Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-16

IN sENAre rRInAY MARcn S. lsa7.

rise (said Mr.. GarrelD TO lend my humble
support to the amendment to this bill proposed BY
nv friend from Sou,hamplon-a measure which
| regard as of the u;mos; importance 10 the State
at large, and TO Eastern Virginia in particular
aud bu, for lis peculiar bearing upon The inter
ess Of that portion oil The STATE, which ] have
the honor in part 10 represent, should not, SAID
MIR. G., now tespass on The time Of the Senate
VIVA, is The amendment? Ii proposes Three
Fork, in the county Of Taylor, as point &c
which the proposed road shall 20. with the unIe-
s,ricted Right OF WAY from lha, point 10 The Ono
River; aud for this liberal provision il requires
the Baltimore Company TO pay quarterly into the
Treasury OF the State bonus or tax OF 20 cents
for each passenger travelling upon The conem-
plated road through The territory OF Virginia.
This amendment, said Mr.. G, is founded in
sound policy, in whatever aspect you regard H.
support il, irst, because the bill, as !, came from
the other House, unless liberalised BY The aclion
of this body, can never receive Inc sancuon OF
The Baltimore Company, and will therefore De Of
no practical avail.
do not speak unadvisedly when say that The
provisions oi this act as il comes from the House
OF Delegates, will not be accepted by the COM
pany: Firstly, the present act is said, by those
we'll understanding the subject, 10 be Tar worse
than that of the last General Assembly, which
was unanimously repudia,ed By The Stockholders
10 general meeting assembled; and is more e1cep
lionable, a good DEAL than Mr. Sheffey's PROPOSE
ton, which we all know was promptly and IN
contirionally declined at The meeting oi Inc
Stockholders in February last and must oil course
share a similar fae.
Secondly. refer 10 the course Of Delegates and
Senators from he section Immediately interest
ed 10 this bill, Tor The ruth Of my position. The
two able and vgllsnt Senator's from that portion
OF The Northwest, South OF the panhandle coun'
lies. (Messrs Wiley and Stringer, who, II is 10
be presumed, have studied and found out The IN
teres,s oil their constituents in This matter, assure
us that The bill, as il now stands III Tins oody,
will no, be acceptable 10 The Baltimore ComPa-
nv: and, so believing desire It's amendment; ana
the delegates fiom the counties OF Preston, Ma
rion and Taylor, who, al The commencement Of
the session, hoped ,ha, the Wheeling terminus
would be accepted, have now abandoned that
hone and desire this bill materially amended. 50
as to secure the acceptance oil The company
Those. then. who should and who doubtless 90,
know most on this subject, assure US that the bill
as il stands, canno, and will not be acceped.
Thirdly-I have in my possession letter adj
dressed 10 Mr.. Hunter, delegate from The coun-
" of Jefferson by gentlemen Of the highest stand
ing in the State If Maryland, and knowing posi-.
lively and intimately lbe views OF The Stockhold-
els Of the Company who declare the terms OF The
presen, bill entirely inadmissee.
And fourthly, lei Senators look 10 the provi-
sons Of this bill and see if,hey cannot find there
in enough OF Objectionable matter 10 justly The
company in rejecting them. The object OF the
COMPANY is 10 reach the Ohio al some point thai
will allow a connection with the OHIO works on
the other side OF the liver with which object The
pre.en, bill is utterly nconsistent-requllins, as
i does that the company's road shall 60 TO a
point in the neighboIhood Of Fish Creek, and,
instead of striking The Ohio al orrear this point,
90 thence due North forty miles, 10 Wheeling,
through country almost impossible, and reqnlr-
ing the tunneing Of seven mountains. Nor IS
this all. Once al Wheeling as the terminus, the
road must go. according 10 this bill some fihy or
sixty miles down the river, on The ONO side, De-
tore il can approach even the desired line u con-
nexion with The Ohio improvements that II
requires the company 10 construct al least one
hundred miles more Of road than s required for
The object il has in view-suhlecting II 10 seve.
raj millions of unnecessary expenditure. And,
besides. the provision relating to transportation,
contained in The second section OF the bill, which,
in effect, compes The company 10 carry passen-
gers and freight free Of charge on that porion OF
The road extending from the neiehooThoed 0!
