Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-07-28
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RICHMOND DAILY WING.
MoSDAY nORNlNc. July 20. is,s.

THE JAMES RIVER IMPRovEMENT-THE kA-
NAwHA AND BoTEToURT MEETINGS-TiiE
LYRCHBURG vIRGINIAN.
But few days have elapsed since publish.
ed in our columns, the proceedings of the conven
lions held I'm Kanawha and Botctourt countless
BY those proceedings, il will bc remembered, the
citizens Of the West have urged most earnestly
the completion Of the James River Improvement,
according to the act as originally passed in re
gard to that great work.
Whilst we admire the zeal and carnes;ncss with
which oar friends have taken the subject al i'm.
provement in hand, yet we fear they have allowed
hat zeal TO make them lose sight of some very
important particulars in this matter.
We wish most heartily friends may he
cessul in accomplishing every thing calculated 10
increase their facilities for Market, Yet. like our
cotemporary of the Lynchburg Virginian, we fear
the undertaking to complete the canal further
than Lynchburg or Covington may be attended
with serious difficulties.
IT, by means OF Rail or McAdamzed roads-the
object Of our Western and outh-Western friends
can be accomplished 1t evidently be done ut
less eIpence 10 the state than by undertaking the
completion Of the James River Canal.
that improvement, and the comparatively few adj
vantages thus far derived from the canal, it be-
hooves all parties, East and West, to make further
Investigations.
As to what those Investigations are, we do not
undertake, ut this time, 10 examine; for this has
been done by our friend Of the Nirginian. He,
from his position and experience, has proved hun
self capable Of giving the subject that attention it
deserves, and we have, therefore, subJoned his
views as published in the Virglnian of the oath.
He says:
"In neither the Boieiourt kanawha Resolutions do
we any ausion topic OF enquiry, which, in the
decision Of this question, Is VITAL aud must be all con-
trolling in its ipfuenee-we the capacity OF the i'm
pryvemenL II constructed 10 repay by Its the in
upon the Of its construction. When the work
undertaken, doubt was entertained OF its ability
yield such Indeed the promises OF its project
ors vastly brilliant; for II remember anght,
they deemed it necessary, in order TO the stock
holders from realizing overgrown fortunes by their stock
provision in the charter, requiring that they
should always keep the tolls low that their dividends
should exceed fifteen per cent per Ganum! So far
the canal has been completed this sword OF promse'
has been most fatally inslhed by the results There has
been, any very Insignificant increase OF tonnage upon
the line large portion OF the trade which formerly passed
through found market here having been forced into
other channels by the alleged augmented rates of
tstion occa.ioned by the kgh tolls which, the opln on
of the President and Directors Of the Company sbso
lutely neeessafy-not indeed, to yield dividends the
stockholders, but TO pay the interest the Compsny
debt incurred in the construction Of the canal beyond the
Of its original capia-and which, after all, it has
yet been able to pay! Now. we ask friends
in Botetourt (and even in kanawhs,) IN all sober
ness, this is fact pregnant with instruction
and with ~srnngl Suppose the canal shall be carried
Buchanan TO Covingon-wi the present amount OF
shipped at and below those points justify the
pendure necessary for It's construction Or is it likely
that sufficient additional amount will be attracted to the
line by the increased facilities but We have right
thing like fair for the outlayi pushed onward
lie proposed terminus the Ohio nver will the prospect
income at all proporlioned 10 the expenditure, be
whit haeringf We take it for granted that these
questions will be answered aimayey and with the
confidence by inends in BoetOuri and kanawha
for will suppose that IN their natural anxiety
this Improvement penetrating the mountains beyond
the Ridge, even they would be wlingto carry on the
terpze If they believed that the result would be similar
tas which has attended it below Lynchburg, progress.
