Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-03-16
Substance OF MT. Nevtou,. R.,,,..L
ON THE Pilot mn

49,, =. every session OF the Legislature, had
been made by the City Of Richmond Inv ahe
towns m Virginia. as deeply connected with Inc
ana commercial Interests herself TO repeal the PHO,
lie 'hen proceeded TO state, that upon the az
unequal and oppressive operation of The Pr, -, 80,
dent TO 1851 the Legislature of that wear h,d ,.S 49,
p9sso aoou, one third that the eject OF this re.
aueuoh nae oeen 10 drive from their business many of the
pilots that the number Of boats and men ensa,cJ In ri.
perous enerprze had BEEN by reason of si, rsd,,an
h. ms n.ay 0ne-hs' lie then proceeded show
ha' tue neSessues OF commerce, the danger TO life and
property sptngng from want of . .u M c,s,, r, -.
had di'en me Legislature OF 1886 further legislation on
Tue subject Aud now, the city OF Richmond after re-
peated efforts every of which in former year. hsd
been met and defeated committee had ,ucc,eded !, ;
uouueing oi inc result Of which would be- not to d.
mnlsn smpV tho compensation which they were now
enuued Tor services James River but 10 sween /,
entirely. what equivalent does the bull offer for hi, yiI
IoPea o. pho'aee on the James Riveri None tina,
deserves the NAME In lieu Of the four dollars per foot to
which they are now entitled by law for coodue,ny We.
sci to Richmond ir Hampton Roads the bill under
aerahon proposes TO give them fifty cents Der foot add
| nonal, on the route from Hampton Roads Mr. n
put this question TO the House. whether il was possh, 10
maintain system which the member from Richmond adj
W,u 10 DC necessary under far below that
which our experience between the Acts of 1881 and
1886 had demonstrated TO be iuadequa,ef
IL has been urged by the member from Richmond tbs,
e pcsen IA" Is unequai and partial, in Its operation on
inc commerce OF Norfolk and James Riyer-oppre..ye on
the as and virtually evyIng one for the bene-
III OF inc o'her' Mr. N then proceeded examine this
point. lie appealed act and showed thai xbe "a
gsered Nesses bound TO Norfolk aud James River were
compelled TO pay the rates on that par. of the c,.
common To both, VIZ: from to Hampton Road.-thc
equality OF burden ceased this point; discmina
was here made and Mr. N. challenged contradiction when
he asserted that this was in favor of tho
James River commerce and hostile that OF his consttu
ents. lie read from the law OF 1886, OF which com.
plant was made by the member from Richmond aud show
ca ha' from Hampton Roads TO Norfolk distance of about
IO miles, vessels compelled pay IS cents per fool
while those bound 10 Richmond distance of lao m,s
'htough Navigation tedious and intricate compelled
to pay only four dollars per foot Now Mr. ~ would a.k
toheTe the inequality aud oppression herei Here is no
room ot speeuiauos-he difference between the member
tom Richmond and myself may be decided by appeal
10 aTiihmeucal calculation. and the result must be accom-
panied by the certainty which such tests ALWAYS ptodpe
II my constituents pay IS cents for 10 miles, how much
should the constituents OF my friend from Richmond nav
We paying. under the which he den1un as on
preSsVe three tunes much for every mile Of distance as
the City OF Richmond Mr.. n. then passed 10 the ,.am
nation OF another subject which had agtated before
the committee Ii had been commended there that the
dimnunon OF the registered Commerce of James River
was 10 be attributed 10 the enormous pilot Changes
II so, then Mr.. N contended that similar causes snonld
operate like results other States. The piot cba,ycs IN
New FORK, Philadelphia and Baltimore were as great as in
Virginia and yet commerce those cities had b,cp
constantly increasing. In New Orleans they were even
larger. Will my Tread from Richmond assert h,t her con,
meGee mas Iangulshed Charleston, with a OF Pilot
ees about equal TO those OF Virginia has not ii true in
creased her shipping interest And here Mr. ~ proceed
ed 10 disclose what he conceived the true c,use NJ
the deeenson OF registered and tonnage in the por,,
OF the South generally Time, he stated, had become in
late years, element Of much importance in met-
camille transactions than formerly. Steam and the cleo
ulc Telegraph nave be- the agents by which
has been wraughi The detention ana delay which ship
ping especially OF larger class exposed in the nayi-
CATION VI James Rve would OF itself, suggest a reason
why Its commetce had pace with the progr,ssv
movements OF the day Iwoud also suggest reason for
the substitution OF its Direct by the eoasug trade-fo Mr.
