Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-12-12

our crops. ssrf the payment og certain on,
Standing claims Which couli no longer b.. lie
ierred, As hong as lids improvement has e
depend upon thc valley Ui the James Rive
clone, ITS revenues must be unsettled and pre
caroui IL Is only when IA shall b. extend
edto tho North River. and shall be lev by IN,
Rnlnad. that its revenues viii
U independent oil the seasons and IL wi.
vesin 10 deveioie ITS great capacity aud value
But how - IL to reach those points, Mono,
Is indispensable, AMP the company cannol
nise IL.
From a careful consideration Of this sub.
Ject, am satisfied That tine State may, will
every short crop, anticipate lie occurrenc,
oil similar demands until the imrroyemcn
shall have reached the points which | have
designated. The supply from both will b.
requisite 10 place the revenue Of the James
River Company upon a footing oil safety and
independence. And IL may b. remarked her,
that one of the great eScellencies OF the South
western Railroad. as a monied investment.
will be souri TO be, under careful aud iudi.
cious management that every ten miles
throughout its whole extent, will not ONLY
support itself, but will furnish larae anil in
creasnig supplies to the canal. As the State
cannot abanoon the cdnll, IL is obviously the
part OF true wisdom TO compile it TO the points
isdicated, with every reasonable despatch. |
have pondercd most snxiously Us to the best
means OF raising the iunds for this purpose,
amt my Conclusion IS TO recommend an issue
81 the bonds OF the company, from time To
time, as they may BE- needed, to the requisite
amount, such issue tn be guaranteed by the
State. Recommend this mode OF raising the
money, because l believe that when the South
western Railroad shall be finished. the con.
h,ion OF the canal will be eminen,ly pros
porous, aud that IL will possess the means of
rapidly di~schsrging its debt.
II cannot have escaped the attention that I
am oppose-- to the connection of the Eastern
aud Western waters through the Valley of the
James River, either by Canalo Railroad. Ca
nails are not adapted to the impatient wants
Of the present age. The great New York Ca
nal is protected by Law against the compe,i.
tion at the Roilroad running by its side. AZ
the Pennsylvania the Chesapeake and Ohio,
and even our own James River Cdulls, were
new questions, few would be found so hard
LIP ms To advocate their constructions. At
This time a Railroad is under construction be.
tween n. York aud Albany, parelled with the
Hudson river. Penusylvania is constructing
= line oi Railcad between Philadelphia and
ftt'sbnrgh, patSliei with her Canal. lail-
roads arc projected on both sides OF Lake T..
rie; aud IL is maniiect that they are destined
TO supersede, To a very great extent. all river
aud Canal aud Railroad caunot successfully
contend for the Western trade. | should
therefore CT opposed to tine execution of the
main design OF the james Riyeraud kamawha
company, n IL were eutirely practicable and
we had the amplcst means for It's accomplish.
ment | aIn equally opposed TO the connection
ot The eastern aud western waters on this line
by Railroad. The Canal affords every rea-
sonablc facility To The country through which
II passes; aud Tor local purposes, the Railroad
rs not required, but BY adopting another route,
the connexion between the East aud the
West cau be easily attained, aud immense
local advantages secured To other large por-
tions oi our State. The possible difference
betweOn The two routes, la the cost of their
construction. will fiud an ample equivalent
IN the diffusion of these Improvements. But
The canal ought tn b. extended To the Point |
have stated. The work already partially con
stmcted, could b. finished Tor a smaller sum
than would b. requisite tu complete a railroad.
The whole work. too. would bc homogeneous
aud could be managed with more facility aud
economy than a mixed Improvement. 1t
would also enable them to put their trcights
ala lower rate thsn could be done, II the line
voTe composed OF portions OF canal and rail-
road Improvement.
hare carefully observed this company fr
years. am satisfied that lis executive gov
snlmeni h iue fiCient, useless, and uuuccrs-
e3nly expcnitye. Its condition. Is hopeless.
With the Stale alone abldes the power To pr
serve tvs vitality. In this condition of az
fairs, with an eye alone To their improve
ment, Recommend that the present executive
government OF the complny b. abolished,
and thai all it, duties and powers be transfer
red TO the Board OF Public Works, which
shall appoint a President, clothed with all
bis present powers aud duties. 1t would di-
minish lhe expenses oil the company several
thousand dollars a year, and give it. | am per-
svaded, a more efficient administration
You will be informed by the report ol the
Beard OF Public Works OF the sale add pur-
chase OF the late Portsmouth aud lanOke
Railroad, lOr and on account Of the State
Tbs Pprchssc was made principally with a
view Of placing the road Of the pleisure Of
the Legislature. The rivalry which had ex-
listed between this road, from the day ii Was
opened, aud the Petersburg Railroad. had
been ~ disastrous, aud the loss 70 the SBte,
both in capital aud revenue 80 serious. thatit
was deemed a paramount duty on the part ot
the public agents 10 acquire the control OF
this road. that IL might not isll into rival
hands, and sgsiu become an instrument Of
dangerous aHd destructive competition. This
policy, so Just aud % reasonable, was alone,
am persuaded. IN the contemplation ct the
legislature on the passage OF the act proyi-
htst itf I've safe " VIC ibtN9lh'uAh ohN -"
noke Railroad. To nO one was offence in
tended, and most assnfedly mono To a sister
state, with which We are united by many ties
at interest aud affection. IL y. therefore ,
will, profound regret, that ] have TO inform
you thai ,he Chief Magistrate OF North Caro-
lima, in his recent mess5ge tn the General As.
sembly, Characterised the act referred ss the
'mere effusion Of a jealous aud hostile spirit,
without object 0f meaning.
TIE Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad,
under toe name Of thc Seauosri and Roanoke
Railruad, being now the property Of tbe State
furnishes q question lull " difficulty. twill
not do TO revive il as a dval fosd-to recom'
meace that career. which has already proved
10 fatal. Nor yet will % b. just 60 ouf irl'
low citizens who Ar interested 500 ihe rad.