Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-02


LONG and so iDinriousy denied, snail be denied no
longer, and that the request which il now makes,
if not substituted by something oel'er, sha.i NC
fully, Immediately and heartily complied WIN.
In relation 10 The improvement entrusted 10 Inc
James River and kanawha Company, regret
10 inform you that il is in no belter situa'ion %
10 lis progress than il was year ago, mol Ike
IL 10 be in any better one, IN that respect, yea,
hence than it is now unless Inc company s'id''
be supplied with other funds than us own 10 50
on with its work. II is now upwards oil three
years since all operations upon THIS line ABOVE
Lynchburs have ceased. and ceased ior want OF
means 10 DO more. These means, The Company
cannot raise upon its own responsibility, nor Out
of any property which belongs 10 II. II Is with
out funds beyond lis daily liabilities, without pro-
perry 10 convert into funds, without credll 10 DOT
row them upon, with a hundred and iorty-slS
miles only completed OF The four hundred and
eighty committed 10 its charge ana WIN ont d
single year remaining OF lis chartered lime 10
complete the residue; thus situated, II can hafGiV
be- doubted that any further reliance upon II 10
prosecute and finish its work Is mere Illusion,
which could end only in Disappointment and de-
lay I he whole dependence OF this Company
for some lime before il stopped its operations was,
in some form or other upon The aid oil the stale;
lis whole dependence now, Tor the continuance CT
these operations, is upon the same an. II " Is
grained, the Company becomes neither more nor
less than the agent OF the Stale lor Inc manage
ment OF its money, and, in this light, considering
that il is mainly corporation vi corporations,
whose several functions have nothing 10 common
with railroads and canals and that lis response
biles are only 10 itself, il is, perhaps, as lille
suited for the application OF the public funds, as
any agcn, 10 which the Legislature could ever
think OF committing them As every dollar,
therefore, of the money upon which this work is
10 be prosecuted, must come, if al ALL from the
Stale il is the clear duty OF the Legislature 10 re-
serve 10 itself the direct and entire control OF all
il may grant, and secure its due application un-
der the most public and searching responsibility
il can establish.
Without adverting 10 the administration OF this
Company for any purpose OF criticism upon lis
expenditures 1r failures, but regarding it only in
lis actual condition, and seeing that II has ac-
complished ali thai il is able 10 accomplish, that
il is poweIlpss 10 do any thing more, and thai il is
radically unfit, by reason OF its peculiar structure,
10 act as agent Of the Stale in what remains TO be
| done-seeins lhs, lcannot recommend too strong
| " The immediate adoption OF such measures as
shall be necessary 10 repossess the Stale, with Inc
consent Of The Company, either of the whole line
OF lis work, or Of the unfinished part OF II, and
| that 10 The eEd that it may execute il on lis own
/ account, with all the visoI and despatch al lis
command. Should this be declined by The l-e-
aslaluIe it is Yearly certain, from any thing that
can be now seen, that an indefinite, il not perma-
nent stop must be put 10 the extension oil The
work, and th, large commercial interests depend
ing upon il se thereby abandoned. Under The
pressure of tbs overriding necessity, il may we'll
he expected, thai all minor objections 10 The plan
| Of Stale cXecu ion will be given up, and ina, The
Slate will promptly inlerpose 10 protect and save
herself The work in all It's necessity. magnl-
,ude and value, is emphalically her own work,
| and her utmost eyertions should be freely given
10 AIRY il through.
| b. wha, mode OF improvement, however, whe-
lher by railroad, canal or some other, this object
can be best accomplished, is question of some
difficulty and one upon which lew remarks
NAV with pEopriety be offered.
Having examined this question with good
deal OF care, | am satisfied that railway all
things considered is to be preferred; that it will
cost The easl-pay The most in return-accommo-
date The best have the most 10 gain by The pro-
! gresS OF mechanical invention, and, when COM
| plrcd, will bes, promote The general purposes oil
moral as we'll as physical improvement. These
general points, embracing substantially all that -
wanted in any plan of improvement submit TO
| your Judgment, If much confidence that The more
lhey are examined the more lhey will be verified.
