Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1841-12-16


nlais Ia greater enteTpTizs Under Ihess I'M
Ptess'oos, recommend 10 The special affection
% the General Assembly. the James River and
hAaaShA Improvement TIE magnitude OF
this improvement. the large amount already ex-
pended upon ~, the progress made TO It's accom-
Plishnent, and the deep interest Of the STATE
both az a stakeholder IN the company and seeu-
MY Tor lis loans, render its RAPID m2leiion pc
eaiAriy important The tolls collected since
the opening Of the Canal ftom Richmond TO
Ly aehbufK, ecAsids ing the diiieutles that have
been encountered. are highly encouraging. With
TIE present faciltties for transportation. snd .
further extension of The work. the products for
market viii be greatly augmented. and Tho sd-
vAniAees and prohts Of The improvement must
increase "a rate far eKeeeeiSe the additional
expense To Be encountered. A an e.senusi ard
10 this great caIsrpfEe. the construction Of a
AeAdsmized road from the vicinity OF AbinRdon
To some point co James River. - well sntltied 10
your favorable consideration. The extensive.
fef'iie aud interesting poruon OF the Common
~eaiIh 10 be accommodated BY thu, road. though
Attending IN the richest mineral and sgreuitu-
raj resources. has been almost entirely elected.
II hrs great highway be opened The active InleT-
change Of commodities. aud the travelling that
NAV be anticipated uron ~. can scarcely be too
highly estimated. Many important lines Of
communication. IN Progress and in eohiempla-
lion, 10 the Southern and Southwestern States.
converge towards the Tennessee botdrr and
must become tributaries To The great avenue
which Virginia may extend To meet them. The
great accumulation Of wealth from these vari-
Gus sources 10 our cities. would impart tn them
increased energy aad prosperity, and elevate
them 20 a commercial importance. which zoald
iniuse new life into our whole territory. Be-
SIDES these considerations, the returns 10 the
State from the tolls upon The road il-rif, aud
the increase of revenue 1" the James r ver and
hanAvha improvement from the inmsnse pro-
I A.
feeder, would aHPiy warrant The expenditure
necessary for ITS execution.
The completion % fourteen miles Of Rail
Road from Fredericksburg 10 Aqua creek al
ready nearly graduated, ~ also an object. he
speedy Accomplishment IL Vhieh. IN my opin-
400. would jusuf, assistance frcm the Common
wealth The cK;ent OF the Stale. as a suck
\ holder, 10 ,hIs road. and IN the rail roads con-
Decisd with u. - upwards &C a million 81 dol
lars, snd the whole expenditure - unprcdueiive
chiefly from the unfinished condition ol this sec
ton The company have made every effort TO
ieomplele the work, unaided by the State, and
arc nov applying their profits for this purpose;
but the slow progress made. indicates longer
FuSipouemeni of It's accomplishment than the
wants ana interests 81 the public require. As
soon as this link IS finished, u Is believed the IN
veslments IN he whole cham Of rail roads from
The Potomac Ia the Roanoke, and from thence
Ia Wilmington and Raleigh inl North Carolina,
C..
IA no small degree, 10 increase the resources OF
the Commonwealth. The completion IL the
S,aunton and PafkefSburg Road. for which, a
small additional appropriated viii be required.
- also worthy Of your favorable consideration.
a iew general roads through the Western part
lot the State, involving bot a moderate expendi-
iture, would be highly important IN providing
Improved openings for surplus produce, and fdff
the necessafes and commodities Of life, and
would yield, directly or indirectly, reimburse
ment and profit The improvement in the con.
diiion Of the people. and the increased value Of
lands and products, would be incidental advan-
iaRsS, greater perhaps than the collections on
the ine Of The roads, and not less productive 70
the Treasury.
some further legislation seems To be neee.sa-
~ TO give the Board Of Puhlic Works such con-
lucl over corporations with which the Stale may
be connected "a future, will put az end to the
policy, 10y which private interests are advanced
at the expense at those Of the Commonwealth.
some provision may also be proper. To prevent
injurious eompetiI"n between rival c0mpanieS.
! The means adopted by individuals or private
corporations 10 secure patronage, usually prove
more or less advantageous 10 the community;
but when the Stale itself Is a large slnekhoideS
40 companies in active competition, their rival
Efforts NAV terminate in sacrifice OF public re-
venue. I, moreover, suggest that authority he
conferred upon the Board TO obtain, by agents
or Otherwise, such infOTmstioB concerning the
works OF Other States will enable us To nrohi
By their experience, and adapt our system To the
latest Improvements
Whatever NAV be your decision in the seIsc-
ton OF works which ;samsdiaIrly require assist
SAGE, the sItusIion OF O,hrT States should ad-
Donish Us To pay due regard To the abiIV O: the
Commonwealth 10 comply with her engagements.
" resort be had TO loan. prudence dictates that
the amo0nt 10 be borrowed be limited by the
~illinEheS Of the people TO bear the taxation
necessary 10 pay the interest, and gradually TO
redeem the principal IL may well be question
ed whether the advantage of any improvement
will warrant system 0: boFFovins to pay int.
resi on is cost Nor does iI appear to me 10 be
isAfe 80 engage ~ any work, unless u can be
effected BY the means Of the Common wealth,
exclusive Of AID from the General GavsTn.
ment Some 81 the friends Of education and Of
internal Improvements are eagerly expecting as
sisiAnes from The recent Act II Cong ress foF DIS
iTihuunR among the States The proceeds Of The
sales " The Public Lands Bot the pFupriety Of
that aot - considered so questionable By largr
PofuOn Of the people. that expectation Of AID
fF"m that Ssufcs must BE- precsnons and caicu-
isiions based upon the continuance 81 The Law.
may prove deiusIvs. Whether Ihe people Of
ihe Uated States will aeauiesee IN the distsihu.
ton Of any portion u the Pupe TsVrnos to the
individual States. - yet 90 be decided cannot
believe ihai they utli sanction such a MEASURE.
~ lime when the Federal Government needs
ms common iund To meet iis eHrent expenses;
when u has ben d~eDsd proper 60 fepenish he
public c"Gers by heavy loans sBd the imposition
q duues On The necessaTIes ~ lie; and when A
msy h~cume necessary further Ia huhd % our
lioriihcsu"hs, incrsas~ our navy. and provide q
more sfhcient Systsn Tor ihe common defence
[ The deficiency cfeatsd 10 the Maternal tfeasurv.
must b. supplied ei;her BY direct tsEauon. OF
T from ne customs, OT ~ 'esorliBg O. hans Ia
the i"fWeF rase, = lot- musi be sustained equisa-
l~ni "a The cost oi collecting the ARE; IN the
ilatirf' equal ~ he iDisTes paid on he amounts
eofFowed, sud The expense ~ neguuaunE The
l"ans. " would BE-. notFogef. isnpuiitie Tor anv
state "PFn~ft ~ high protective duties. n se-
qaissee 20 system uhrse fndency is To- render
- inefes-s 81 the Tarh Indispensable d is
also 90 BE- sPprehfnded. hat States sraueed by
ihese iafErsses may combine fof ~ impusitinn
81 sdduoaai daties, 90 increase the surplus te
% q sfihuied. The RFeessniea u Ne indebted
ard ne interests q be manufacturing States
uiH Ahofd sfong tfbpfaiinns o. sBeh = course
~ srcePnoe fhe-e houniiea ihev Oil impair
their oan diEnuy aud importance become sob
sidisry 70 ne FEDERAL Govern menI and aus menf
boz poser nnh fnHnanra "a = frn~ar.rr r-tarf