Fish Greek TO Wheeling. it seems 10 me, IS So ul-
terly unjust and onerous as 10 make II matter
Of obvious interest and OF duty, in The company,
10 reject il.
tnink have shown, said Mr.. e., that If y"u
pass the bill in its presen. shape Kill net be az
ren,ed nv those from whom alone this great iii
proyement is expected. And il this lie 50, what
is the RESULT Why, that the law, when passed,
will be dead letter. justice will yet longer be de-
MED the Northwest and Virginia lose The vast
advantages OF one OF the most magnificent I'M
provemens ever devised BY man, and one which
while II will dispense immense benefits 10 her peo-
pie. will cost them no, dollar-not cent.
.>:1 no fIrgf n
which induces me 10 favor the amendment OF the
Senator from Southampton. | wish 10 iber-
alise the charter OF the Baltimore Company; t.
present such inducements as 10 secure 10 TINS
Commonwealth great, important, and, 10 II,
coslless improvement IL pass, In other words,
such a law in regard 10 this matter as will be ac-
ceded 10 By the company and put them al once
ON the execution OF this grand and glorious en-
terprise Require them 10 make Three Fork 4
point-whch satisfies much The largest portion
of the Nor,hwest-f!om that point lei the Com.
pauy select TIC best roats il can find TO The Ohio
give them, indeed, what il is our obvious inter-
est 10 grant, liberal charter as 10 The T01te OF The
ad-res,Iicting them 10 no arbitrary terminus
and we may Then hope the acceptance OF the
company and realise Inc improvement
Another inducement with me 10 sustain this
amendment, {said Mr. G y is The bonus feature
il contains. | regard this provision as OF Ihc
highest consequence in many respects, but paril
euIarly in is bearing upon the interests OF East
ern Virginia, and upon the revenues OF the Stale
II is proposed 10 impose upon the company, as
q return TOR the privilege Vi The right oil way
through our territory, tax oi25 cents per passen-
ger, 10 be paid by quarterly instruments into lhe
treasury. That this provision will bring con-
siderable amount into the treasury, can be de-
monslraled from unquesuonable data. There
are now transported on the company's WORKS and
ON The national road about 10000 passengers
DER annnm. Admitting that when the road shall
De extended TO The Ohio, this number will travel on
il. and YOU have the handsome amount OF SI5 OOC
"a sum sufficient TO delray the expenses Of your
Legislature, and, 10 that extent lessenlng the tax
rs Of The people.
But much larger number will pass upon The
road when completed TO the Ohio. One invaria
bic effect uf good lines Of transportation, partcu
larly OF railroads, which combine the elements OF
both speed and cheapness, is greatly to multiply
travel Il would be difficult 10 estimate The IN
creased travelling wi.lch has resulted from the
introduction OF railroads and steamboats, lopu'
i, down as quadrupled, would be lar shor: OF the
reality. Now, applying this ratio OF increase 10
the Baltimore and ONO Railroad when completed
TO the Ohio river and you have Tor The nnmter o.
passengers transported upon il one million tw'
hundred thousand, which, at % cents each as
proposed by hi, amendment would give Iege.
nue. OF 100000
Is This estimate at all extravaganl or over
strained, said Mr.. ca Look al the char.
ac,er of the connection which will be formed
by the completion Of the work 10 the Ohio
linking together the Atlantic sea-board and
the great Mississippi valley, and bringing these
disian, sections within sixty hours reach o
each other. And look al the vast population o
the Ohio and Mississippi vallies. Already il
numbers nine millions, and in 20 years, il is cs,i
mated by Mr.. Calhoun will reach ttcsnty,fre mil
hons; while the trade OF tina, vast producing re-
sion already reaches tonnage of i60 thousand
Now conceive, said MIR Gu this population anc
trade carried, in the onward course OF things, e
the highest point OF development which they viii
bear, and which they are destined ultimately ic
reach, and who can undertake 10 estimate The
amount OF travel which will pass upon the Bali
more and Ohio Railroad, or any great thorough
fare connecting he East and the West2
When place the number, then, al million