! Without illustrating that OF cost upon compare
tive data il is evident in The hr>t place, that as
| railroad can accommodate itself 10 The county
over which il is 10 be taken, in way qnite i'm
possible 10 a canal il has, in this circumstance, a
far greater command than the other over its cost
| of construction. Besides his il is undeniable,
that The cost Of an improvement, rs financial
| question, or question OF Stale economy, de-
pends more really and truly upon The capacity oi
that improvement 10 reimburse The expenditure
| npOn than il does upon The amonnt OF he
expenditure itself. .Indoad 'h"r%'--". -. -.
! Il, finilve test, the true question oil cost, which
is at issue between these respective plans OF i'm
provement is, which will afford The best return
i upon lis outlay, or which, in other words, Tor II
| is The same thing, will hest meet and best answer
The general wants OF transportation To TINS
The reply is Obvious, that The Improvement which
is intended 10 meet and answer these wants, must
he commensurate with them, and rs they extend
In the tran sportaton OF persons As well As OF pro-
perry, il must be suitable and sufficient lJr both.
! II il is mol suitable for that of persons, or so
much less So than neiehboing or rival improve
| inentS as 10 be rejected Tor them, then II Is at
once deprived OF lis most essentia means OF use
iulnees and support, for Of all commodities
requiring transportation none require j, 81 much
as persons, anu OF all others none pay 10 the
carrier so certain and so high profit upon so
small an amount Of bulk, insurance and risk
! ANY Improvement which will lose these, will
Sc The very best II lis custom rs and Will he in
constant danger, besides, of losing The power To
maintain itself. Indeed the uniform reliance OF
moi works intended for public accommodation
upon passengers for their principal revenue, is
such and so we'll ascertained, that no costly
add extended one depending for The mos, part
upon the business createt BY ITSELF, II MAJ be
confidently said, could be supported without
them In order there fore to answer public wants,
IN teal IL
u connect tn. James with The Ohio river must
afford 10 HE travel between that river and the
Atlantic Is desirable and decided advantages
as any other improvement or tbs great and in.
Identifying source of profit must he chiefly
if moi entirely lost But this not even The
canal could ai)rd were il ever so perfectly
executed, and were II al this hour actually open
for use in connection with steamboat navigation
/ on The Kanawha river. Were il 50, il would re-
quire about five days 10 make The passage from
that river 10 Richmond, whilst it would require
about three or three and a half days 10 make il
by Wheeling through Baltimore and Phadel-
rhia 10 New York, from The same point Of dePar-
lure. This, in most cases, would be decisive with
the traveller in turning him from ours TO another
route II, however, 4 railroad were made upon
the unfinished line OF the James River and ha-
nawha Company TO Point Pleasant, or TO Guyan-
dulle, il would afford the shortest connexion in
time by which 10 reach New York through Rich
mond, and would no doubt secure the travel and
the profit upon it which the canal wonld lose
But that is not all; by securing travel, freight is
also secured, This is the peculiar and control
ling principle in railroad operations. Having no
superior for passenger transportation, the railway
relies upon thai for lis expenses, and is thus ena-
bled, where The reliance is a safe one 10 relieve
The freight out of The profits of the travel and es
nPcially WODld N bp enabled Tins IN 40 i'm The
Of a State improvement where The charges viii
be restricted 10 mere remuneration and repair.
In addition 10 This il may be remarked, that i
is the peculiar and happy faculty OF This kind o
road that il can be adapted TO any rate of move
ment, an any one Of burden. and with an appa
rent capacity underline progress OF mechanical
invention for an almost indefinite increase in lht
degree Of both. Whilst the raie OF passense
speed is checked only hy the fears OF the passen