Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-11-21


S52 st't and the other of SOL 733-,he nggrp gate Of
the hfse suns beng SI5I2.53s, e;h Report, page
.'7) ne testimony, on which the committee claims
'!rsa allowances. is extract from The port of
comni'lee Of stockholders Of the Chesapeake Il Ohio
cnnai "i The 5fh Angst, 1889. That extract shows
TIA; Inc cost Of labor that canal was them
and hal been the past year. equal 81 so per day,
and a' lie advance in The cost of the work. had been
cqaal TO The ADVANCE labor II furthermore stutes
that until tie last ID years such labor did exceed
81 per day. 18th Report page 267) and the committee
claim under tie authority Of this extract that because
common labor for The year previous 10 the 9th Au
g"s', 1883 had cost the Chesapeake Il Ohio canal
81 Oh per day, that therefore cost on our canal a
Ike sum, from The time of breaking ground with
the first spade IN the end Of the work; but instead Of
allowing Iii" Presiden. and Directors credit of 30 per
cent q" judge Wr'g:ts xiaimm estimate, ~i,ici is
all even under thelc construction Of Their on
document, they hid riga! to do; they, doubt
aided by the President, threw ~ 10 per cent. ex-
r, and allow TO per cent amounting 10 81 ,i23,-
0oo, and thus actually gave away the settle.
m"Rt mat sum. So tar, However from he President
and Directors being entitled 10 any such allowance
the acl IS notorious, this section of country and
presume every where else the line of the canal that
the price OF common white labor was generally only
81 per Day, and that black labor hired by the month
was generally from $I2 to Sl5 per month, and by the
year IRON 500 10 $3.50, and the contracts, done by
sdent contractors, were almost exclusively done by
black iaborers-thns reducing the average price of
common labor work below 81 per day-and at
all events, sufficient 10 satisfy the most astdious seek
er Tor TRUTH that the general average for such labor has
not exceeded 81 per day. These things, know, be.
cause many OF US have hired ourselves and also eur
blacks on the work, and, besides, have had much do
with it,
Instructed by other aids than the President and his
Engineers the committee mic ht have been able to in.
form the country, whether IN fact we had The work
we paid for They report The dimensions of the canal
as found by the Stockholders, to be so feet wide the
surface, and feet in Depth and IN their estimate OF its
cost, they assume it TO be Of that capacity. Now,
there feet depth of water in the canal! The fact is
notorious, that it has feet of water, and that
feet depth OF water cannot be put in tso that all the
cutting beyond feet depth (equal at least TO one-f of
the entire excavation OF the work. has been actually
thrown away.
TINS meeting must not be misunderstood. II casts
no lmpula!ons on the honor patriotism Of the Com
mittee; but deny that their Report, made the
tI parte explanations OF the President and his ocos
and that tno at time when II published 10 tie
world in the columns Of of The leading papers,
the Richmond WhigO tina. essays bearing the en-.
quiry instituted into the affairs of the company, should
| 10. appear IN that paper-and that the other leading
paper, Qhe EnquIrer,) although not publicly
umns, yet fact did refuse them-u.der these
stances, we deny that their Report, vndicalion OF
the President and Directors, land lis face and in
its effect IL is nothing less is entitled TO any auhorl
ty whatever Bat this meeting has not time TO
ment the weak faith of the President, in his own
works, which could induce him to be satisfied with
examination and vindcation by the Committee, when
it conducted exclusively the Information Of his
agents. himself and his documents.
The tolls on this canal believe, greater than
on arg other in The United States. In l-5c the tolls
Oh the Ere Canal were nine mills per per mile
agricultural products, and eighteen mills per ton per
mile on merchandise whereas, the James River
and kana"ha Canal, tobacco pays more than four
times, and wheat and flour more than three times
much as ~ paid OH the Erie Canal These high tolls
are driving from The canal much produce which would
otherwise be transported IT. Already much OF the
South western produce and merchandise sent
other routes, and have the certificates of gentleman
engaged the rade that the increase Of tolls 'beas
hard Western produce, almost 10 amount to
cluSion and that merchandise, to large amount has
gone Winchester and Charleston, consequence
Of the high tolls.
