Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-06-26
Dssla ESI'AC.
=, ,,.oTy,I C0A.PErTJOv

O,icinal Report of the Committee on .udnntaet1res.
Mr. Haxa from The Committee appointed on the sno'c'
of Manufactures made the following report on FRIDAY,
the 18th inst
The committee who were appointed by the Conven'
ton TO take into consideration the Manufactures OF WI"
pnia to state whether these manufactures can pe coh
Quoted as cheapiy and efficiently as the manufactures o
the Northern States and what aid may properly OF d.
f,rded 70 those manufactures beg leave TO make Inc
following Report: =, ,
Ills 10 be regretted that the committee at the thresh
old of their investigations, found The greatest d'fhcu'ty
from the wan, Of written printed data, IN giving that
particular account The and progress oil the manu-
featuring a,cresr in Virginia. and the means upon
which Il has been dependant for success, ana wnch
would enable them most coDc!usively TO show that w
GINA does possess all The natural advantages to enable
her manufacture cheaPy as The Northern STATES
and of her ability tn do this the committee nave not '
slightest doubt! In h- short space allowed men, ana
f,on their inoprec rec0lis con Of the various manu-
featuring establishments of Wheeling. Petersburg Ken
nond and freGsrcksburg-th Chief points of Their 10
cation in Virginia does rot amount to less than about
min. millions of dol'arsan extent ct investment whch
If considered either lis pscunlary amount or oene
6cia influence urnn various other interests. and upon
the morals and happiness OF the citizens OF tins com
monwralth, eminentiy needs The fostering care OF It's
Legislature.
placed in Whaeliar, now hourishing town of about
10 600 Inhabitants with 1876 embellishments for the
nutacture Of domestic goods, using annually 2i3uUo
bushels of coal and giving employ uent 10 more IMAM
81 900 900 The existence o! manufacturing establish
inen,s 10 Wheeling % any important extent Is Of recent
date and such their great natural advantages IN The
cheap and abundant supply of coal and location upon
long and navg gable river ahrdtng the extensive n':
kets of the whole Western Country. that they have
fourshed in high degree, notwithstanding The exist
ence Of sj..ll,ar and older establishments 0, Ptts5":g.
aided by bank capital located there Su, i!',e short of
the whole banking capital Of Virginia: The committee
emoha,icaliy repeat. but te short Of tie whole bank
capital OF Virginia. Il: Wheeling was thus assisted
with this imporiau, element OF manufacturing success,
what may not suppose would be The extent ana vu
rising cond ton of her manufactures:
In Wheeling the chic! articles manufactured are ir"a
castings, nails bar iron, glass &c. in Petersburg hcie
fy- fou'shng cotton manufactures, which, WIN
an iron foundry aud wooden factory, have iT"c capi
,al Of ahuu, S-i5 800 Flour mills wiih capital Of
Si2JU50 aud tobacco manufactures estimated at ore
II of dollars In Richmond t"fa are similar esia.
blshnens, whose capitals are estimated ~ nnwa'0s NJ
2W0Ga dollars In fredericksburg and Falmouth,
until within few wears lsTe has existed as IN almost
every par, OF Virginia much apathy on the subject OF
manufactures from the arpTshe OF The i'nPossiol
ltv Of competing with Northern manufactures. Lat.
tsrIy some interest has bren exhibited on the subject
and few persons with limited means have made com.
