Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-02-05
foR the WING.
Internal Improvement.

Importance and utility OF railroads. touches upon subject
aught with the deepest interest every lover of our Old
Dominion. That che has reeeded in importance been re-
aTded IN prosperity, aud gradually decaynp in wenIh
and tenown' few are found 20 doubt; and all admit
that her motion has not been reirugrade has Mt least
been very slowly progressive. Occupying once biph
stand IN our conodcTacy both in wealth and renown We
now sec her hobbng along in lame gait hardly sustain
ing herself, while her younger sisters are marching on in
proud triumph, and rapidly attaining an en,iabe position
Here we see no Improvement OF any magnitude TO attue
the attention OF those abroad, and lead hone for be
Ter thngs IN iutnre no animation activity, enterprise and
zeal spread abroad through State be,okeninp f,rc
PROMISES hut settled lethargy and content with Things "a
they are, to peTyade whole people We DO NOT
pretend 10 mPutc the slightest or blame to our L.
gislaors who have had well being in their hands m "a
approach in the remoesi degree their in
refusing TO aid in works OF internal Improvement We he
eve they have acted from convictions when
they Invested grants OF Incorporation OF all inerest Ia,
the State, though think they were blinded by thai o.
bane o! our Snte-sect onal pejudice-and in this we
think We discern one Of the Virginia has re-
manned 50 long inactive and lies il waiting for some
miracle TO throw her the ladder while the States A.
round by putting forth their energies ami exeTtons are
ciambetng up themselves Nature has done ell that man
could desire her 10 do for She has furnished us with
awacr-powcr unCqualcd in the world capable of pro
peng all the factories Lowell and Patterson" with an
outlet 10 the and our whole country with
mines OF ineNhausbie ores, requiring OF only eahume
them and enrich ourselves. Why should this stat. Of things
exist aud why should Virginia remain torpid and inactive
when she has the elements OF making herself rich
and bold, are questions which often present themselves TO
mnd and propose this paper TO consider one of
the means OF attaining this object viz: Railroads, We
have remarked that Virginia occupied high stand in
coniederacy. In 1869 Imports Of Virgnia were
in round numbers S4 100000, and New York S9O7 600
The exports IA the proportion which she the
commerce OF Virginia neay five great as that OF
New York.
| Ia 1891, the imports OF Virginia
In 1891, the imports of New York
were 100000, export. 100000
were 100000,
were I,u7sOOo
we've $4,000,
In 1882, the imports o. New York
were s7OOoooo
So Virginia fell from $4,000 900 IN 1862 to S55OOOO
~ lo52, while New York increased the period
S9O1OOO to S57OO0OOO. Import trade OF New York
increased from l'69 TO 1882, 40 times. and Virginia de.
eiined IL times. In 1888 and 1870 their exports and i'm
ports were un round numbers) follows
lsss-v y VA, exported sioooooo imported 100000
Isio-vnsntl 5Oooooo. $4,000
New York 3ioOoOoJ. so 500 900
Thus see, that while her powerful riyal has rapidly
advanced, we have almost rapidly declined We know
too that New ork POSSESSES advantages that we do no,
ENJOY but no say, think, If we had push
ed on aud put orh our ihe'c would great
difference. In looking back the present position OF Viz
gina reminds US Of the position occupied by Massa-
chusetts Deprived Of the channels and avenues Of
commerce, that her powerful neighbour ana rya n York
possessed she became despondent and the spirit OF
iorpo that now peryades Virginia began spread over her
Her sons left her to build up rival States and cites and
her iaifos daughters courled away To grace more
prosperous lands" She had already begun her works of
Improvement and had pushed her turnpike roads in oil d.
recnons, and had " surmOunied the summit between the
Meffmac and Boston by the Middesex cana but the ee-
mus OF Fulton had given impulse trade, and New
York had AIMED herself with stolm aud boldly cent her
steamboats, within 40 miles of Boston brrg her ifs
trade ssacbusetis dixie Virginia. seemed TO stand At
the ancestral tOmb-her gOries were IN the pasr Bot
new era was at hand, and upon the application Of the loco
motive 10 the rail- she boldly stepped forth aud commenced
aircsh her works OF internal improvement until finally she
IN turn began 10 aud exhaust the trade of Now York
How now stands the picture Her forests have been
moulded into ship; her streams have been arrested
PERCEPTIONS fall % the and compelled TO toll and spin
and weave. The lodges which deaccd her surface have
been lifted from their beds mparting to her fields the fer
uly originally denied by nature" We do not pretend 10
impue the present POSITION OF Massachusetts, entirely 10
her network Of railroads but the impetus given 10 trade
and tho attraction presented by them IT, to come TO her
has greatly accelerated her progress and first put in motion
her strides to prosperity. Before the introduction Of
railroads, how could her manufacturer and aznns Of the
Interior pay GEMS per mile for by coach or cts
per ton. when steamboats, and cannls reduced II from
50 10 80 PER a.. TO New York" and the consequence
was, her products found outlet there. But when the
railroad went into operation, those products could be
ycycd cheap and for four year could only
find On outlet by IT, What tho resul,l Look at Dos
ton &c." In 1862 the population Of Boston was 1880
Il increased from 1890 to 1900, 36ll per cent,
1900 10 1910, 354s "
1910 10 1890, - IL q"
1870 10 1890 ~ ~ "
1880 o. ls4O 81 10 In 1890
the population Of Boston iefs than 2Dh of the whole
State, aud in 1910 than Sih" ~ 1870 the impo
duties pad on good. by tho Cunad steamers, $3.50
Ftsy'ge' ~ yi VIC tRn voyages oi the year less Than
5@5UOi and IN 1872 S5lOOD per voyage, for the 20
voyages Of that yosr 81 100000" We have Instituted
these comparisons for the purpose Of showing what oil
must admit, hat BY invigOfnnR and onvcning ho indus
RAJ pursuits Of pcopie-aiordng them easy, cheap.
and speedy access market and the means Of
back the produce Of other places and cmcs Tor their
and putpoc' you niuse spirit Of cncfgy, enlerprze snd
industry, NJ valance with tho soihuI progress Of Virginia.
and totally indspcnribo 10 prosperous people
VIRGINIA.
FRou Hpkzf Tho shio coufter ias sf,ived NJ N y,,L
from Rio Janoro whence sho s1icd the Goth 81 Dec.
She reports that tho "Ciorna Expedition" lef Rio for
be- desuraon the 20 o November what shorn u
its numerical force by deserion. The dosorou were
seeking employment shore and board the various
ships IN port
The third seaman of the Columbia had been released
by the Brazilian Governments the other and Lieut..
Davis we're set At liberty some time before, the former
accounts advised us.
TIE u. brig Bainbridgo, Commander Pennington nr.
rived from Montevideo tho 18Th NJ Deeembsf The
j -..-.a. C-I...L-.