Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-05-11

jOuInincnl, adopted IeSolutiuil uPo', W. 'oJ~s
copy whereof (No. 81 is hereWi'h comm UNI
Gated. !. c2!y remains for me 70 nope 'nal ~
motives Tor taking step which, IN lis conse
ouenccs. NAV proye embarrassing 10 your dellbe
ralions in connection with the dif1cullies OF IN
emergency in which was compelled 10 act, ma
be properly appreciated by The stockholders.
Before proceeding further, il i due 10 myseI
and TO The company 10 viLdicae The clause N M
letter 10 Maj Crulchiirld, above communicated
in which stpulaie that tic professional fesPoh
sibiliiy Of the work shall rest entirely upon 'h
engineer who may be placed al Inc mead oi IT,
The separation OF the Offices oil Pfesiaent an(
Chief Engineer, il acqniesced III ny you, render
condition OF this kind particularly necessary
Tor the reason that without II, IN consequence
the duty imposed BY your bylaws upon inc re
sident, 10 exercise careful supervision oscI dl
The company's works, should be made 10 slan'
between the comnany and The Chief Engineer
and be necessarily responsible for his acts though
having but single vote in his appointment.
am far from seeking 10 shun any responsibility
properly apperrainin. 10 the office oil Preslden'; ou
| considering lhatihe fact of my holding that Office
! cannot divesi me of my profession OF engineer
and that my reputation as such, which CONSTITUTES
my wealth, would thus be made 10 depenu uPoi
the skill conduct and success ol announcer person
whose selection could moi cohtfol II VIII 'eauIi>
be perceived thai without The slipuiaiioh Just re
| lerred 10, should be placed IN position winch
| in fairness, no one could expect me 10 occupy.
On the day following the date OF my letter &c
Mai. Cruch6eld, asreeaby TO the promise con
laned therein, nv formal resignation as Chief
Engineer was rendered 10 the Board OF Directors
b. whom il WAS accepted The Board, more
over, agreeing with me in the opinion that The
plan 10 be adopted Tor the organization oil an en-
gineer corps, as well as the appointment oil mem
bers thereof ought 10 be upon The recommenoa,
lion Of The Chief Engineer who should be placed
al The head Of The work and be held profession
ally responsible for the character of lis execution,
Immediately reconsidered and rcscinded me inea-
sures iur The organization OF an engineer corps
already adopted, and the appointments oi mem
mers thereof already made on my recommehda-
ton as Chief Engineer; thus leaving The compa'
nv in the state in which il was prior 10 your &C
ton OF 9TH March.
The question then presented ilself Whether Inc
Board OF Directors should proceed 10 I'LL lhr va
cancy occasioned BY my resignation. upon
literal construction OF your resolution susprhulng
the bylaws relative 10 the appointment OF chiel
engineer Sc long as should hold tina! office, II
seemed that the act by which il had become va
cant. devolved upon the Board the TASK oil hins
il BY new appointment. Bui as Il couiu MOI
have been within The contemplation OF the stocK-
holders. thatlheir action would be nuihed imne-
dialely after heir adjournment, !, as member OF
the Board, was unwilling TO exercise Inc appoint
ing power thus acquired BY your own act Be-
sides, in the absence of all reliable Information,
il yeas necessary 10 presume that the considera-
lions. wha,e er they were which only three days
before had orcasioned The suspension OF such by
law, still continued 10 exist. Under these cir
cumslances The Board requested consultation
with Two OF the proxies Of The State, who were
sill in Richmond which resulted in The conclu-
sion, that il was proper and espedlenI 10 call
meeting Of the stockholders, and Iefer 10 il The ap-
noin,nl, nj OF chief engineer. This conclusion
vas moi arrived al without adverting TO The fact,
that By pursuing such a course, The rrcommence-
ment of The work would be delayed SO long, that
without fortunate concurrence OF circumstances
not 10 be relied on, il IS doubtful whether the por
ton OF the line between Lynchburg, and the
mouth of North river, can be completed BY the
close Of the year lS48, as was expected. Never
theless, the importance Of commencing advised
", and with the full understanding OF The stock
holders, was deemed paramount over every con-
sidrraton.