mencement so far w!th success Now there exists Sc
y.ral iron and wcollen manufactures, which with the
-four and other mills ia opeat!nn employ capital "t
about $3.50 GOO Near Wheeling, and ~ ihc vic;y al
Richmond there are raised at least 0lI u3 bUSi nj
coal annually and it estimated that h@re 81 iJ0,
QUO invested IN these w"fsS
cheaper IN Virginia than almost any C!ner part Of tine
Union apparent from the many national advantages
with which surrounded. Cotton, iron, coal lead
&C. are dfused through mary paris OF the State, IN
immense abundance and can be made far more acc-ssi
bic than at present by wise system OF lGternal Improve
uents and millions OF what i now latent wealth be
made dispense countless blessings oa population no"
driven by necessity to seek The means {" supplies N
Western land Aud can il be believed by any the mos
bpot,ed that with labor cheap provisions cheap:
mider c!imate yh coal iron and manufacturing powe
in such wonderful! uxta position, tina, We have not ad
yantages im,neasuraby beyond "nr Northern brethren
In taking into consideration the second branch of TIT
resolution referred the COMMITTEE. they do unhestat
ingiy saw that s the departments o manufacture with
in their knowledge, would be- greatly benefited by th
aid of bank facilities extended In them 10 much grrase
amount than they have heretofore enjoyed. They arr
also equally confident, that more rapid and extensive
prosecution OF The great work OF Internal Improvement
must have a mos, beneficial inAnence upon the sxen
and prosperity of manufactures, by opening new sources
Of supply Of material ard a!orJing more and ex
tensjyc market for their manufactured gondS The com
muee conclude their very hurried report with
out recommending the appointment OF committee, Il
continue It's action after the adjournment of this Con
venton in collecting all the Information they can obi ali
on this subject and communicating the same 10 the Pre-
sden, Of this Convention, and by him be laid before
the Legislature Of Virginia.
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT By .ur Barter.
The Coramittee Manufactures beg leave 10 maxi
the following Supplemental Report:
From the information before your committee, the
have ascertsined That in Wheeling, P-,ersburg Rich
mond. Fredericksburg, Lynchbnrg, and Kanawha, NOR
than Sill 900 900 are invested in the more import
ant manufactures of those places. To this should b
added the capital engaged in the manufacture Of coaches
furniture the various manufactures of leather, hats
and great variety of other subjects, In which the
terprise of our citizens has been directed The commit
Tee cannot believe that the capital engaged in mann1c
lures in the enumerated places amounts TO one moiety
the whole capital Of the commonwealth. They know
pnltn m
CAPITAL is engaged in the manufacture of purthat ,lI
manufactures CT pig and hc- iron are scattered Tn
whole country between tide water and the Blue Ridge
and The whole country of the Ridge the border
of the Sa,e that the manufacture OF cotton and tuba
has been pro6taby conducted several points not
mera,ed and that other establishments now in pro
gress and viii soon be put IN operation That TIT
manufacture Of salt ia the county OF " ashngton
employed o large capital and been source Of gre1
wealth in that part OF the country The resources o
Virginia in iron, coal, and SALT are not surpassed by
portion of the Union Coal has been found eust of th
Blue Ridge, on the waters OF the James, AppomattoJ
and Roanoke Yves, of the Blue Ridge, it has beer
Eo,nd nm the waters Of the Potomac and Shenandoah
the James and New River. West of lie Allegheny
ia found every where This article presents fet
for the profitable employment, of capital which ye
npIv Dar,aily explored. IN the counties Rich
mond md in the vicinity Of Wheeling, at least $500 0U(
bushels are annually raised The capital invested il
supposed amount to 81 400, oO0-ond II IS notorious
that yields to lis proPIietors good proh Indeed h'
coal trade of Virginia is firmly established. tba
il cannot be doubted that the article be produced
sold in competition with thu coal of other States In The
county of Kanawha, the coal business he's been com
menced recently, and believed to yield fair profit
The salt manufactured in Kahawha and Washington
counties is vended in the Western and Southern Suies
It not only into competition with but has actual
ly driven from large country, the salt derived from
other sources The best evidence Of the capacity of Vr
zina produce these articles as cheapy and efficiently
a other States found in the results of the efforts
Establish them. When branch OF our productions is
found to be firmly established 10 enter into competition
witt, the productions of other States and yield fair pro.
it, the result affords conclusive demonstration OF the
ability to conduct the branch cheaply and efficiently