Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-12-14
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


In connection with these views, and by request com
mnncato the proceedings ola convention recently hc'
IN Siann,on. by like request. communicate those .
largo meeting, held at Weston, the 25th Of Scpem
Der last The object Of this latter meeting ~ 10 s.cur,
the 'ic Of tray to the Baltimore and Ohio rar, al
poration. through State, far South the mouth
the Little kanawha. The company has the rgh,
TO gothrough Virginia To hecng but the great object
10 touch the Ohio lower down. NOT only get rid Of the
prov o other States 10 the North, but be able
successfully To contend with contemplated improve
ment lspeak adNscdly when state, that Ir,vate cap
ita can be obtained 10 connect by railway tho James aud
Ohio lsers If the state would give pledge that rival
company shall he allowed touch the OHIO below
Wheeling. But, without this pledge. private capital
will never undertake IT, The destructive character OF
railroad competition Is we'll known 10 business men,
England Is suffering from IL 10 most rulnous extent. and
is now struggling 10 reform this evil by unlua ni r,a
routes We are not without unpleasant experience III
our State Pennsy l,ania is guarding agains, il also in
reference especially 10 the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
company And shall we, unconscious of those patriotic
feelings which should prompt the adoption of that
policy which will build up Staieand unmindfal Of
that common that should ever govern great public
interests yield foreign corporation the right penc
trate into the heart Of State and draw therom her
vital blood am. however, satisfied, gentlemen. that
your legislative history VIII never be illustrated by
act 50 fatal 10 the best interests Of State But, il is
my ANXIOUS hope thai YOU will proceed with all pr per
despatch 10 the commencement of the two great works
have rccommcnded-by the first, connecting the city
with the great emporium # the we,t and bring them
within FORTY HOURS Of each othcr,by the second con
meeting, tide o the Atlantic with the currents Of the beau
uiul Ohio tho one. ultimately. b, branches down The
Roanoke and the valley 10 intersection with the road
from GDrlunsyllle and the Other by branches the
Northwest satisfying every enable want OF the great
sections OF the State Both without rivals 10 bc regard
ed, and accommodating throughout their long and maunh
cent the varied productions Of the richest country
upon the earth would ill treasury and pour
streams Of wealth into towns and cities, which would
soon enable them proudly 10 rival the proud,s cities o
the world. Nor tins all the amount of produce
which would flood markets would necessarily pro
duce immense navigation interest. Tidcwatcr Virgin
IA would become ashpyad. Her population would build
our ships, own and sail them, and all would feel the
ifuc,liylng influence Of this mighty trade. Virginia
would be pros crJus and would become rich would
add 10 her high MORAL power the indispensable element Of
numbers, and would soon become GREAT and would then
lie what every Ing man most auNiousy desires ndoJen
dent This IL no fancy sketch Toe results Of these
imp RANT improvements will provo more striking Than
have depicted them. Lake produce like effects
In 1916 the whole real rnd personal estate of the city OF
New York did not exceed eighty two millions Of dollars
In ls25 II was only about one hundred millions. IN
that year the great New York Canal opened and III
ten years the population OF the city Of New York was
nearly doubled aud her wealth increased 10 hundred
and oighte n millions of dollars. And up 10 lSil she
continued 10 increase her wealth at the rate If per
cent per year, notw outstanding The destructive fire with
Which she had been devastated, and the monetary cs
through which the country had passed. But in the lat
ter year the great Western Railroad from Boston
which New York had impruden,ly allowed to be extend
ed TO Albany, had been opened, and the effect (and
wish all who love Virginia TO mark it, has been to reduce
the increase ofhc population Of the city Of New York 10
and quarter per cent and actually To diminish her
wealth and one egih per cent. per year But while
New York has declined Boston has increased her pop
ula,ion from 10000 10 1876, 600. and her wealth from
9S 100000 to l3s 600 900 Of dollars, the short period
OF four years.
The extraordinary results that have followed the com
pleon Of the great New York Ca al, and ot the great
railway OF Massachusetts, well calculated to excite
asonishurn and awaken lhcredulity In ten years
after the canal opened New York city than duu
bles her wealth. and in four only after the opening
oi the Western railway, Boston has increased her popu
atIon about % per and her wealth forty per
cent, And after deducting from these amounts sum
sufficient to cover their average progress balance will
be found in those respective cites much than sufi
the whole outlay in the Of those
great works, and that, without any regard to the increase
Of wealth and population on the ineo theimprovemenis
And il establishes the soundness of the opinion which
have often expressed and here repeat that Eastern
tcrcscd hanN Virgin in the speedy construction
OF our great works.
To briefly re state my plans propose and recommend
a railroad at Buchanan, and proceed
the Tennessee line, Of course. suporsedng all inf rlo
provomcnts the ryute And propose and recommend
that the Louisa Rairad from Gurdonsvile be pushed IN
the Shenandoah valley witoout delay, and that a critical
designated be forthwith made. cannot doubt lls practi
cabilty The great Massachusetts, railroad overcane. in
the distance of about two hundred miles, elevation OF
about 400 feet and am encouraged to believe that
serious diff ullcs viii not have TO be
the accomplishment of this great design.
In the construction o. these works, the srctest econ
omy should prevail Expenditures should not be large
enough disturb the prices of labor and provisions An,
expenditure will stimulate industry, and increase pro
ductve p. wcrs. This excess OF production will supply
the unusual m1nd, II the proper limit on expenditure
he adopted, and these Improvements Will then poIt&
under ad yantages unknown to similar works.
propose eXpe diture Of half million year
only, to be divided between the two works. This dl
vded expenditure will powerfully tend to prevent W
ward tendency prices, and the construction OF
the roads upon much below the experience Of the
lnntry. In two years the improvement from Gcrdons
vile Will have reached the valley OF the Shenandoah; and
IN the time the Southwest railroad will have passed
the coal and ror regions OF oteourt; and IN the nceas
ing Of the James River Canal and the Louisa
and Fredericksburg Railroads, should begin reap
some of the fruits u our enterprise ] give II my
opinion, that the increase of which these i'm
prov would in cren ways produce, would, after
the outlay of two years the interest upon all the loans
required for their prosecution.
propose to provide for the expenditure which have
suggested by annual appropra from the Treasury
bonds for the balance The Treasury can easily be pu,
into condition to meet this demand upon it, Without
extraordinary charge upon the Treasury shall
have surplus, the FIST 81 Oct her next, of upwards
OF 30 600 which light increase of taxation certain
subjects, which | have heretofore mentioned, would
swell to 100000, and thus place Treasury in con
diipn TO meet tins requisilion. Tho bonds would