Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-23
JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA CON-
PANY,

'
PANY.
An adjourned meeting of the stockholders OF
This company was held in The Hall Of The House
of Delegates on Wednesday evening General
Bernard Peyton in The chair. The committee
appointed al a previous meeting 10 inquire and
report The measures necessa! 10 be adopted, IN
view OF the fecen, action of he Legislature, sub
milled series Of resolutions, The substance Of
the most important Of which is as follows:
/. The provisions OF The act, passed al the pre-
sent session Of The Legislature. Tor The extension
OF The Canal 10 Inc Town Of Buchanan, are ap-
proved, and adopted as part Of The charter; and
The President and Directors are directed 10 ere-
cute the mortgage and bonds required By that acl.
2. The President and Directors, in rene wing
active operations are required in The first place,
10 provide .or the execution Of the section, some
years ago commenced, and abandoned for want
OF funds, between Lynchhurs and North River.
g. The President. being an Engineer in
when the stockholders have confidence" is con-
situled Engineer OF The Company; and in addi-
ton TO The duties heretofore assigned 10 him. he is
TO have The supeInendence OF The Engineering
department and Tor Ibis addition 10 his duics,
the sum OF $500 per arnnm is added TO his saa.
~, which is now $1,000. All Bye-Laws con-
ficling with this arrange meEl are suspended du
ring lis continuance.
- i
organize an Engineer Corps, keeping in view
economy, as far as may be compatible with The
efficient prosecution OF the work
S. The President and Directors are authorized
10 accept o! the provisions OF any act which
may be passed BY the prtsen, Legislature in re-
ference 10 The Underwater connection, &c.
6. The purchase Of negro laburcrs instead OF
hiring, As Al present. for lie purpose Il keeping
The Canal in repair, is authorized, il the Board OF
Directors shall deem il expedenl.
7. The toll on Hemp is reduced from to ,
cents per ton per mile.
The resolutions were adopted with but few dis
sentient votes. On that, however, which propo-
ses TO blend the Offices oil President and Engineer,
and 10 increase the salary OF The incumtcni from
$500 10 $4,000, there was an animated discus
sion-Col. L. NJ. Bonanran, opposing, aid
MessFs w. M. Peylou, n. T. VenahIe and o.
NJ. Crutchiield, (Slale Proxies J. M. Wickham,
q. N. Johnson aud S. S. Baker, sustaining il. =
The principal argument urged in lis favor was,
that it will economist the expenditures Of the
Company, while il will render he Engineer de-
paument more efficient, We confess however,
that we have not been able to perceive how either
OF these objects is 10 be accomplished BY this
new oreaniyation-whe, in some respects, We
cannot but regard ii as b,;h Objectionable
and unfortunate. Ii has been understood, that
The dulles Of The Presidency OF The Company are
OF an arduou> character, requiring The constant
attention Of the incumbent Ct lha, office II that
be not The fact, the salary ol tia. officer has been
heretofore 100 hieh and il il be, we lhink he can
scarcely find lime 10 devote 50 much 81 has time
10 his dulles as Eng nslr as 10 enltic him 10 the
large salary oi IS 600 per annnID. We suspect
that there will not be one Engineer less upon the
line than there would have been had he Two ofii-
ces, instead OF being Blended, been separated, as
heretofore; and il that should be the tact, The
expenditures ofthe Engineering department must
necessarily be increased by The new arrangement.
It's efficiency in our judgment, will be no greater
under one plan than the olher-unless we are 10
suppose that an incompetent or unfaiihlul Enal-
neer would be appointed BY The Board, il The two
offices were in different hands.
Besides, it looks badly Company, which
tor six years has been absolutely on the verge oi
bankruptcy, ought mol, il seems TO US TO start upon
its career, under its improved auspicits, by CIV
ing what seems to MS to be more inan adequate
remuneration for the services Of any man, how
ever skilful in his profession or !aborious in his
duties Il seems like realizing he OH saying,
about putting a heeger on horseback" The
people OF Virginia are npposed-and properly so
TO ExTRAyAoANr salaries. And they cannot be
made 10 believe II al The President oil The James
River and Kanawha Company, however eminent
his skill or arduous his duties, ought 10 receive
SlT00 per annum more than The Chief MaSis-
trate of the Commonwealth, and twice as much
as The members Of lis biehes judicial tribunal
That il will be an unpopular, and therefore an
injurious movement in regard 10 the funie oPe-
rations oilhe Company, We seriously arp-ehend
II is always an ungracious and dlsaareeable
task TO complain and condemn; and we have
made these remarks-which might lie much far
Their ,xlended-wih unieigned reluctance. That
they proceed from no feeling Of ill-will TO The
President of the Company-trom no disposition
10 underrate his requirements, or to deroeaie
from his unqueslionaple high claims 10 public
confidence and eslcem-wc hope We need scarce.
" say For he professional and personal quail
lies Of that gentlemen we have always ielt, as
we have always evinced, The hishcs' admiration
and we cheeIlully say, that il The Offices and
salaries OF President and Engineer must be
united, there is no man in the Commonwealth 10
whom we would sooner see heir drtieS conhded,
and upon whom We had rather spe those rewards
bestowed than Major Gwynn. But, believing as
we do, thai The duties oi III" Two offices are 10
some extent Incompatible, and that those OF either
one ofihem are qli,e sufficient 10 task The ener'
gies OF any one individual, We a!e constrained 10
say, as We think, that The course pursued has MOI
been judicous, and that il will not meet with
public approbalion.-[Rt ehmond Whig.