Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-12-12

dence will be extended to the opinion,
that of the larger Improvements here
tofore projected in The State, and yet to
be made, there is no one whose eff
cheney in creating as well as accommo-
dating both trade and travel, would be
more usefully, Immediately and extern
sively felt than this one. There is no
other which would be supported at
present, or at all times by deLser
population, BY a richer country, or by
larger or surer accessions Of both cons
merce and revenue from abroad
Connecting advantageouslY with Eas-
tern Tennessee and through it with adj
jacent portions of other States, it would
be the nearest and best Of all their in
land avenues to the Atlantic markets;
and these markets must necessarily be
either Baltimore, Richmond or Nor
folk. If the first, then the commerce of
these protective communities, carried
from end to end ofour territory, would
profit us, at least to the amount of the
expenditure required for its transporta-
ton through the State. But if Rich
mond or Norfolk, in addition to the
same profit, it would contribute essen
TALLY to increase the capital and COM
mercial importance of these cities, and
aid them to become what they ought to
be, large and prosperous Southern
marts for sale and supply. Looking
away, however, from all other conse-
quences,to result from the construction
of this road, and regarding it as mere
auxiliary, or feeder to the James Riv-
or and kanawha canal, it is obviously
of a value so great as 10 Justify its con-
struction upon that ground alone, even
if there were no other or stronger one.
Passing over the respective merits of
Macadamized roads and railroads, and
all considerations OF the peculiar fitness
of either over the other in this case, it
may be added, to other reasons for the
construction of one of them through
the Southwestern counties, that much
and long as those counties have desir-
ed and needed it, and little as they
have participated for any object, in the
expenditures they have contributed to
supply, they have nevertheless, con-
sented, through their representatives at
critical moments for themselves, TO
postpone their own interests to those
of other sections, and have patiently
and willingly since taken their share of
every burthen which the farther promo
ton of those sections was thought to
require. With the Sc remarks, sub
nit the subject of this particular i'm
provement to you, earnestly recon-
mending that you will speedily and
generously provide for it.
The remaining work, enumerated
as amongst those requiring the aid of
the State, is that committed to the
James River and Kanawha Company.
This work that has been regarded, and
Justly so, for more than h alf a century,
as the principal one in the State, and
hence it has been aided again and a.
gain by successive Legislatures, with
peculiar and great liberality. Not on
" is the State subscriber for three
ffths of the capital stock Of the pres
ent company, to which this work is
con6ded, but she has advanced it
la rye sums out Of her own funds, and
has guaranteed the punctual payments
of still larger advances which have
been made to it by others. The actu
al condition of the work and of the
company undertaking it, is therefore
subject of habituai interest TO the Leg
islature and the public. Having trea-
ted somewhat minutely ofthe formation
and progress ofthis company, in my
former message, It will be enough at
present to say, that when it was in
corporated, it was charged, upon pain
Or forfeiture, with the duty of compile
ting, in prescribed manner, the whole
line of improvement, from tide-water at
Richmond to the Ohio river. distance
of near fve-hundred miles, within
twelve years after its first organization.
Of the twelve years thus given, ten
have expired; less than one third of
the distance has been 6nished;the cap
ital stock has been expended, and
loans 10 an amountexceedinga million
and half Of dollars, and now exis-
ting as an outstanding debt against the
company, have been expended also.
Under these circumstances, the en-
quiry necessarily rises, what is the
company able do do towards the pros
ecution and completion of the residue
of its work? To this inquiry it may
be answered, that the means Of the
company are threefold--its right To
Concluded on 4th page,