Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-10
Richmond, Thursday, Jan. 10.
NEW WORK


yye have berore us Work Just published in this Ii
~ entitled "An Essay The Laws Of Trade, IN refer
ence TO the Works Of lnternu improvement n he u"'
ted States, BY Charles Eilel j., CiVil Eng'heef ana
Chief Epqineer of The James River and hanawha In
movement" II is dedicated to tie President and Dr.
sctors of the James River and Kanawha Improvement
Il is beautifully printed from Tie press OF Mr. T. H. Der
n,rd We Editors, of course, ought TO know every
,nn. o If we do NOT, "mus assume virtue, u we nave
!, M, Yet as this truth of The subjects which
we do not rcry necl understand, we must be excused
from u,,ernp any oracular opinions But 1t does seem
n Ms that this Work is written with uncommon ing nu
ity and that will form sort oil era IN The science oil
In,arual lmproyeuent We earnestly recommend al
least 10 the attentive consideration OF every man. who
has turned his attention 10 the interesting subject G." The
Improvement of country II IS OF recondite ana
philosophical cast. Its pages abound with abstract
problems and agebraic Formula. We are indebted TO
The pen of very intelligent friend for the following
ANALYSIS of its contents:
This essay appears to be the result Of attempt TO
reduce to system suitable for the Application ct exact
reasoning the laws Of the trade which sought Tor Uy
the works Of internal improvement IA ms country IL
Processes among other things to define The Pncipe ny
which the tolls charged these Improvements sho""
he rruuatrd render the stock The most productive;
70 shsw the effect of rival works. The charges TO be
levied and 10 point out the influence OF ihe market
value Of the commodities transported on ihe most pro
fiIable TOLL on The amount OF tonnage "h!ch Tue im
proyemens will command, ana on tie revenue ue''eo
from lis transportation.
We are not aware that any attempt OF the Kind has
ever been made BEFORE and il strikes Us as singular
fact that while, is stated in the introduction, more
than 800 600 have been expended Tor the purpose oil
dtawing the trade Of the Western States IN the sea
board cities and still greater sum IS on Inc point OF
being appropriated 10 the OBJECT there should nave
been effort hitherto made to present accurate sou,
tons Of any of the questions "hich arc mere considered
in detail. The author appears 10 have struck INTO
fresh field and whether his reasoning when Is maine
NAUTICAL, be sound or othcrwse-a point That We must
leave to others more familiar with the calculus, 10 deter
mne-t is certain that the importance OF The questions
considered, il such as 10 command attention.
Some Of The general results arrived al are sufficiently
striking. In hasty glance over Inc pages we nave
marked the following extract by way OF specimen:
Whatever unnecessary tax Is LEVIED on The trade Is
at leas, much deducted from the revenue OF the I'm
" provPmenl.
In reference to gross articles Of small value stated
tina, the district which supplies the trade, and lie
quantity Of the trade Itself. directly proportional 10
the SQUARE of the charge for carriage which the article
will bear, and nverstly as the charge Tor conveyance
on the lateral branches, and on the improvement
In treating of The subject OF TOLL II Is asserted lhot
the toll per ton per mile ought t. be cqaa To ban that
:. toll which would exclude the commodity from Inc
lnc" and again. that when The charges are sn adjust
cd the tonnage Of the improvement viii be just nan
{asoreat ass. would be- If no t0l! at all were charged
II also there some articles on "hch
" higher toll may be charged II brought 10 me IN
provcmcnt BY turnpike than brought by raiioad'
" and )orfiO'i than If brought ny cahsI ana oh'f
articles on which 10, only the toll per ton per mile,
bu, the aggregate toll for the whole distance Inc Ton Is
carried ought 10 be less when that distance IS great
than when it is small.
In discussing the effect Of reduction Of the charge
n7 freight on an improvement it is laid down. that any
diminu,ion of this charge will increase the profit OF
the line Just half much cs the freight IS diminished
and diminish the whole tax 10 which The commonly
is subjected Jus, as much the toll is increased
We have been particularly surprised By the remarks
occurring at pngc 2l7, in relation 10 the improvements
of the State of Pennsylvania.
These works. which have been generally regarded rs
a source of profit that Commonwealth are asserted 10
be adding more than million per annum 10 her pub
lie debt.
The balance as struck by the author, is obtained by
adding to his estimate Of the annual cost OF repairs,
snperintcndance, &c viz: S7200OO
The interest the lnlerna! I'M
proyement loans, l,lIi,i"o