Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-05-08

o.yinr he go, Sc of the streams and hills, IN
stead Of across Them; and through dePfessiohs IN
| stead of through high mountains the geuinS
clear of the competition with the Chesapeake ana
/ Ohio Canal; and the immense trade ana lid'e,
from Tennessee, 10 which a branch Oh lheif iodu
could so easily have bsen eZlended) ara ',e I'd
vel 10 Inc Virginia Springs, together win 'ne au-
vantage OF striking the Ohlo river Al pom. ~
/ which large steamboats, can always come Woui''
have induced an unhesitating rejection OF me val
low rorie had il been lett 10 the op;lon OF the COM
many PM Won refused them The PERMISSION 10
selrct IT, and you did SO ON the express Slouhu,
,ha; YOU meant to secure The benrnt OF our "hole
/ traCe. 10 build up your own towns, oy extending
The canal instead oil suffering il 10 be carried or
10 swell the size oil The rival cities oil nelShoor-
inc State Not only was Inc idea distinctly held
out that you designed 10 extend TO Us The Dement'S
of the cana: bu,, confiding in the sincerity oil your
promises we were induced 10 subscribe our mo-
hev for the stock OF the company which has beer
rigidly collected and the whole I'll II expended on
that part of the work BY which the citizens OF The
eastern counties are alone benehtted whilst wc
are Ieit by The destruction Of The old mountain
canal. in a much worse condition than we were
before. (The counties OF Rockbridge and Bote-
tour subscribed nearly fly thousand dollars each
to the stock Of The James River and hanawna
Company, and the other counties on Inc line SUD-
scribed in proportion 10 iheir aoliliy) Ohoei
these circumstances, we submit u 10 you, WIN
confidence, 10 say as honest ana noioidDie iiien
are YOU moi morally bound no longer TO Withhold
from us the benefits which will result from ex-
tending the canal 10 this side OF the mountains
We submit j, as or candid opinion that you are
You are apprsed that the internal Improvement
in which we arc most Immediately and deeply m
,erested, is the great James River and haha"ha
line; and ii is 10 the necessity ola prompt resunp
ton and speedy completion OF that work, that we
particularly desire 10 call your attention IN ms
address.
Numerous objections have been urged hereto
fore against making further appropriations lot car.
ryno on the canal. One was that the AFFAIRS OF
the Company had been badly conducted, and the
appropriations heretofore made inJudiciously cx-
pended. Whether this be true or not, II IS not
very material for us now 10 inquire. IL IS due 10
those who have had the management oil Inc WORK,
however, to say that Two committees have mere
tofore been appointed 10y the General Assembly
composed at leas, in part of those who thoushtlh The
work badly conducted, both OF which, after ex-
animation, reported iavorably 10 the Company.
But lei il be conceded that The affairs OF The
company have been badly conducted heretofore,
and il only furnishes ALI additional argument in
favor OF continuing The work For, surely, il The
work has produced a sufficient amount OF toll in
the las; wear, in its unfinished state, 10 pay The
inreres, on all its debts, and keep all The works in
repair and leave a surplus OF over twenty-five
thousand dollars, as the report of the President
shows that il did, notwithstanding Inc waseiul
and exlrayagant expenditure OF money ascrloed
10 lis managers il is fair 10 presume that, wnen
completed and under good management II VIII
be a most valuable and productive WORK. bul
this objection must now be at an end, since me
Plesiden, OF the Company, on whom all 'he
blame was thrown, had the magnanlmty and pa
triotism at once 10 resign his office, the moment
il was minated 10 him, by the friends OF he I'M
proyement, that tie chance of obtaining further
aid for the company might be improved BY his
resienng his Office The work is now placed
under the superinendence ol 4 gentleman oil
high reputation, selected from among yourselves,
and i. is TO be expected will be well conducted.