n believed that II had been found less expensive To shin
IN coasng vessels her tobacco flour and cotton TO New
YORK and elsewhere for reshpment than export IT direct
" ships OF large class But besides these cause. 4,
OF which would operate produce dimnuton of her d
rect commerce. there perhaps res
Tor The found IN
VIII en- this detention and delay brings with IT, Mr. N
would not go into deIad OF these expenses He would
only remark, IN this connection that his friend from, New
Kent, IN his argument on the Richmond and Pamunkey
road, had anticipated him. when ne stated as TO the ex
Pense that S2OOO was about the average OF ship =
and, Is TO deienton that he had been told a shin bound
10 Europe, had passed another ascending James River
tho former proceeded her voyage reached her
destination, discharged her cargo, rc-oaded and re-
turned TO the Roads where she the last quiet
~ riding al her anchor. Nv friend from Richmond will
md IN some Of the which have rapidly presented 10
me house the true reason Tor the dminuon of the regis
teed and the enlargement Of the coasng commerce of the
James rver HIS acknowledged intelligence and sagacitv
at fault when he traced II 10 so INADEQUATE cause m
the pilot charges Mr.. n. stated that New York was too
near us-we felt her influence strongly in the direction
which ourproduce taking her port Herpacket lines
running all Southern ciues and pene,r.np all on
ryers where produce to be found were but parts of
that system by which she had m0nopoIlsed our expot
and import trade. My friend from Richmond has heard
perhaps lie may have figured of the Commercial
Conventions which, IN the years. assembled
IN different places Of the Southern States. These Conyen
TONS Mr. n stated had been drawn together for the very
object which the gentleman has view VIZ: the restora
lion OF the foreign commercs OF the South he everhear
ms any MEMBER OF TINS House ever heard hst they traced
our decay TO such my friend has assigned for the
decenion Of the James yer trader That thew eSporod
the cause and suggested the remedy have doubt-bu
Mr.. " yet 10 be informed that this was the one Then
the time TO suggest his Panacea-he had large Geld
Tor his experimenting might have the thanks and en-
yed The honors, TO which simple aud ecacious reme
dy as reduction OF poiage would have entitled him
think know him betIorLe enjoys and that deseryedly
700 high reputation for intelligence have placed il upon
the hazard Of such eXpedenL
But, said Mr.. ~, to another subject: Why has
Noelk Increased, end IS increasing In her commerce re-
gsteed and cOastng1 IL be found IN her possession
oi those natural advantages, which have been denied to
City Point and Rchmond-her coniguity 10 the OCEAN
her depth OF water, and the capacity Of her hafbor-and
by consequence, her freedom from those deentons and
expenses which have fatally operated on the commerce
Of The James BY statement in one Of my PAPERS
ind that her image Tor the year 1876 had increased 10
100000 tons-a large addition tonnage OF Is45
This Tonnage Mr. ". SAID irrespective of that which
was not compelled 10 enter al the Cusomhouse He had
doubt, from the great activity prevailing in the corn bu-
sness, and the large number chips engaged direct
transportation that its tonnage for l5i7 would not fall short
OF $4,000 tonsmOro he believed than all the rest Of IN.
State Norfolk, then, Mr.. SAID had from lis larger trade
right to Jmpain Of the pilot system than Richmond
paying, a. II does three times much ns Richmond
the distance considered And yet his constituents had ne
c1mplaned-if they had, he had not been made the
organ Of their complaint The oJrts Of Richmond TO re-
her destiny, aud force herself into commercial npo,
winch legislation may impose tor the safety of lie and
property on the doep,-you may go further and e-
gsaie for her, and against Norfolk will be the effect of
TINS bill, II passed; nut effort OF legislation straight
en- her snuous Tyer deepen s waters and remove its
shoals; can annia'e the time lessen the expense with
which It's navigation accompanied. II Virginia wishes
10 compete with her enterprsinR neiRhbOrs II she
wishes TO destroy the commercial yassaage which saps
her energies, let her her eyes Norfolk and sha DC
her legislation 90 as TO deveope the great adysnta
ges which that part Of her territory possesses. As {, Rich.
mond, Mr. ~ proceeded to say, she mistakes her True
policy and gives wrong direction to her enterprise when
she pu'sues such phantom as the creation Of a CONNER
cal name. No, SIR 10 the ti.t-hammer md the spin
de must she owe her future excellence And prodignl
indeed has nature been IN the abundance Of all those
elements which arc necessary her prosperitv With
water power iiimiabe-ailroads and canals radiaung
rom her centre she has bo satisfied with the
dpensetons Of nature, and the munhcencs Of the State
Mr. N. then concluded by moving the indefinite p,s,.
ponem Of the bill. This lost lie then offered an
amendment having Tor he object material reduction Of the
pilot ioes on the river, which was also lost The Bill wa,
then ordered TO be ongrossed.
EYu rrru