If the BIZ true, that it is he object Of the Pre-
sldenl ~ with The construction Of The canal above
LynchhuTs, with tolls levied unnstiy us-that our
particular section Of the State is TO be taxed TO con-
struct this canai-we solemnly enter our protest. and
believe ii is no better than public robbery.
The charter provides for the accommodation OF The
South side by water communication and the Legs
a;ure afterwards authorised bridges TO be substituted
but although The canal has been three years opera
ton, no bridge has yet been COMMENSURATE we
have been put off with few ferrles-nor do we be-
lieve that any probability exists Of bridges being
slructed for many years 10 come, if ever.
1t is remarkable circumstance, that Mr.. Ca5e
should in his speech above referred 10, prove, b. the
absolute cost OF forty miles of the Chesa peake md
Ohio Canal, ahnve iarpers Ferry tna the James
River and kqnavha Canal could be constructed for
Sl7 452 per mile, and that in b'5 eighth Annual Report
he should attempt prove, that the latter canal
economically made, although by his own showing, 1t
nearly doubles. The former was done when he wanted
our money-ihe latter, when he had spent il.
The james River and kanawha Company is formed
by the State owning three-hhs oil the stock, by cor
pora,ons and individuals owning the residue. This
was considered great State improvement, and all the
State expected TO be benefited, not section only
This company has, as we have proved, been un%isey
and was.efully managed the State being fully repre-
scented by its proxies The State, Of the co-part
ners has assumed pecunary responsibilities, which It
to meet, and the burdens Imposed by those
res responsibilities ought 20 be equally borne by The whole
State; by section only. Suppose the golden
dreams of Mr.. Cahell had been realized, and 10 per
profit had been paid on The snck would the State
have gwen up her per cent clear gain, and dis,r
buted il among the citizens OF this oppressed section:
We ,row mot Then, is It inst in the Legislature 10
impose all the burdens US, because the concern has
been improbable? Let and justice answer.
We are taxed IN common with the citizens OF other
sections To pay proportion Of the three millions OF
stock owned by the State, and sunk in thus enterprises
and many of US have lost all contributed 10 this
improvement, supposlng we were adding TO the pros
periiy Of this, our native State. We pay the former
without murmur, and have lost the latter without a
sigh; but to he forced to bear burdens, when the
greater part of the State is exempt we consider un-
just, and against which we remonstrnte We, there
fore, adopt the following resolutions:
Resofred, therefore, the opinion of this meeting,
that the James River and Kanawha Company has been
unwisey and wasefully managed not only IN lis con-
slrucon, but also in its financial operations and that
the expenses attending its administration msh be
essened
3 Resoirfd, That the increase Of tolls authorized BY
the last Legislature, and adopted by the James River
and Kanawha Company are uni Just, and highly oppres
sive the citizens Of this and other counties adjacent
to the canal
, Rcsoiocd, That attempt 10 construct the canal
above Lynchburg by tolls levied on our produce is
unjust and ought to be patiently submitted 10.
a. Resoiced, That the works requlredb by The charter
for The accommodation of The trade of the South side OF
James River, ougb; TO be commenced forthwith, aud
completed as soon as possible
s. Resoired, That the Delegates from this county,
and the Senator from this District, be instructed to
their best ezcr,ions 10 obtain the passage OF reso-
luton by the General Assembly, 10 instruct the State
Proxies vote against the reelection of Joseph T.
Cabel! President of The James River aud kahawha
Company.
g. Resoieed, That in the opinion of this meeting,
the James River and Kanawha Company not having
complied with the acquisitions of their charter, have
legal right 10 exact tolls from the people oil the