Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-03-06
SPEECH OF MR.. LANlER

feel myse uhde at this late hour Of the day. and ut this
advanced period the session. when know the House
restless aud impatient OF debate 10 throw myself upon s
indugenee and this considerably enhanced by
the impression which upon mind, from what
have already learned OF the temper OF the House. manifest
cd IN votes previously given kindred subjects, that
going perhaps upon tOrIorn h0pe-but sir II Is not in
nature desPond, and the spirit Of the reply Of the
gallant Miller the andng General the battle OF
Lundys Lane when he inquired OF him II he could take
the cnomy's Cannon, 81 will Try"
Mr.. Speaker the Bill in your hand proposes make
important Improvement In the great and fertile valley Of the
Roanoke 1t is that valley no, the place Of my
nativity; but, upon the banks Of cf the beautiful
rivers by which is waeTed have resided for the last 30
years and all the best and brightest associations of life
there reside those loyal and generous consntu
onts who have conhded, part their interests
hopr-and feel Notwithstanding the untnwSrd and unia
vorabe circumstances under which | called upon
address the House, that should be their
ests, and duty did not do all in my power
promote the passage OF that bill But, MIR Speaker, before
proceed 10 discuss the merits U the proposition contained
in that bill, ask the indulgence of the House, to
make personal explanation rather in the fash
iopabe parliamentary language OF the day. "tp define
poston"-Snd TO ADDRESS a few words o sdmonition
the friends OF Internal Improvement, this floor.
From the time, MIR Speaker when first had the honor
OF tins House have always been classeI among
the economical portion OF ITS mcmbets-and, ST. have
been placed IN the right cStegory-bn must beg leave
say that while have been all times opposed lcvyng
upon the people contributions than called for
by the public gencies and the public
engagements, have been willing make ample pro-
vision for the pdbc service, and inyolatr the
fah OF the Commonwealth; opposed % improper,
wasteul, and cxuavagan appropriation Of the public
nue., have been prompt and GO "as he
who ia thCst in liberal supplies proper aud
legitimate objects Of public interest aud in sustaining the
credit OF the State alike each extreme, have
sought avoid efu extravaganza hand.
and niygardy paIsimOny the other. Nor have been
indscuminate advocate opposcr Of appropriations
works of internal improve have heretofore elt
duty To make determinations IN reference 10 these sub.
Jecs aud shall continue pursue that long rs
shall have honor Of this Il )or; and Sir the
Trend Of
q tell them that. IA opinion, II has been for the
OF this Ney Observation-Disclosures making of waste
tai and eXrsvag1nt appropriations mpracucabe worth
less, and Improbable schemes OF impr vcment.-hst the
pubic confidence h been lost, and the whre system
brought into dI-cpute ;-pnd expect to regain
TINT confidence; expect carry forward the
improvement Of tho Stie-wc mist cease to throw
the public money by hundreds Of thousands, have
done heretofore upon visionary Utopian projects alike
mpracucabe aud wOrih'ess-we be govern.
cd by those narrow and selfish principles which nave here
JtOe controlled, % great extent legislation upon
those subjects These who have Conscientious scruples
in Notng the pub money for these purposes should
principle. aud after they have secured themselves
public bounty unite with the enemirs OF improve
and withhold appropriations all others IL is by the
adoption OF Jlst equal and uniOim rules upon these sub
Jects-t by union, BY consistent and s'eady cOupera
tion-hat the friends OF Improvement may hope
To accomplish any thing: having general. connected
sys,m tot the Improvement OF several urge and extern
divisions OF the State, IN which such
"anted 10 be put into operation at the time the
s ssariy up for action O Legisla
ure IN dCta ], aud unless the trends u Improvement will
adopt system oi rules ~ which their votes 10 be
erncd these and carry out then they must ali
be cut of ceIail, aud may hope the
proyement Of the State o'ward aud after vng .quan
dsrrd milo OF the public money, shall hni moth
has been doae deyeope the resources advance the
permanent, substantial Interests OF the country
thing which calculated elevate sustain tho ancient
renpwn OF our good Did Commonwealth.
