, that had the honor of adyocat-
ing the petition which carried with it such convic
ton prevent any point from being made in the
bill, leaving tho whole matter with the Principal En-
ginecr havcto request that this House will rein
state this section and put the matter TO rest.
The proposition was agreed TO.
Mr. FiTzHUGms Remarks he subject.
lie said, that like the gentleman from Harrison, he
was no otherwise Interested in the matter under dis
cussion, than a citizen of the State; DESTROYS that
the Improvement should be made us TO ensure to
the State a reasonable profit the expenditure, and
that object, he thought, more likely To be obtained
by locating the road on the nearest and most prac-
cable route from Clarksburg to the Ohio river than
by a location terminating ut Parkcrsburg. He had,
on former occasion, asserted that the first rcsou
ton on this subject contemplated improvement
through Virginia, from Winchester TO the nearest
practicable point the Ohio river, and TO prove that
assertion, he would refer the House TO VOL H. p. PA,
of the Proceedings of the Board of Public Works.
! Resolved That the Board of Public Works be in
s,ructed to direct the Principal Engineer as
they shall deem il eXpcdient mark and lay
road the nearest and best route from Romney TO
Clarksburg, and from thence to the nearest pract-
cable point the Ohio river and make report there
of to the General Assembly.
Clarksburg he'd been established us q point, and
survey thence to Sisersvillc, pursuant the
luton Just read That the Engineer TO whose iudg-
ment the location had been entrusted, had thought
proper not to the responsibility of deciding
on the location, and had referred the subject to this
House for the stated in his report, viz
That improvements were making i'll the State of
Ohio To meet this road-that Marietta was frequently
the head offs steam navgation-that the road to Par
kersburg would accommodate greater extent of
country and its prolongation would be towards the
heart of several of the western States.
| For the same reason, Mr.. f.. presumed that the
! Governor had recommended the location to Par
/ kcrsburg Marietta, and the gentlemen from Pc
tersburg and Harrison had ably supported them in
opposing this section of the bill, which he had PROV
ed 10 be in accordance with the original resolution.
That the Engineer had been msiniorned. Mariet-
Ia not the head of navigation. Whenever the
river not obs;ructed with ice, steamboats, draw
ing from lS TO "a inches naygated without difficult
~. That it was not the nearest route to the coun-
ties Of the western States. The nearest route from
Clarksburg TO Columbus, the OF government OF
Ohio, was thro' Sistersvie. That n comparison OF
the distances from Clarksburg To the different poim
proposed, would fully prove the proprety of direct
ing the location Sstcrsville both rs il regarded
the convenience of travellers, and the limits of the
appropriation for this improvement. The gentle
man from Tyler, Mr.. McCoy,) could present state
mcnts which would be conclusive on these points.
Travellers going westward from, or coming eastward
into parts OF Virginia contiguous to the road would
save much time and money by taking the ncarcs,
road from Clarksburg 10 the river, and from the III
yer to Clarksburg; and i'll proportion as the present
road from Carksbur9 10 the river improved by coup-
y labor just in the same proportion il would divert
the travel from the North Western Turnpike if To-
Gated so as to terminate at Marietta or Parkersburg.