Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-11-28
JAMES RIVER IMPROVEMENT

lhaf Nc are warm and decided fIends of internal i'm
prosement We know indeed tha, We have been m.
Tier sneered AT enthusiastic If not halEna9. on thai
subject There is just as hte necessity. We n,e
sumo thai we should make any protesta,ions of our
anxiety Tor the prompt aud speedy execution Of the
ereat central line, until the long talked of marriage
nelween the Ohio and The James shall lie consum-
mated-oi that We have furnished too many eyiden-
ces TO admit OF cavil at tins lime of lay We ar,
earnest friends OF internal improvement in general
and Of the james RIVER and kanawha Improvement
IN particular But we have always declared, We
a'e Tor jndieous schemes. Juaiciously prosecuted.
We aie not in favor oil breaking down the system by
IFS oar weight. We had rather wait lew mouths
than riecipitAely to push or. under umstances
wen Calculated TO excite popular dspleasure. The
opinion, which we have hitherto expressed that
The Board OF Directors Of The James River and ka-
na"ha Company ought not, under existing circum-
stances, 10 have let the contracts hey nd Lynch-
burg, is by DO means effected by the fact, that lhey
have let them out,' And We reltera,e tins opinion,
with all due Difference The views OF the me MIXERS of
that Boaid who, having sarceyea the trhoie ground
may be presumed TO be better qualified to determine
question of this character than our humble selves,
who have had neither chart compass our hands.
We think II would have been better TO have awaited
The correction of thu existing pecuuiary derange-
ment, than 10 push Onward the work. 10 a point,
which when II reaches that point, objec, OF i'm
portance is attained by means Of forced loan paid
out to the contractors medium from 10 10 ii per
cent belo'o par! 1t is sa d that the contracts have
been made rates as low those below LyncbbuIg
which were Iaid FOR in par currency. Admit it,
,h,, 2 I.,ho
tors have been heretofore paid too much or (which
We suppose to be the act,l the wages Of labor and
the price al provisions lower than they when
the contracts below Lynchburg made. We hope
that the advoeaes Of The policy which we protest a.
eainst do not suppose that the public mind is so
obiuse and sIufeG as not to lie able to perceive
that the contractors, who know that they are 10 be
paid for their work ina cur ncy below par will add
i probable depreciation 10 I prices Which they de-
mand for their iabor--in Other words, that If they
TO he paid n the Companys scrip, they will not
charge in their contracts The difference between the
value ofthai scrip and bank notes at par. Aud we
repeat, is grave question. whether the State, as
stakeholder in tha, Company, or The oihsr holders
of stock, Should consent 10 pay his additional pice.
when the object TO be attained is compa, atiyeIy
tional revenue, will be the Canal from Lynchbnrg
to North riycrt How much trade will it pc M upon
the line. after he Canal belw, thpse points shall
have been completed, more than ii will contribute in
the existing State Of the navigation Will ii pay
interest upon The cost Of CONJUNCTION! VIII pay
Que cent We do not believe il will.
Again Even If it were expedient, unde, existing
TO enierinlo these contracts, within
any short period, would il not TO have been the
part OF true policy aud wisdom 10 have awaited the
meeting of the stockholders which takes place about
The middle Of December. aud TO have asoeraned |
their wishes on the subject before The deed was /
copsunmated Does ii not louk like an attempt TO |
fuesta their opinion and 10 coutrul their decision
when, within four weeks Of The day fixed for their
general meeting. these contracts were Irecp uately
made Il strikes u.s. that whether that vas the
purpose OF the James Rivsr and Kanawha Board or
not, dat will be the UNIVERSAL because it is the only
rational solution Of their hot haste"
And besides, at a time like this when The money
market abroad and a, home, is filed rcptlion with
stocks oi every hue and gia1e-~hen the best State
stocks discount ofl0 per cent. what
hope is rhefe that nancy can be raised, by Loan to
caly the work beyond North river to point
which will invite additional trade TO the Canal We
have deemed il necessary say thus much in de-
euce Of our opinions. We regret thar this necessi-
y has been imposed upon US. But as friends TO the
system Of internal Improvements and 10 the great cen.
tral line, the completion Of which most earnestly
desire, we have felt ourselves called upon TO protest
against policy, calculated verify believe, to raise
up host OF enemies both to that work and To the
system in general. We shall shortly, however. we
presume, be placed in possession OF The reasons by
which the Board were Influenced in this n'ovement,
in the Annual Report of it's presiding officer We
shall be prepared to give those dispasslpu-
ate and unprej JUDGED consideration. And if they
shall he oil such character To satisfy olhe error
OF our present views, we shall permit PRIDE OF opn
ion 10 induce US 10 hesitate for moment 10 retract
ing them aud con Tossing
One word moie. ILteieeted motives may be inn
pnted TO us-nay. they have already been, II is
sand, that desire TO stop tie Canal here We
deny it. IT, indeed, this great work is to be arrested
at any point beyond that originally contemplated
then indeed we are favor ofstoppng it here-be
satisfied that its stoppage at any inter
mediate point betpeen Lynehburg and The Ohio riuer
would be pernitious to the Interests OF the Com
pany itself-nasmnch as the additional trade 10 be
gathered from lis borders would MOI justify the ex
pense OF It's construction. No. We are for push
ing it forward with all possible euergy. But We
learned wlenwc were younger than We are now, to