Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-03-11
SPEECH OF MIR. STEPHENSON,
or H'00D
on THE RIGHT OF WAY q uESTION
OF DELEGATES.
THuRspAs. Jan. Is, 1877,

/ The next objection which he would refer 10
I comes from different quarters but j, con-
+ trolled this question always THIS oblectlon
\ did not come from Wheeling. That civ had
4 appeared before :his House with great ability.
\ because she possessed talents aad devotion 10
/ her interests, aud was fairly represented ieres
I but she has arrayed with ability and skill
another interest which has oysrrued and con
trelled this great question: Tins opposition
! lies here ON central ime---hes 10 a coruer OF
4 the State which has hitherto absorbed lis means;
4 and it was arrayed against us on The ialaeious
4 idea that IL the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
be constructed, il would interfere with their
/ improvement.
/ MIR. S. was no enemy To the James River
| improvement. He had held seat six years
| in this Hall. AT the hands OF confding CON
siituenev, TO whom he shouhl ever feel CRATE
| ful, and he would ask his friend from Rich.
! mend (Mr. Navel TO turn to the Journals and
see where his vote had always been. While
/ a friend in his eye, (Mr. GoopE.) who he be-
1 lieved to be among the best OF his friends, was
always found voting against il, he Mr. s., had
4 been as invariably recorded in its favor. Ije
| had ever gone hand in hand with the friends
! Of the James River Improvement IN good faith
1 lie believed on one occasion, ~ reply 10 his
4 friend from Northampton (Mr YERny) be had
I Sdld ut NbAfd WV Hibs1Nt.fo' W Wv NshH%A
/ fist were necessary. The right Of way found
! a serious opposition especially from the CHI.
+ zens of Richmond, with whom he, MIR. 5. ne
yer had favor he knew not why. lie hoped
/ he would not be set down as hostile 10 them
4 His votes here showed Willingness always
4 10 advance their interests. Yet they exercised
! a great influence over this question. They
/ had helped to destroy the hopes Of those he
4 represented. and had come well nigh building
wall Of adamant between Eastern and Yves
| tern Virginia. II he, Mr.. s.. possessed the
power, he would, 10 make the different sec
lions of Virginia hannonise and act together
| for their political and commercial welfare, lev
ttl the mountains which separated East and
West, aud make Richmond, if possible The
\ FIRST city in the world. He was born far from
her luxuries and her complishments--la
t from her elegant mansions and her towering
Z spires---he was born amidst the tempest and
the storm of the savage wllderness--ere Ncs-
tern Virginia had been fully reclaimed for the
secure habiiaiions OF civilized life. Yet he
+, wished for the prosperity oil Richmond--he
loved every part of the venerated old Com
monweallh. and unless prevented by some un-
forseen accident, his bones should be- buried IA
her soil. He would no, leave her territory to
seek a home III the western world, because he
might disagree with her III some OF her instilu
tons. Whatever the destnies OF Virginia. be
meant TO abide them.
The friends Of the James River improve
ment. continued Mr.. s.. ought not 10 oppose
this measure. Suppose there was rivalry with
their uprovemeni--was that an argument
that ought to be regarded by this House r.
AlIghtnot similar argument be made against
all interpretations You have, said MIR. s.,
incorporated various companies--you have.
among them, Incorporated a silk and a Wool
len manuactory in Wbeeng--suppose other
charters for similar works were asked for
might not those incorporatlons IN Wheeling.
on the same pIuciple come and tell you that
you must not grant them. because they would
come into competition with their operations
And IL charter was asked by the people Of
( Manchester for Flour Mill, on the same
ground might You not be told, you shall not
grant il, because Mr.. CHEvALLiE has one in
/ Richmond These objections would be as
reasonable as tina, raised by the James River
and kanawha Company. They say you d-
minish their proits, This was no argument
IF so, you would pu: down all competition
prohibit every thing like it,. THIS the Leg
| isaturc have no right to do. The constitution
! and laws guarantee TO every portion of the
4 population tie same privileges and immuni
hes. It is lheir prerogatiye He trusted the
friends Of the James River Improvement would
abandon slch an argument.
But he must come back to the starting point.
1 Jos. G. CABELI. Esq, fixed the terminus of
! the Baltimore and Ohio RAN Road--he fixed
the limit North of the Liule Kanawha River.
He did so after having examined the whole
question. lie heard his friend from Hcnrieo
| (Mr. LANcASrER) say few days since, that
/ Mr.. CABELL had more knowledge on the sub
| ject oi improvements, than any man in the
world MIR. S. accorded to him great wisdom
and sagacity, and he gave him as authority--
4 All Knew his devotion TO the James River and
! kanawha improvement. He would never
l.have consented % any improvement which
would have operated to the prejudice OF that
Il had been estimated, continued Mr. S., that
! il would take $1,000, 600 10 complete the ca
nal q the Ono IL had been said that not
more than $4,000 per annun could be en-
ployed 70 advantage on the work and al that
rate ii would take 20 years 10 carry the work
TO the Ohio. SO that if 100000 were appro-
priated per MISUNDERSTANDING up, as that
would, the entire revenue-the work could not
be completed short Of 90 years. II is impossi-
hle-lhe widest visionary does not conicm-
plate carrying the canal there in a shorter lime.
But Is the Legislature going 10 Yield TO the i'm.
proyement the whole Of the resources Of die
Sate2 II docs, il must be done BY doubling
the taxes; and who here, said MIR. s., would
Dc Wiling 10 DO that2 Could il be done In the
present state fleeing with regard 70 taxation2
Sir, II can't be done.-But suppose il can Be-
done: at the end Of 20 years they may giye
US partial outictto markell
The member from Rockhiidge, (Mr. Don
MANI SAID the other day niat il was intended
70 carry the ,eater lo.e to the Ohio. He was
startled al the declarations he had supposed
ihatt idea was abandoned. GOD nor Nature
never INTENDED that a canal should be CARED
across HE mountains. The time was fast com
ing when Ran Reads would superccde canals.
This was rapidly becoming the case in Eng
land and Holland-canal stock had allfn
81 per cent. Canals were behind the spin, uf
the age. But suppose the James River Canal
can be completed, and that the immense barr.
ers IN lis route can be oyercome-and dat m
twenty Years would the friends Of that line
preslude US from an onllet 10 market for tbat
time, even supposing their improvement viii.
when competed, supply our demands, which
\ WI not9 Not even the gentleman from
Amelia (Mr, HARuk) would, he was sure,
hypothesis.