Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-25

Dominion "a L nr,dtrd arms over halt the UnioE
- ,,her!ng into her own 'a;' 's ~.
~" .,vr nr,n lavlshed "a those favored regions.
W. saw, committee deem II unnecessary |" go ihto
hn' "a" .,,,, nj, IN. benefits which must res uit
dF'a''e" ., ,l,, construction OF these important
.. ,f ,u,crcomuluaicatrn "e! 80, ~. wv T
..,,. III, Intelligence oil lh' LIZ s' wv. ~
w.il therefore pass On 10 TIC c"hsotta."" Va
c"in'!s''ee su,s Of less magnitude, but which are
o'"r' ,'P vi s.arcl to the development OF the re-
s'f ,hs v.t:s OF the State In which they ate re-
respectively situate. ., ,rb;ch ro,r Committee
"a -" r.rG i; he construction OF turnpike road
;'y.,.surr in The county OF Wood, TO olauh!on'
.r, ,t IS presented wh the SANCTION OF recon-
!"'s 10, hr the Executive OF The Commonwealth, ana
,m,i,ee are persuaded TINT It merits tie patron'
sof the Legislature. 1t will traverse country now
-, entirely cut oil from access 10 the comnercial
r,t,ions OF the State aud possessing vast resources
h only require the fostering AID OF te Legislature 10
b. ,hn,mGhly and rapidly developed. The cost VIII De
:n.,darahie when compared with the benefits which
,I flaw from the expenditure, and your comm't'ee
,y,,d ,heretoe recommend It's immediate construction
Fam Stanton easwardly, your committee w"niu re-
.,n,.nJ the construction o. hlacadsm.sed rocu 10
,.ue cont on James river. THIS road would nc Va!u
ls feeder to the James river canal, aud would iurn'sh
su!;eisa, outlet or the large and increasing as"euu
ri productions Of several populous and ierue coues
I'd The ne yt object which your committee have aecui'
si worthy OF special recommendation, is Macadauii'
sri road from Winchester tn buchanan, win p'eosS
Of lis ultimate extension, 10 unite win the ta'Foau
leading 10 Tennessee This road would pass through
large portion Of the great Valley and would afford most
important facilities district OF country containing
probably 100, 900 inhah.lants
The tso last named Improvements, ought IN me oPin
ion of your committee, 10 be made entirely on State ec
oun. no, only in consideration of the Obvious benefits
yynch hey must dispense the public but also because
!, would be iuprac,cablc TO have them constructed OH
sny other principle 49,, ,
i,b You, committee would respectfully recommend
suitable provision be made by law for the removal
f The bars and other impedmen,s which now oostruct
,,e navigation OF the James river up to line CITY Of
Richmond bv vessels adapted to foreign trade. ms Is
an object which interests almost every patot our etae,
and vou committee think it ought to be done at lis e2-
pcnsr t The State Surveys have been made ol these
Instructions and sSilsu and scientific ensnees are Of
the op'nion that they can be removed at a !cohsoel
able COST
9Th In that portion of the State north of the Staunon
and Parkersburg road there several objects OF I'M
p.ovrmen, worthy of the patronage OF The Legislature.
Amongst the most prominent OF these IS the hlohon
nhsla river from the Pennsylvania line to the mouth
OF Stone Coal creek, in the county OF Lewis. The
state O: Pennsylvania has appropriated large amount OF
:noney to improve this river from fIlts5urS 10 Tie IT.
,o,s !ae and an extension OF that improvement 10 the
mead Of navigation would be highly beneficial to The PEG.
psc OF that section nt the State.
