Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-03-04

ana the force OF circumstances combined forbid IT,
no no. prng tins forward in disparagcment of Nor
ioR, Tor believe like her best MS she is-but if
Sl9O,OO0 would make Norfolk such splendid CITY.
now uoes II happen, that the immsnse sums expcntl-
cd IN and about her, from the public rcasury either
OIL 'he state, or United States, and all her com-
nr. nus NOT gwen these people quantum suE
.D'cu oil capital to make any work which they may
choose-for. when immense works are going on
"uch must be consumed, and upon that heavy con.
SUMPTION per cent. must have been made by the
merchants furnishing the supplies and materials. II
inns was the happy lot of the Norfolk merchant no
is too rich to be under the necessity of asking for
t,'s sum from the State, to be obliged TO look with
disappointment to his golden dreams of spendor nd
Popu'aiion, and great mercantile celebrity. If she
nus no' derived inns profit, that which am to
oe"o'c Is cerony proven-namely, that the citizens
are 100 happy with what they have, TO care about
great deal more. They would take much as You
pieasc, but they do not distress themselves greatly
9oout more than what enables them to be- what
nave generally heard of them-namely, profita-
Die and liberal people, But have idea that this or
any schemes of internal Improvement will convert
Norioik into second Vence.-Now, sir this object
OF gentlemen being impossible of attainment,
nope they VIII consento be just before they are ge-
hcrots, aud go with Inc into system of plain com
mon sense works, that may do vast quany of good.
ana he SO located, in all probability that pretty
iar return may be anticipated for the money invest
ed. Instead OF $4,000, upon capital Of investment
OF OF between . and 100000, we may probably obtain
fund for internal improvement, which does Weld
any return--namey, the bank stock belonping tn
me iund and its exactOns upon the planter Of mid
aie virginia, together with some small sums from a
lew works OF Improvement, fortunately located-tl,e
whole amounting to about 104 dollars per ann UNI,
may be yet useftlly applied. The present wretched
system ,nny DO still further improved, than il has
oeen IN the mode which the Petersburg Rail- Road,
us Pioneer points out, and we get clear of the
poor and miserable efforts, which, when co,nulct
ed, have kind of stock to which a sagacious
ofhcer can affx no market value 'Ts already
SAID, we have more experience, and of course
more skii-another syren song of lullaby TO the
apprehenslons of those who have to meet the re-
responsibility of suffering under the kindlv infen
mons OF the friends Of large expenditures in public
improvements-whclI lullaby, l hope, will pass for
all that 1t is worth, and no Do you not per-
ceive, sir that these unproductive investments ore
only to be avoided by strict investigation of tho
whole promise of the scheme of Improvement and
IN selecting those that are probable to make fair
return Tor the money expended on them? Will not
the Gon!ihusd departure from this rule bring the
whole fund into remediless i'll favour? Ii will GER
certainly do this or end in a worse system there
lore, enrcat those who so earnestly and honestly
nave Tie Improvement of our beloved State so much
at heart, to pause and contemplate the certain, yes.
SIR the certain consequences of the course to which
things are now tending. Will they by a further
prosecution of a ruinous course of measures ,end
ing TO render unproductve, improvements nlreadv
undertaken or finished, entirely destroy public con-
hdence IN works which may make some return. and
IN some small degree, redeem the lust imputot;ons
cast upon the management of the fund for Internal
Improvement, IN vestiDg much of its money i'm
unproductive works? And such would he The cer.
tam effect OF this bill large portion of the State
OF Virginia. Inhabited by an industrious moral on,,
Patriotic pcople-those who remit q heavy d, opor-
ton of the taxes of the State have by their solemn
request In their various drafts upon this fund fin
part their own,) for money to be expended i'm siiua
ions remote from them. This acquiescence has
n hIu.c - n
OF their country, which directs that they submit 10
laws enacted by the immediate representatives of
the people. They have large sums expended
elsewhere, out of their neghborhood and far from
ue'n, ana they have not murmured-restrained
by That sense OF forbearance which they think
should characterize them; whilst hope and ex
Pectauon said to them, your turn will come M
lust The justice of your Legislature will award Won
INA. iNr portion OF tins fund to improve your sec
tons OF the State, which your taxes Justly entitle
you TO. they have understood thar proportion
WELL SIR; they know the amount, and know lis value
perfectly. Will you, by more act, directly tell
these people that you have expended the enormous
sum OF S45OOOO, or so pledged it, that their turn 10
receive from it will never come? nav more. that Won
now so on TO use money drawn from sale of SIate
stock! The effect of which, bind them in all their
aDour and property to capitalists and oney-chang-
ers security for its redemption of prncinnI oud
interest OF money loaned to her; and they will be
told, spent elsewhere, and far from them by this
appfoplation-and that no regard is had to the profit
OF works constructed by money raised upon their
credit. What then is to follow? You will publish IN
them, that they can no longer have reliance upon the
representatives. of the peoples that their long cherish
ed hopes III Tins respect AT least have been without
foundation, and that they must Join i'm general
system OF corrupt and ruinous contracts in order m
secure them small portion of benefit from the ex
penditure OF enormous sums TO be drawn from their
pockets and lavisled upon any and every scheme of
Internal Improvement that has an ingenious advo
cate IN tiler Legislature. Can any consequences he
more hideousy disastrous in every thing connected
with tile pecuniary operations of a people than the
consequences here alluded TO? and which tbnk
Will certainly follow the farther prosecution of Ills
system of loans
L am, sir, an advocate of Internal Improvement,
lover oil the State that gave BIRTH that has been
Tile ba'a spot and grave of my ancestors for several
generations. cannot willingly see n course nur
sued, that feel well assured will end in disas,ar
or ruin. No, sir, let us improve our State within
the limits OF our capacity; let us represent the opi
mons OIL the people whom we serve. If our State is
10 DC Denehed by Improvement, let them be under
taken, and tax levied at once to meet The Sto,e,s
subscription, (if the fund for Internal Improvement,
cannot do SOL and give the people an opportunity of
passing upon the contemplated Improvement bv
postponng the commencement of the work mill az
ter the rising OF the next Legislature to that of mss
ing the act OF incorporation. BY this sir we meet
our own debts and entail nothing on future wears:
we pursue the principle held sacred in politics in
our country formerly that the people are capable of
seii-goVcrnnent. DO this, and let the amount be
what 1t may, i for one, and believe the whole neo
people have the honor to represent will On Oil,
you, for any amount that can be laid out To odvau
tage but pray YOU again, save us from further
progress III this Ubiquitous course of runous snc
culaon and loans; one item of which, il tl,a ell,