Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-03-13
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
DEFERRED DEB.3Tt
HOUSE OF DELEGATEs;w;,s 7hursdoy, hareh l.


HOUSE OF DELEGATES Thursday, March ].
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.
Mr. MARTIN rose 20 offer resolution of instructions
the Committee on Roads, &c IN relat'on 10 te
DOR, by them made on Internal improvements. MI ""
said that as he aud other gentlemen mao oeen epVeo
Of every opportunity Of making amendments 10 'he re-
nor, when il was before the House. and as he now e1-
pec,ed TO be obliged to leave the House Tor The remain
der of the Session. before another opportunity wouo De
presented he hoped he should have the indulgence OF
The House to permit him to offer this restitution
Mr. MuRDAveH hoped ,hp motion would be waived
md hat the Committee would be authorised to have the
bill printed in the time Then when II came up
there would he afforded the oppoitunity desired
Mr. MAnr,s then submitted the following resolution
Resolosd, That the Committee of Roads and Internal
Nayieation be instructed provide that the portion OF
the road contemplated in the Report, from Oanvlle t"
Evansham shall be constructed Oh State account
Mr. MARrIs said with the view Of placing himself rec
FMS in curiG before the House and the county, he would
briefly sssirn the reasons in favor of the resolution
which he had submitted though he might well be de
tered from dung by the remarks OF The gentleman
from Goochland few days ago, who urged as reason
in favor of re committing the Report, that various
speeches wond be made in favor OF the different
nmendnen ts that nigh, be ofrred-which would be III
tended for h"me consumption think, Mr. Speaker
that the observation of the gentleman, might well be
regarded unknd, by some OF his ir'ends tr Juog'ng
from the difference between their speeches in this Tia
and in the public prints it is fair to infer they were IN.
tended for home consumption wish 1t distinctly un
dcrstood do not may suppose, offer tins reso
Report Sn far from it present it as the only cond.
ton upon which can give tina, Report my support
admire the liberal aud statesman like spirit on ~hieh
that Report To have been funded regard lnt
indications have been IN reference TO H. ms thr
dawn Of better times in relation to the legislation OF
Virginia But cannot give my support IN s Presen
form And might here, were 1t IN order JON ISSUE
with the gentleman from Augusta on Inc right 81 IN
p,rucon taking his position to be correct, that th'
Representative is the agen, OF the people, uin mol
aware Of any principle by which, acting as their agent
would be authorised to give my assent TO any measor.
which believe compromised their interest, or which
wac against their wishes and such regard 10 be The
ADOPTION of the Report in it's present form look upon
IL that By the adoption of the Report placed up
on no better III woIse) ground than that which
occupy.
rating The Danville Roanoke and Junction Railroad
Company. Al that time, The whole country from The
10 the spaboard along the line of The
rnent, perfectly alive to It's importance. Every
no,sibr pxerlion was made obtain subsc ptions to
the work-and, Sir, what was the result: when inc
country as we told, was in an un~xampied state
of cneI cia prosperity, and an exttaVagant spirit
speculation prrvaded the land, with every possible tx
ertjon we were only enabled obtain from the whue
section of country interested in the improvement, in
GLIDING the Town Of Petersburg and the Borough o.
Norfolk, the small sum OF four hundred ana egh'l
thousand dollars; aud now, when reVulslon mas Ia
ken place not only in the times, but IN reference Il
Simprovement-w when the financial condition OF the
sis crippled and embarrassed, credit impaired
produced Sc deso'aon spIeao !" .S nu' n.d.,
c"neao or oy ES.&a;ive ignorance and nisrule is i'm
aeai, as the lact >srtsn'y exists ask, is iai
70 inie, hat ihe money neeessary be made out BY
individual subscription, can be v6taned: Have TIT
least right to calculate it, when the able representa-
tive from Petersburg is opposing the passage IF the re
port, upon The ground tina. the ins5sa "neh ne repre-
doubted the proprirty OF giving it his support What
then The character Of this report and the necessar,
effect shouldn't be adopted?-o strengthen the aread,
power full Ind overgruwn interest Of the Stae- alludf
10 the James River II is obvious from the va
rous works recommended in the report that the obec,
10 10 connect all The improvements in the State with
IKE James River interest, and 10 the order OF
nature by attempting 10 make Richmond the import.
ing town Of the State TO the exclusion Of Norfolk, whose
natural advantages not interior TO any seaport town
in the world. Would not this BE- the inevitable effect
There will snon be completed high grade Of navigation
from Richmond to Lynchburg, in which the State is a
large stakeholder The report nds the cnnsrnc
ton Of Rarosd from EvnnsIiam the Tennessee line
on Slate There will then be line of improve
Inent from Richmond 10 the Tennessee line with the
exception of the link from Lynchburg Evansham, in
which The Stale is the principal stakeholder. II indivi
dual subscriptions sufficient 10 complete the link from
Lynchburg TO Evansham cannot be obtained will there
not BE- irresistible considerations operating subse
quent Legislature to construct The road State account
Then the interest of the Roanoke s lost sigh, of FIR ali
time to come, and we shall more probably have Rail
road from LyncIbnrg The South, likely 10 Danvlle
than from Ddnvie 60 Evansham.
IL has frequently been urged during this discussion
that gentlemen opposed TO the repar; alarmed
idea Of increasing the taxes of the dear people 1t has
been no source IF alarm 10 the, Sir. have idea
that liberal and intelligent people will complain of On
increase of taxation. if the wants of the State require
it. fear the appropriation that is to be made Of the
taxes, more than do taxation. do entertain serious
spprehensons that great central interest will regulate
and control all subsequent appropriations for Internal
Improvement 10 be made by the Legislatures of this
CommonwealIh-and it is guard against that slate of
things that offer this amendment, and not from any
local considerations for had intended but for the
marks Of the gentleman IRON Campbell few days ago,
who informed tina, the people of Lynchburg and its
vicinity able TO make their portion Of the Rond-
70 have embraced the Road from .ynchburg Evans.
ham in my amendment-ull that we ask, is that the
branch of The improvement extending the Roanoke
shall be secured-whch, believe only he effected
by the adoption Of the amendment which have submit.
ted 1t may be urged that the means necessary
sruct that branch Of the improvement by the Slate can
not be provided But from the estimate made by the
Committee will be perceived that il only requires thr
ty.two thousand dollars to be provided BY the Stale
-tha, being the additional interest upon the whole
amount necessary 10 complete that branch of the i'm
provemen State account. Sir does not the improve
nent justify the additional appropriation From Evan.
sham 10 Norfolk by soy Of the Roanoke, is hundred