You, committee would also recommend the construc-
ton OF number OF short turnpikes in the northwestern
couaes. Many of them may appear at first view, to
be entirely local in their character, but they constitute
important links in general chain OF lntercommunica-
ton and Indispensable 10 the accommodation OF the
public. The aggregate cost o. all these improvements
Il Is supposed, vii! 40; exceed S2lu,0uU
9Th Your committee cannot Close this part Oh .eir
report. without an expression Of their deep sense OF the
Importance 10 the interests Ut Virginia. oil the great ecu
tai improvement irun Richmond to the waters OF The
Ohio river and Of the necessity Of pressing It's cpnslruc
ton with energy. It's immediate patrons DO moi at this
SINE any thing at tie hands OF the Legislature, eul
vour committee think that it is due 10 's'n and 10 the
public interest, TO give guarantee that The state VIII
not, under circumstances abandon u, and that II an
augmentation Of the capital stock should become neccs
say Tor lis npetian the State will stand pledged to
Subscribe ree.iihs of the additional stock This all
tina, can with pfopriety be done at THIS lime ne
ynrk has been undertuken and is prosecuted with
zra and abilty upon the principle OF subscription OF
,hytei!ths by the State and two-:ii,is by Individuals
and your cor. inee do think that it would be either
competent proper for the Legislature to interfere with
the vested rights Of the stockholders IN the company, by
commencing departure from that principle
These all the improvements which you committee
haze deemed Il proper to sugges; at this time Bat they
wish be understood coDhning the system to
these specific works; The contrary they regard the
recommendations Of their report as but the commence
men of an expanded and progressive scheme, which
snail! in due time pervade every portion OF the Com
monweah, and he limited only by the extent OF our
territory and the resources Of our people,
Upon the second point, viz :. to the principles on
which the works should 1T undertaken, your COMMIT
zee have already indicated the opinion, that many q"
The Improvements should be prosecuted exclusively on
Sgie account They aware, that this recomnenda-
is in contic. with what is generally regarded as the
settled system Of Virginia, and they also believe that it
IS equally opposed the deeply seated pejudiCes Of
large portion of the community. But your committee,
condng in the correctness Of their views have no fear
the result They believe that in Stale like Vr
c,na, whose pbIcal features diversified,
there is general principle which be nhexibly nd
hered to- w,aoa, working injustice and it is therefore
the part of wisdom to modify and combine different
principles, according TO the circumstances Of particular
Ii the hand, you adopt the State principle,
YOU often led into partial ami mprovident exPen.
Glures of the public treasure and you lose all the ad
vantaes resulting from the vigilance Of private interest
II, the other hand, You conhne your operations 10
the fifth principle you lose the energy OF concen
trcted action, and you confne your Improvements en-.
trely the wealthy sections of the State, where the
emulation of capital renders easy to procure the in
'v!Aaal subscriptions IL your committee were allowed
% express opinion, they would general rule,
recommend the State principle in the construction of all
works of magnitude and Acknowledged utility, and the
;tee fifth principle in works of local character But
there are many which would require that these se-
neral rules should be modified in theirappicalion
As :he first and mos! triumphant evidence Of the re-
isIve advantage OF the State principle over the joint
stock or ,hreeiflh principle, IN relation to works Of pr
mary Importance, your committee would respectfully re-
Il" the Legislature TO the systems oimprovement in New
York. Pennsylvania and Ohio which have been made,
aHoS, entirely State account and contrast their pre-
s"t prosperous condition with the crippled, inefficient
aai unproduclve system of Virginia We there see the
pgtc works prosecuted with energy and economy and
Yielding profits which sufficient not only 10 keep
down the interest the cost of construction, but pro-
asHg in lew yeurs 10 reimburse the principal, and
ultimately to relieve the people of those States from the
tlhen of taxation.
In addition 10 the reasons already urged against the
iAtee Fifth system, nvalube rule Of appropriation
your committee would mention its tendency to minister
Ia The cufGy IT. the wealthy sections Of the State at
's e1pfnS" Of those which less favored, and the
strong temptation which it holds out to rival interests 10
'Tna'k IN works which prosecuted, not with view
10 he accommodation Of the public, nor in reference 10
Tie Greet profits 10 he derived in the form of dividends
upon The stock but for the purpose of breaking down
fFs commercial depot, by withdrawing from it the trade
%hch is the aIinenl Of It's prosperity. Experience has
sste~n that whenever the threeiit principle is cs,a
'Sh d. gh is virtually conferred upon every par: Of