Ano;ne! objection 10 continuing The Canal
which has been urged, is, that IL has heretofore
welded no dividends And was il 10 be expected
thai The work would yield dividends before II was
compieledl Suppose the Erie Canal, which
Yields such an enormous annual revenue, had
Stopped short Of The lakes, would not from hall
TO two-hrds Of lis tolls have been cut eff? Take
off the toll on the through tonnage, and we doub'
if the residue would much more than pay the ex-
penses of keeping up the Canal. Does any man
among you plough his ground ard plant his corn,
and then abandon it because ne has done So
much work, and had no return for III We con
f6env believe, that il the work IS extended
through the Blue Ridge, it will pay more than six
per cent on the capital 10 be expended for The
purpose Over TOUR hundred thousand dollars
have already been expended between Lynchburs
and the mouth Of the North River; which, II the
work stops al Lynchburs, will be dead loss TO
the Company. And if the Canal TO the North
River will pay tolls sufficient 20 meet the interest
\ lofo II
mat point, thsrs can certainly be no valid Oh
lection 10 going with II, al least thus far. But,
say the very disinterested advocates OF termina-
Ting the Canal at Lynchburg, the tolls taken at
the Old Blue Ridge Canal, when in existence,
would not be sufficient TO pay the interest on the
additional sum necessary 10 complete the new
Canal 10 the North River. This is perhaps true.
But they keep ont Of view the immense increase
ot tonnage which the furnaces already erected
in Bo,etouri Rockbridge and Allegheny, will
iurnish-ihe greatly increased product Of The old
furnaces in the last few years-lhe fact that Sc
vsral new furnaces are in The progress OF con-
sruction, and that in the counties above named,
and few OF the adjoining counties, The ore, wa
Ter power and fuel is abundaCtly Sufficient 10
Justify the erection OF five times as many iron
works as already exist, if The means OF
transporting the products 10 market could
be found. The capitalists OF the North are
already turning their attention 10 this region,
| with a view 10 establish iron works in IT, as
soon AZ the canal shall be extended west OF the
| Blue Ridge. A single company from Penasyl-
| vania are now erecting three furnaces in The
county OF Boteouri, and have already expended
| in the purchase OF property and in the progress
of their work over $4,000. The TACT is vel
known lha, nearly all the products Of Roanoke
ard Montgomery, and part Of those OF Botetourl
and Rocl;bridse, all OF which would be put on
the canal a, Buchanan or between that and the
| mouth Of North river, il it was finished 10 thai
| point, were hauled To Lynchburg, and swelled
the amount shipped from that point during the
existence OF The mountain canal--the river be-
tween Lynchburg and The mountain canal
being but little less dangerous than the noun
tain ITSELF and only navigable by small bat
| teaux a considerable proportion Of the products
! Of Rockbridge, Bath, Pocahonlas and Augusta
| also found liz way in wagons during the same
period 10 Sco,lsvil!e, which, if the canal was fin
ished to the west OF he Ridge, would be shipped
upon il, at the mouth Of the North river or al
| Lexington. And nearly all of the tonnage coming
westward was brought in wagons from Baltimore,
Richmond and Lynchburg and will 80 continue
until the canal is completed to the west OF the
Blue Ridge.
A sreal effort has been made by some OF the
advocates OF Lynchburg, as the termination OF
the canal, 10 create the impression, that that part
oflhe contemplated canal extending from Lynch
burg TO The Blue Ridge, has been located 50 low,
tha. i. is subject 10 be oycrhowed by the river al
high water and that, therefore, the work already
done on thai section, will be of no value in max
ing that part Of the improvement. No evidence
ofthat fact has been furnished. and we do not ad-
nit its existence, and we demand the proof. We
know that part Of the work, Gall that we have
seen Of IT'D is not liable to be overlooked. We
know, too that for much Of the distance between
Lynchburg and the mountain, il was contempla
ted 10 have slack wafer navigation, in the river;
and it is presumed The work done on that part Of
the line cannot be in danger of being overlooked,
or, at any rate, that the remedy will be very easy,
unless, indeed, the hills, (Which are several hun
dred fee, high, are in danger Of being overlooked.
Whether any part Of the location is really sub
Jet TO be overiowed or moi, We will moi under
lake to say; We trust however, that the President
OF the Company will cause strict examination
10 be made 10 ascertain how the fact is, and let
the result, of the investigation be made known 10
the public.
Sill another objection has been urged against