Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-02-05
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

4 kNLEsf&asAAs lsHEktOt EsH
/ We ventured few numbers back to
express some opinions. IS it was clearly
within our province, upon The agricultural
subject ag way ii market For thsse
I opinious We have been announced in Ger.
Tia ID a ssfiefsas . o to internal improve
Rent Upon me pellieal qnsst1cn ~ i
clsijes the parties inihis country, that IS,
upon the power 81 The Gsuefai Cavern
ment 10 make improvements wilinn the
i'm Is 81 tbe States Of this uumn, We have
i oseoaFse our own opincn, but nob' dy
sbsli know i al Lest, through the COZ
umas % TIE Finer. But We d. not
tnean TO urge upon lie peol II OF many parts
Of Vfrgiats mat the best investment they
could poss bly, make Of their money would
be to use i; 10 constructing a good road TO
market. Does this sound like an enemy
10 Improvement But, says one gentle
man, with that tolerance for which our
politicians pre 50 remarkable, you are op.
posed to rsil roads, and therefore you
cannot be a pstriot; says another, you are
not IN favor Of canals, aud therefore you
cannot have the prosperity Of the country
ot heart. With such individuals the pas.
sing aud often unfounded prejudice OF the
day is the test Of all good and honorable
/ qualities. Now we are n,ither opposed
to rail roads or canals ; we only desire, as
oil sober men should, 10 investigate the
subject calmly aud to ascertain clearly
what improvement the peculiar circum.
stances of each section may justify. There
may be some portions OF the State, though
we doubt II, SO populous and SO productive
as 10 justify the enormous expense OF
rail road or canal !. and there may be
some 50 sparse and 50 poor that TO make
a mud turnpike through il, would be 10
throw money away. When, therefore,
any scheme OF the sort is projected, before
any reasonable man will express any pos.
tive opinion upon it, he will ascertain, as
near as an engneer's survey will develope
1t, the cost Of the improvement, and he
will then ascertain from the bes, statistics
he can Obtain the amount ofincreased val
ne it will give 10 the products of,he coun.
Try; if this increased value will not amount
to five or six per cent. upon the sum re-
quired to make the Improvement, depend
upon it, better use Can be made OF the
money.
We have said that whom the people
within the sphere OF proposed improve
ment, were unwilling to invest their mon
ey in 1t, Is was unreasonable TO expect
others to whom il would afford no advan-
tages but the dividends upon their stock,
10 invest their funds in it nor do we
think there is either justice or propriety
in demanding that the common fund, which
is, after all, nothing but the private prop
erty Of the citizens Of the commonwealth,
should be invested in such nn improve
ment. ifths were ony an absurd de-
mand we should not raise our voices to
warn those who are 10 be the sufferers
from il, 10 resist it. That duty would
probably devolve more properly on some
of our political craft. But this demand IS
not only absurd, but in our opinion the
expectation is delusive, and the indulgence
in il forms The greatest bar to real practl-
cal improve ment. We drove over very
bad piece of road last winter, and arrived
about dark, wet ana weary, al wretch.
ed inn, IN a most wretched village in Vir-
ginia. Why, landlord, said We, do you
permit the principal road to your village
to remain in such shocking condition
1t is true, he replied, IT is very bad, but
tho mex: Legislature is ing TO take up
the subject of internal improvement, and
we shall have first rate rail road run
ning along here; 80 improve the old road
would therefore, be only a waste Of mon
ey. Here, then, was a very pretty coun-
try, within striking distance Of a good
market, declining 10 make good turn.
pike for themselves, because they had
been induced by honest but misguided
zealo,s to trust to others making rail
road for them. Thus il is, that in the
magnificent idea of rail roads and canals
peryadIng every section OF country, we
lose sight OF plans that are really practi.
cable, and would be profitable. Such are
the diversified interests of our extensive
Territory, that we do not believe Legs.
iature will ever be found in Virginia sgain,
that will sanction any important sectional
improvement 10 be made on Stale account;
especially since the result OF the invest
ment in the James Rlrer and Ksnawha
Canal. We, therefore, say to the people
of the different portions OF the State, give
up your reliance upon others; go to work
yourselves, and make for yourselves such
a way to market as your circumstances
will justify, remembering that i. is TO your
benefit it is chiefly to enure, and that il
it be not good investment for you, it
cannot be good one for any body else.
If joint stock company be necessary,
there will be no difficulty in procuring an
act of incorporation, with the most Iber-
al charter. Southern Planter.
BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS IN
| MASSACHUSETTS The fourth annual re.
port of the births, deaths and marriages in
Massachus It's TOR lS45) has been pub
lshed under the direction Of the Secretary
! of State.
The whole number Of births, as return.
ed for the year ending May LIST, 1915. is
1911; ofmartisges, a, 500, and ofdeaths,
9,S44,
! The births appear to be 7,795 males