Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-06-01


The Baltimore Patriot furnishes lie following
oulioe oi the remarks made the las meeting OF
the Board al Directors OF Inc Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company by Col John Spear Nicholas,
Chairman Of The committee 10 confer with The Dr.
rec,ors oil the PiltshuIg and Conne.lsvi!le Compa-
nv. Col N, il will be seen. advocates The Virginia
route and as the question is interesting not only
10 the people ui Northwestern Virginia. but Of all
sections OF Inc Stale, we have thought proper 10
preser. Col. Ne striking remarks We have
strong hopes that The negotiations will lie 50 man
aged as 10 secure 10 Virginia lie aeLeillS q This
great artery ul Trade and travel:
Col Nicholas said he spoke no, as Chairman
of The ommillee Of ConteIen with The Pits
burg Company, although he had acted as such
their duty having b.en discharged BIZ merely pre-
ssn,ins the correspondence which had been read.
They possessed no information as 10 i!ie wishes
Of The Pillsbufa Company, which that dill not dis.
close But Inc sub ject was oil great Importance
| Gihe. members had expressed Their views al dill
| terenl times and he would briefly state his
The importance OF Pusburs and the commerce
| of pi,t,buIe, were fully appreciated BY him, and
| nv The penple OF Baltimore and OF Maryland.
They have expended no less Than "a 100000
on different works, one object OF which, and
| leading one was 10 secure that commerce. These
works parouk OF The character both oil railroad
and canal improvements, in unequal proportion
One OF these was complete, and The other might
he nerlected al 4 reasonable cost. Bob afforded
continuous communication between Baltimore
and Pilsbnrg The cost had been enormous
The prominent error 9hich had been made IN
them, was, that they were rtraS and worried one
against tnr other The Inconvenience had been
4, Ia orGp ~ - az
hese. the Susquehanna Railroad, if extended 10
Harrisburg, would tap their great railroad, and
connect advanlagcously, with all the improve
menrs which Pcnnsylvani might stretch 10 Pits
IN o or 10 the Lakes In that case, we should
compete with Philadelphia, with every advan.
| tagc of distance, smaller COST harbor and access
10 The sea. Our only disadvantage would be in
the greater capital and perhaps energy, OF our
| Northern neighbor This last we must encoun.
Ter whenever and wherever we might compete
with her The encounter was 10 be sustained on
OUR parl by energy and prudence ana foresight IN
! future expenditures.
Bu, h.. had "a I'd our works were SO arranged a
10 comre,e with each oher. We had had heart.
hurnines on this subject, and were likely 10 have
more To render this competition among our
| own public works still more complicated and EN-
| barrassng particularly by large expenditure,
after We had ie,l The mischief ot such policy,
would srarlle mary. Il would alarm our Coun.
ellis particularly Tor the city treasury had yet 10
touch the first cent OF return Tor her expendilur
and she would hold millions OF interest in The
new rival work for The Piusburg trade, and in The
old. These considerations alone miahl moi con.
denim III. immediate adoption OF The Pitsbura
route; but he was opposed TO adopting it, until the
negotiation with Wheeling was closed, or an al
Tenn, made 10 elise il. The resolutions now
sent 10 US by The Piusburg Company ne objected
TO- They offered much smaller subscription
Than The friends even ri the measure were willing
~ accent, and they embarrassed this Company i,
The selection oil The very route up the Potomac
which they had always preferred This last pro
vision was said 10 be equivocal, but if eqnivocal
il would be construed against this c, mpany
whom il required 10 become the slipu aior. /
was 10 be understood most strongly against The
slipuator. This rule OF construction was uni
versal.
But, apart from This, he preferred the Wheel
ing roule, although he HAD BEEN opposed 10 il
He would give the reasons for this change
Those reasons would show the ground oil his pre-
sent opinion. Wheeling had, al one time, been
looked 10 as a Southern terminus Of The road
Plsburg as The Northern. From Wheeling i
was supposed The road would have TO cross The
river and descend hy lis right bank some dis
lance, 10 meet The railroads which would pierce
the Stale OF Ohio. The importance Of this con
neclion had grown upon The public mind. BIZ
The probable course OF these Improvements, be.
VOID The river, had been mperlec,ly understood
A great change in the plans Of The Baltimore
Company had been forced upon Them by change
10 The policy OF both Pennsylvania and Virginia
The first had refused the Company passage
through her territory, both 10 Piltsburg and
Wheeling. The Company was compelled lc
seek roule through Virginia, and South OF the
Pennsylvania line, and her obvious policy wa:
10 reach The river below that line; but here Viz
GINA had inlerposed, and required The Company
II she went into her territory al all, 10 60 arounc
the Southwest angle Of Pennsylvania, and as
cend 10 Wheeling.
He confessed he Lad looked upon This PROPOSE
ton, until recently as absurd, and contemplated
the expense with dismay. For il had beer
Thought by many, and himself among the number
lha, Il involved an enormous expenditure 10 90 uT
The river 10 Wheeling and then down, upon lhe
other side, TO some available point of connection
with the future railroads bsyond. He had turn.
ed from this plan with aversion, as scnseles.
imposition upon The supposed necessities Of The
Company, and endangering all chance olsuccess
in competition with other lines.
He must say, nevertheless, that from iniorma
ton gathered BY committee OF citizens aud di
rectors on recent vsi, To Wheeling, on The sub
jeci, and derived from citizens of Ohio, he is now
satisfied, contrary to his former belief, that Wheel
ing was in fac; an available point, with reference
TO connexion with the railroads beyond The Ohio
river; and that line Of railroads might ant
could be extended from that point, in The genera
direction and vicinity OF The National Road, anc
running southwardly toward Cincinnati In :
manner 10 pass advantageously for freight anc