Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-01-21

me oher had on open held behind The had cast it.
sell upon The water, 10 sink swimhe other rested
yet upon the land the wreck il pleased the fancy of
gentlemen BETTER and il the plank, already the posses
sion OF the one and the only OF safety, was he
contended for, which, he would ask the law nature
deserved success In such struggle? He trusted he
maa said enough to remove any prejudice that might
stuents were Interested in retaining the trade Of the
Roanoke, the people of Norfolk and Portsmouth
equally interested in gaining for themselves; and having,
as he thought at least balanced accounts with
Gates oil the bill. the Of motives he claimed Of the
honse full and candid investigation Of the CASE upon its
intrinsic merits Addressing himself, he should do,
clusvey to the Judgment, and the feelings he must
necessarily much into DETAIL and fearful the SUBJ
Jec might prove dull and unDerestng But when he
sured the House that in his humble opinion the question
before Them involved considerations Of the import.
the State large, he could not but promise him
SELL that they would submit to the irudgery Of following
him in the views he about present When he de-
elared as he did boldly, that of fragrant injustice
was about to be done portion oil the people Of this
Commonwealth he felt convinced that deaf ear would
mol be turned TO that reasonable appeal which he
yer known to be disregarded-" Strike, but hear u.s."
Mr.. b. said, he should take but brief notice of the
character Of The subscription The capital stock Of the
crease to $i75000, aud three ths the latter sum
were said to be subscribed He presumed meant,
that they would be subscbed had yet TO how
valid and binding subscription, beyond an amount au-
,ho'ized by law, could be made The House had been
taken by Norfolk Borough OF $50 900 by the town Of
Portsmouth, leaving 1880 for individuals He did not
know by what authority Norfolk subscribed a-no act
done in the of Richmond, Petersburg and Lynch
burg. But he should not cavii about a subscription
regard TO the useful effect, whether money came from
town treasury or the pockets Of individuals. Pc
tersbuTg had subscribed 10 her rail road lO0 al.
though II was true also, and worthy OF that
individuals had taken in STOCK and loans rble
stock nearly 100000 In deciding on the probable ut
lily and productiveness of work, much importance was
generally attached TO the extent Of individual confidence
as manifested by subscriptions. capitalist would make
his investment from expectation Of dividends Of
n rio Har k... all
ed on one point or the other. Each subscriber on the list
gives by his act the coDcurring testimony Of his
confidence. A town subscription the contrary, may
be made 6y bare majority, overriding a minority. not
representing the larger Of property, without refer
snce to Pecuniay return on the inv esmen and upon
very vague calculation OF benefit in any shape, for
corporation government like all other governments wa.
generally inclined to make liberal use Of public
money than of private All that he wished TO be under
stood as saying OH this point that the subscription
not furnish such evidences of individual confidence
be- IN as great degree usual conclusive of its merits
But admitting that three hhs Of $4750O0 had been ia
ken up in an unexceponabe manner, that the
amount oil the expenditure required! The act OF 1916,
creating the fund for improvement provided that,
even where the General Assembly had agreed patro
nze the work. the Board OF Public Works should SUBJ
scribe "unl three 6hs at least Of the whole stock ne
cessay to complete such canal turnpike, other public
work. had been otherwise subscribed 1t enough
to assume particular The probable COST then
show that such had been subscribed. He said he
should proceed 10 examine the estimate presented with
the same freedom with which he would handle any
PUBLIC document intended to form the basis of legislative
aeuoi iIo engineer. and ignorant OF all the
mysteries OF the profession, but he had plain mat
ter oil fact views on the subject Of this estimate which
ne would submit to the House, together with the rea
sons which they founded, so that others could
judge well as himself OF their correctness He would
ground on which 1t esedand if mistaken he should be
glad to be informed of it, few years since, the cost OF
rail road in this part of the world, vague
conJeciure;-but the Petersburg road nearly
hnished-its cost pretty well ascerained and he knew
oil no better means for uDprofessiona his
opinions Of the probable of similar road over SINH
" he bah
Penditures with the known and actual The Peters,
burg road was made under the most favorable
ces II was planned and executed by eminent Engi-
neer, (AIr. Moncure Robnson,) who brought with him
disciplined corps Of assistants and contractors who had
been recently employed on similar improvements in Penn.
yvana and who undertook the work at the prices pre-
scribed by himself. Labour was cbeap-the construc-
ton went ON with unexampled rspidiiy-not error
or miscalculston was commitieed-and il now the
opinion OF both the Company and Engineer that if they
were to begin anew with all the experience obtained
they could not improve upon it, and could the
increased price Of labor, make any reduction in the cost
The expenditure great acknowledgements than as
anticipates; but that was necessarily incidental 10 such
work 1t was 60 miles in length and the expenditure
up 10 the LIST November last, $5l5 1884, 1t now
much greater, and would amount, in the whole in or.
Der TO put the work in complete operation according
the estimate OF the company. fully S65OOOo. He Then
held resolution of the President and Directors instruct
ing him TO apply to the Legislature for authority in
crease the capital Stock 10 borrow money that
This at the rate OF 1873 per mile and at The same
rate road OF II miles length, mnst about 1884 OOO
III the cost OF road, in the immediate neighbouood,
over country Of analogous character could be
below the rate he had mentioned he thought incum.
bent on those who claimed the benefit Of such reduction
TO show IN what precise manner it to be effected
Was the lace OF the country favourable II So the
cost OF graduation which embraced excavation, embapk
ment and culvers would be hess The actual cost of ra.
duaton on the Petersburg road at from TO Is per
cubic yard, amounted the whole line l3I s72-on
an equal distance OF 60 miles from Suffolk The Roanoke
according 10 the estimate, at from 10 10 liz cents per
cubic yard, II would amount 20 l33, l94 When, there.
fore, the cost OF graduation equal distance al even
lower rates, was greater than the Petersburg road
was 1t not he asked, evidence, that the country be
HaveIsed by the Portsmouth road less favourable
Could there, he said, be any reduction the of
the supersfucre, consisting of oak logs for siIs heart
the Petersburg route, costing average, 40 cents
eachon the Portsmouth road their estimated varied
from 81 to so cents-chely 40 cents. Iron for the Pc
tersburg road, bought in England by agent, and
cost 1856 per tonsurely reduction could be made on
that item On the wooden rails, he believed reduction
might be made but the amount was inconsderable Such
timber was scarce the Petersburg route and much of
that used was brought up fyom the vicinity of Suok
II cost from $50 10 $50 per thousand feet lnes measure,
averaging about $780, and amounting the whole line
about 3i 800. According TO the estimate, this item would
cost OH the Portsmouth road from $l5 TO $50 per thou
sand feet about $780, in all for distance OF 60 miles
being saving this material OF only about $1,000.
Could there be any reduction Of in the item OF
bTidges7 II seemed 10 bin be only necessary 10 look
at the map in order TO be satisfied that there could not
The rivers Meberrin and Nooway passed by the
Petersburg road 10 be encountered by the proposed
road lower down, tide water, where they broad
and deeper and to them must be added the Backwaer
and numerous smaller sfeas visible the map and al
luded 10 III the estimate. IL stated that diVi.
sion Of nine miles there must be twenty truss bridges
when on the whole line OF the Petersburg road ne be.