And now Mr. Speaker, YOU will permit me 70 proceed
lay down the rules, which, 10 opinion, the renus of
improvement ought To apply every proposition for up
preparation 10 aay scheme ct Improvement and BY which,
think, they ought be governed IN all In fret
place, they should be satisfied that the work prdcied5
the second place. that II Is called Tor by the
necessities OF large and extensive district country and
confined 10 mere neishbOrhnod; IN the third place.
a the of the improvement will he within the convent
resources at the Comm nweath; aud lastly. that
work contemplated, when comp etcd. will be likely make
ilir and reasonable return Oh the investments these SIR
tue rules, which, humby conceive. ought govern
and control tue oi oil those who would make appro-
priauOns objects and by this standard prnpo.e 10
the prpposiuon contained that Bill aud II do not
demonstrate that II comes, clearly and fully, within every
Of them, then willing surrender the gu, stIon
Then, Nr. Speaker, what does the Bill prop wAy
sir To make the Roanoke and Dan Rivers from the Of
odOn, North CLTJiina, the town OF Dtnvs in the
State ,i Virginia, distance OF hundred and twenty
miles naUigdbe for steamboats, drawing more than
four teetw
The mpro, Of the Roanoke and its tributaries
were. very ary period. considered object of i'm
pDHaHee, not only by tho people Ia tu iIuvda district
country entered by those steams but Legislature
0 the 1t eli. la the year lrl6 first bill pass
I'd incorporating the Roanoke Navigation Company and
hElng It, capital at 100 OJO. he another Bill
passed Legislature asng capital stock 10
700, win the privilege OF making further increase If tie
eNgeneies Of tie Compony should Ieqre it, and directing
the BoarJ =, Public orks subscribe S5O,uOU on the
,ar' Of tue the capital Of the Company
the SAFE OF North Carolina, subsequent period, sub
scnbed S5OuOO. which, getleT with individual subscrp
tions making IN the aggregate 100000, constitute
capitol Ock OF tue Company. The purpose for which that
Company incorporated declared in the act of inco
Poauon, was 10 clear out and suce the a Of the Roam
oke anu Its tributaries tue Dan and Stanton, make
them nlNigaOic, at all scasO OF tile with hItbottlm
ed boats bateIuX the base OF and they
were allowed until the year e43 accomplish the object
OF their incorporation Ths The Company has effected
II true int we have Improvement, which the
time tat Company incO -pOraed considered an
important aud valuable but. II is now far behind
the age Tine invention and application Of mbonts and
ran ways 10 The purposes 81 commerce. have given
ueiy aspect public Improvements; and what at ia
perOd regarded a highly important and valuable
Improvement, has been long since found lie wh ly in
adequate and for the purposes Of and
tue wants OF those communities which travers.d
waered BY those streams. In the Valley OF the Roanoke
all the great heavy staples Of the county produced
nshug tonnage tor transportation unknown any other
district OF toe cOuutry uf the same Tho navigation
10y small boa's, the Oay which have uanspor.
iluon Is tedious ond the delays incident this nd Of
nav gan N u sometimes rInOus the the mer
chans aud dealers m produce IN tho yr upon
rivers. srge fac, winch am cnsbled Co state and
which II well known t. tie merchants this place. Dug &
think, satisfy the that the present state If the
I
PISS. II - that iiOcshrad Tobacco can now DO iran.
ported from the Staii OF Missouri cheap it bo
brought rom the town Of Dany the City Of Richmond
| the dt'ta &C berg not more thpn 300 miles.
The question then recu., the nemplated improve.
mcnt Prdcftodble2 And tins shall proceed to show
The proposition contained IN the Bill make the Roam.
oke aud ITS irbutoGes navigabc for seambOas not oil
recent Ongni back 1881 the Legislature passed
law directing the Board Of Public Works. $50 cause
survey " Do made b. competent Engineer, OF the
Dan riyer, confluence the Ssunon riyer Ia
tie town 81 Danwc, and Ut tue stanton river from g.
same point, the OF BDJknes in Campbell county
aud Of great Roanoke, from Rocklandng the confluence
Oi the Dan ant aunOn rivers aforesaid for the pupos
ascernung whether the said may be rendered sus-
cepube Of steamboat navigation" aud the said Engineer
was required TO report u the Board Of PUbic Works
"whcIeft be practicable TO render the said rivers nay
gable aud probable thereof" In pursuan. VI tots
requirement on the part Ol the Legislature, the Board
Pubic Works during the summer Of that year the season
most tuyOrabo for making such rccogn ssncc employed
| Mr. John C0uy, gentleman Of high character aud pro-
sson1i skill md ability ~ whose estimaics the House
i country confidence 10