sve rnto. No; they believe such thing. They snll
have some lingering faith in the original the
projectors the scheme OF improvement by which
IL clearly demonstrated that trade would spring up al
like magic upon Its borders. snd in addition
collateral benefits pour cod Of annually increasing
into the Golfers OF the Company. But these
lions, harmless long they merely speculative,
threaten inAict serious evils upon the State when
proposed that shall be the basis of legislation Hence
the importance, the Prmary assemblies OF The people
which. they the Of all power should speak
inelgenty well auhortavels that facts should be
substituted Tor defamation, and when they demand par.
ncusr line OF the part OF the Legislature that
they should be prepared FnGcaio the wisdom Of the po
Icy they would enforce, by clear demonstration Of
wisdom and utility. Now, We take the position to be
pre2nabe bs the fiscal and economical results, which
before the country, 81 making canal from Rich
mond 10 Lynehburg could have been ioreseen-to wit an
unaugmensd trade high tO,, making the cost VI
poration about as high, (sometmes gher an 1t be
fore; and Notwithstanding this, the inability OF the Com
pany its engagements. forcing it, year after
year, 70 obtain loans OF from 10 TO 100000 from the
State, after eThausing all It's receipts TO meet It's eXpend
tures~e say, if these results could have been oreseen
voice would have been raised IN favor OF con
srueton-not obe Well; If 1t be probable that when 1t
reaches Buchanan, or Covington, kanawhs TO
learn the story Of stationary trade undminshed
rates of transportation augmented debt, and proper
Ionstey diminished revenue UhO with conviction ilis
such will b. the fact pressing upon his mind will be bold
enough TO urge Its prOseeutiOr1 We, for
The duy then, OF those who demand the VIGOROUS pros
eeution OF this line OF Improvement under existing
stances, as imperative lis plain. They bDunI
an the very TO show s the amount Of Trade either
already on the line, or which will IN all probability be
drawn to H. as II prDEfes>cs aud arr ~ cOmp.oJA Will
be sDfeisBi TO justify the Sila IN extending efficient
AID. Let them do ths-lel them show how much
tonnage will be concentrated al Buchanan and COvngtyn
by the completion Of the canal o. those points, than
drawn tduer, and the for esiimsic-Let
them further show hs completion 10 the Ohio IL
yer, sufficient quantity Of tonnage wall seek this route to
Richmond, 10 preference 10 tie natural artery New Or
leans and the rival artificial lines Philadelphia Baltimore
and New York pay the interest upon the q CON
sirueuon, and thereby to prevent is being onnua bur
then. upon the treasury for oil time come, addition
60 the Vi Its eonsrueUnstd pr one reit "a
what We have said hefetUiOr, will give them oil the nd ~
our power to facilitate the tonsummaOn Of their Wsbe
Bot In the absence Of any such attempt eyen-and when
must be apparent TINT this tho chief Obstacle their
puth-they must not be surprised, IT. instead 81 having
strong doubts OF the eEpcdcncy Of the farther
OF the enerpze on the magnificent scale removed
by their dscamsioy resolutions, they rather cOnff
med by the resort to that very but very un.
satisfactory mode u reasoning upon such subject, at
such time.
the people Of Buchanan OF Coyngton desire that the
canal shall wash their shores be because they sup
pose will by augmentng their trade. add To t,eif pros
periy But II they ever realize their deans IN this re-
spec, We assure them that they will be far fortunate
than the people Oi Lynchbufg who have fruit
resulting from it, completion - this point And II the
iron masters aud farmers on the line incfcs ,od n cheap
transportation, expect 10 reduction the cJt of
getting their products market by the substitution q canal
boats for baieauI they will bc more fortunate than the
farmers and planters between this place aud Richmond
They be not disappointed IN hor snucpsuOns IT, then,
trade u not to be increased the linz nor the fstcs OF
transportation reduced by the expenditure Of the millions
81 dollars necessary To the completion Of the improvement
and ", in addition to this, to isstcn tho State
heavy debt, even tho interest," upon which will not IN oil