Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-11
C'GNT1gUNICA'TI9NS
FoR rur Wing.
INpn0yEMrXT or JAMES RIVER.

h'cat'In signed Ncrcator, you are pleased 10 OBJ
serve, GLASGOW has lis Grccnock and Edinburgh lis
icth, and would seem as "A consequence to infer
"> hmond mi.ht have it's York, or Harrison, the
name that will, ! presume, be given to tho Hep
port, u, The termination of rail road, which will
! have overcome tho last great obstacle that oh
I StructS navigation. II Is true Glasgow has
itS Srcuuck, and YOU might have added its CtYdc,
which flows through highly cultivated and ro-
mantle Countrv but for all purposes OF navigation
! an insignificant stream, when contrastcd with
James River: yet th" citizens of Glasgow, aware OF
its irportancc, have done much to bring foreign
Shi2p'Rg 60 their doors. am young man, and
can " ell remember, when none bat coasters not
exceeding 20 tons harlhon coald reach that city:
"o'c, by the removal OF sand bars and otherwise
deepening the ECl o Il river vessels oil 40 to S30
tons from v&rious parts oil Earopc, and even the
United States, load and unload at their whorvos;
and hazard little Ia asserting that had nature be-
stowe cd on them river like tho James, merchant
men any hurhcn would long this have
been hn daily viSan,a of that port
1t is also true there IS an Edinburgh and Lcith,
hut Eliuh"rZh has not IFS Lcith in the sense in
which YOU apply H. Tor though it might bc diff
cult for stranger TO tell whcro Edinburgh ends
and - In begins, the tormer is little indebted TO
the commerce OF the latter for the prosperity en-
| Joys As the ancient Capital of$cotlmd, and even
now the abode o! many of the officials OF the Bri.
tsh GovernNcn.-aS the Scotch seat of Justice
and the home of her Judges, Barrsters, Writer'S
and all the other rCtaincrs of the Lawns the win
ter residence Of many otthe nobility and gentry of
ScotIand, and some of the northern counties of
England; and possessing University, which in cv
cry age has gwen to the world Of the bright
est names that adorn the pages of English litera-
tlrc, Edinburgh has within itself population So
ciciy and resources peculiarly is own, and no.
'lihg IN so large city, attracts the attcn-
ton OF the traveller than thu total absence fthat
mum ana STIR OF business which is over to be found
III Il coihncrciai or manufacturing community
And here may express my surprise, that if it be
ouViscnbc under any circumstances, To Law down a
haii Road along Che margin of a navgable river,
snch should not have been constructed alonr Tho
tiE"". The people of Glasgow are not def
cent IN encrprIzs, regardless ofthoir interests
an" no possible LEGATION, mot even the road TO
YORK possesses greater facilities for such an IN
"eri8-.ing The river from that city TO deep
wafer, runs IN an almost straight direction through
level country; and has, | believe n graduated
morse tract along the whole distance
~ sich an undertaking has not been advise
"O.e i"'rc' am well satisfied that reflection must
convince every man tina; ii is much less necessary
rs respects James River As means of trans
porting produce. | Garnet conceive, what noss;bl,
advantage Rail Road 20 Harrison'S bar would
possess over the pTcSou! mode OF CONVEYANCE. Ger
Jam am 1t never would totally supcrscdc the ex-
lStng systems N9- stcrIn boat can and fire.
qneniy does take in tow, ) lighters conveying 300
20 hoJ hnds. tobacco and in hours they are alono
side ship below Iiarrison's bar. The construc,
ton OF thus rail road might, and in all probabitv
would somewhat lower the charge for lighteragei
|
I rail road. Wv
1t we are TO have improvements let distractions
IN the river nc removed and brine IN the ships-
blt II the people OF Virginia, and particularly the
c'tizons o! Richmond, be determined TO abandon
canes kivGr, (and that too without examination
from i"rTSon's bar upwards totally unfit for the
purposes OF foreign navigation, or even to dslay
us improvement, some of our wise men think
a"NIseaoc,) till tho Netc Rirer Rail Rood shall
nave been completed; and n canal or sometime else
extended from hvnchburg to this city, Ithen say
let us have the RaN Road TO YORK and the sooner
inc octler, as pert Of entry York possesses ad-
vantages Tar beyond any location ON Jamos R;ver
this side Durwoll's Bay.
say, abandoned without examination. for tho
rArts OF the river above referred to, NAV on two
or three OCCASIONS have been examined no con
'huouS survey has, so far my knowledge ex
tends, as yet been made. Let such survey be made
by competent individuals and have no do ,bt IL viii
be tound that there may he 0penel 4 channel snr
icie"t Is bring to Rockets svch merchant vessels
as ns"aiiy load III our river, and that too, at an
expense trilling, when compared either with tho
Importance oi Tie cblcct, or the cost of any rail
road now in concentration
ihe clearing of the channel of James River
from liarrlson's bar upwards, NAV with truth he
called Sfafe improvement: it concerns not only
the citizens OF richmond, and all who NAV he lo.
Gated on James River above or below the falls
""' every farmer or planter who looks to Rich
mond as a market for his produce is dccplv iuta-
res ca IN TINS important work; for it is not TO be
"'N'''N' ''lHI Whatever lchuS To diminish the
Pensc OF transportation, adds directly TO the value
OF the article exported Thus The 800 900 the
present annual charge for lighteragc, though maid
by lie merchants OF Richmond, IS so much kept
BACK from the pocket: of the farmers and plan
tiers, TO which may be added n per centagc that all
merchants estimate money disbursoincnts-
ms charge for lIghterage, though large in A.
mount, Is, believe the least of the evils of thc
present system. Nothing much cxcites spi-
rIt OF enterprise and commercial adventures as
an intimate COnnUNIOu with fOrpiCu
'ho foreign navigation 10 your door, and YOU at
once nFart TO commerce impetus which il felt
through It's rcnotest arteries, whether Of cxport
or OF import. 70 what other cause than the rreot
commercial facilities of New York can yo, aitr;
DUtc The lact, that odTrcl of Richmond inspected
io"r Is Mcfc worth Fifty cents more than in this
place; and that too at time when the foreign and
not 'hc domestic market regulates Tho pricel |
pretend not to say that we can rival the great
commercial city Of New York, but we can do
much 10 diminish The existing Inequality and TO re
tam within ourselves large portion Of that trade
when we now with needless indifference trans
fer TO her.
Let me now call the attention Of vour readers
20 the distractions which prevent merchants ships
from Coming up 10 Richmond. The first i'm in,
Porance is iiarrIsOn's bar, the cause of continual
VcNatlon' expense and delay to all engar.
ed IN foreign commerce. Over this bar
which is situated about five miles below City Point
tHcic arc two channels, he south aud tho north;
The former having Il soft bottom O uud has been
gradually filling up for several years, and is now
seldom if ever used by vessels of blrthcn the LAT
Ter hard bottom, and from he nature Of the cur.
rent and action of the tide, if not actually deem
tNin- Is at least stationary, GOrdlng the certainty
mot Il once removed, no i0IrcMcHi would after
wards take place to o5struct the navigation. Mr.
Ctoz"' in bis report Of 1875, states that channel
ofsaGiacnt " idth and depth for shps of arv size
TO sail up and down at mid tide with perfect secu
riy might be cXca waited for :52l 600 Let US en-
"''yor TO form some estimate Of what its present