No one can be more alive than am 10 the inn
porlance, nay the necessity oil harmony among
The coparners in great undertaking, in order TO
ensure success but even this may be purchased
al loo great price. In the present instance, an
attempt was made 10 promote II by departure
ilom important measures adopted after The matn-
rest reflection with view 10 economy, and
which, after my acquiescence, hope may De
excused Tor saying must still commend them-
selves 10 the enlightened Judgment OF all who
will imparlially examine the subject, as The best
that under The circumstances, could have been
devised Il remains to be seen whether The leg
slalive forbearance thus secured has not been
purchased al sacrifice OF important interests on
the part OF the company. Al all events lie COM
pany has BY this means been reduced 10 lie alter
native, either on the one hand by pursuing the
system Of false economy virtually dictated BY
body assuming 10 represent single but powerful
corporate stakeholder, 10 run the risk Of having
the IMPROVEMENT constructed in an inferior and
unskiful manner; or, on The other, BY placing
the works undera degree Of known and undoub-
ed professional skill commensurate with their
difficulty and magnitude, a, Cost which alone
can secure il, again 10 bring the company under
The banof the Legislature on The charge OF waste
ful extravaganza.
AS far as my voice will avail, il is given
without hesitation for the latter course, as the
one dictated by trne economy. II is mol here me-
cessary TOR me either 10 admit or controvert The
opinion which has been advanced, that in Virgil
MIA engineers have in some instances received
salaries greatly disproporliona,e 10 their merits.
Whatever may have been the tact, certainly
am moi in favor OF adopting so unwise practice.
But the position | mean 10 assume is, that the
central improvement OF Virginia being, in point
OF importance, magnitude aud difficulty OF exc.
cu,ion, equal al least 10 any other OF The great RI
val lines of communication between the Western
States and The Atlantic, il is essential that il
should be placed in charge OF an engineer, who,
for skill and judgment in design, and for energy
and experience in execution, may rank with the
first in the country; and this too al whatever cost
within the bounds OF reason may be necessary 10
secure his services. am aware that The men,
beers of The profession who would claim this rank
and demand high salaries are probably some
what abundant; but happily we have for our guide
a criterion which did not formerly exist when
mere pre,ension might deceive, and diSpropor-
tonate salaries were, in consequence, liable 10
be given. Numerous works Of internal improve
ment OF great magnitude and importance have
since been constructed and gone into operation in
this country; and their character and success in
dicale very correctly The professional merit OF
those by whom they were respectively planned
and executed Therefore, as 10 engineers, "by
their ,corks We may know Them"
In regard 10 The selection OF particular engi-
neer 10 be placed al the head OF the work, or 10
the amount o; The salary proper 10 be paid 10 him,
il is not nv purpose 10 make any recommended
icn; but having observed erroneous opinions pre-
vaiing TO some extent on the latter point, have
made it, together with The plan OF organizing an
efficient engineer corps, the subject Of recen,
correspondence with Col. J. J. Albert, ehei OF
the is. typographical engineers, Capt. William
n. Swift oilhs same corps, Gen. William Gibbs
M'Neill, civil engineer, John B. Jervis, ESQ.,
civil ensinee: and Nathan Hale, Esq, Presl'
OF the Boston and Worcester Railroad Compa-
ny-gentlem,n whose high character and long
experience in The conduct OF works OF internal
improvement entille their opinions TO great weight
and influence. A copy OF my circular letter TO
those gentlemen, and their respective answers,
number 4, 5, &, :, and 9, are herewith submit
led without comment.
Oflhc three bills which, in my communion
lion OF The nth March were referred TO as pend
ing in the House os Delegates The first making
provision for the tide water connection, and The
second freeing The Richmond dock from the con-
troll of harbour master not aprcinted by or re-
.ponsible to The company, have subsequently be-
come laws, and al. herewith communicated,
number 10 and IL. The remaining bill, here
with communicated No. l2) which was framed