Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-02-25
The Alexandria Canal.

bi. authorizing the purchase, by the STATE Of two
'hs oi the Stock OF the Alexandra Canal, the spe-
ciaI order ior this day IN the House Of Delegaes Tn
canal taps the Chesapeake and Ohio canal Al GEORGE.
town. aud thence, crossing the Potomac bv mean, Of
magnificent aquetuc terminates the Cay OF Ae1or.
anara' distance Of about six miles. II was built b,
the people OF the latter CRY, to enable them Il, c,r
with GeorgoJoVa aud Washington f,r ,be I'D. - ,
country penetrated by the Chesapeake and ON, canal
OF which 1t Is now the terminus The Arx,r-
tua branch has cost about Sl,2lO,OOO though the ,
tuai amount OF tue capital Stock two.6itns of which the
State IS asked to purchase only $780, OO--the t,
enee having been chiefly contributed by the General 10
yenment. It's construction has left Alexander, ,,i ,
corporate debt OF about S5GO,O0O and she ds...,s In
sell portion of the stock she hold. In hi, work Viii,
the view OF applying tue proceeds To its diminu,.o, ADD
TO the consequent partial relief Of her citizens , 49,
heavy taxation to which they now subject The ,i
prepared for this purpose proposes 10 give 10 the S,
'hc benefit OF the whole cost Of the work = 2yO mn
b' the purchase OF two-i.lns Of the capital stock ~,
sooJoUU-or IN other wo'd., the State by an invest,
meni OF S2'2UOO' will receive twc-fits Of the entire
income rom canal costing nearly double the s,,,o,,
Of the cap cal stoeA-which Is selling the stock 10 III.
state at about halt Its original cost From the hes, col
cuahon That can be made, 1t j. supposed that the ar
"heh WAL be paid into the public treasury by the ei,i
zens OF Alexandra, after d-dueting their fsi, ,,, a.,
gs.
be about equivaen, TO the interest Of the sum which
is asked TO invest IN this canal-so that in fact, AI,
andria, by her annual contributions 10 the t-o,., ..
pay the interest the investment
There are other considerations which seem Z, ,.,,
strongly 10 favor Of the justice Of the application ID,
2 stature When Alexandra, Tor example. wa. ce5.5 t
virginia 10 the General Government II Is be vss ,, b.,
state dt1 u there was any, very inconside,,bl. r
amount. Now on returning 10 the C5mmonwests Afc,.
andfa becomes a. much bound ior and will con'r , n.y.
Poruonaiey TO the payment Of 'he existing debt and ,
annually acefuug interest thereon as any other cd
he Oia Dominion And besides can carceIv be mite,
Alexandra had been part Of Virginia VINE, this later,
can.i was propoed-a measure essential to the
o. Inc interests OF us people, and necessary TO en,b,
nem 10 participate IN The trade Of the Chesapeake and Ohm
Canai-ihat the Legislature would have taken twoG-5 nd
Tue sock Tor the whole work, which would have been o
double the amount now asked for
It's not Irrelevant TO remark also that more han ID
OF the Cumberland coabasin lies within this Sia,ei E
Counties Of Hampshire and Hardy. From ppr,c,,,, ~,
penments and chemical analyses il has been s.c.,,i
mat tue Cumberland coal equal 90 any ip the T,, 81
The amount is ineShausube Iron one is equally ,b,i,
there being alternate layers Of Coal and Iron From m
transportation Of Coal a.onc has been asc,rtaio,d b
careiuI estmaies that an income will be derived sufcs
yea uaend Of ten per cent upon the capital stock
to say nothing Of flour and other articles And ,lo o.
a' year 1'oOO DDS OF 1ur received Aexanira by bi
canal. The fine hafbor Aicxandaa-in which "A 80.
roe with safety, must make Alexandra 90 important mort
% shc can succeed 10 attracting the products of the p,,
Inc application, therefore, appeals strongly r., ,t l
GRAFTON OF the Legislature which should not hesitate II
sgnalzo the rc-anneKauon 9f this ancient t,vr n, M r
Dominion, by authorizing the subscrpigp
l