Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-05

ever rcciet, as great pubic CALAMITY, ma. .o.s
gentleman and the private stockholders ui 'nis
comnany should have changed their views, ard
against IN. opinion OF the Board OF fuS'ie
Works should have turned their road u u''isi.
en-, direction under the authority OF an act "oi'i
II IS ,sively certain would never nave oee"
passed, had The Construction that was pu' WV"
Il been anticipated
At your last session an act was passeu
proviJing for the extension Of this road on
The route originally designed, ana au.hor'
izing subscription on the part OF Tue ota'e
But the wish OF the State, as inoica'eu
by said act. and the vote OF the STATE
proxy representing majority of The Stock and
ed by a portion of the private slocR, IN conse
ouence OF the scale of voting now aooP.eu ny
Jaw was oyerruled by a majority oil The Stock
m said company, and the act rejected; thus uh-
der The Influence of private interests, deiealins
= long cherished and most important pubic Po'
i,cy Are you prepared, gentlemen. TO permit
I'M. important measure 10 be defeated! Areyou
Willing TO abandon, 10 foster and enrica an adj
loinlng State one fourtho our OWN Or viii
you mol persevere with this improvement, until
II shall reach the shores Of The ONO, aud make
noble unity of our beloved commonwealth
The Louisa railroad will when completed ~
the direction it has taken, TO The extent OF rs
present means, destroy two improvements as ~
vidend- na,i ing subjects which now han'sotheiy
contribute to the treasury; and il extended west
wardy, as is con,empla ell by It's managers, WI!
invade the chartered rights oi The James R'er
and Kanawha Company, ana rehder i'opelessS
unproduc,ive our immense Interests IN that CON-
pany, amounting 10 Sc, GO3,229 ~, and that 100
without securing any local advantages Whicn
would not have been realized to equal extent
1 -. al al.
80 j. ---L...-, o,Iau. cuuEut, fvt the caton-
sion OF their road 10 this city, substantially pa
ra'el TO the one now in operation, aud which IS
| pay ing 4 dividend Of per cent. to The State |,
~ manifest, that If tins scheme IS carried out, II
must aztec, injurousiy the income OF the Rich
mond and Potomac rail road company, in which
| the State is inic ested as a Stakeholder to the
amount Of S215 200 consequence which The
State ought not 10 encourage. Are private IN
tercsts IN our public works not entitled 10
| pruitctuh2 Aie our owa, immense As they are,
uot wol:G pieselYdlion2 Every citizen is deeply
.erosei in these Questions, and in giving sue.
| cess 10 tae works 10 which We engage. Success
| wili efe 'tuaiy prevent an increase OF PUBIC
burdens, aud success will give 10 the system o.
'uteraal aprovemeu,s an argument in favor OF
is extension, which 90 probable combination oil
| c,rcum ,ances can resist.
4
ma I, W., II would not have provoked single
! 'nmity, nor inlereiei with dn important public
| ,ntrIes /, would have quietly wendell us wav,
/ every sep OF lis progress marked by benefits;
| and wneu II should have accomplished lis nigh
destiny N ;hc completion o. This noble enterprise,
us rarcus aut managers might justly have
| Claimed 10 D. REGARDED as public bsneaclofs
! Nor IS there auY inlns N DE topography OF this
! ,oa'e 10 lu>nIy ii, abandonment Although cr
| iicised inT tn. expression u TINS opinion III NV
| former messages | repeal il with increased con-
| tiieucr fhe Baltimore aad Ohio railroad Is
| prosecuting its surveys thrunga country equal
| ly rugged, ami has already ascertainei that
| grade can be %; aimed, where exceeding
>eveny-nine ani d half feet 10 the mile; and 5
| gifted engineer Mr.. Lauobe, bv the following eX
racl from a letter recently written by him, pre-
| iers, under he circumstances and will probably
adopt, crate OF one hundred and sixteen feet II
| The mile you are aware" he says, THAT he
| subject OF grades is mooed one, and some en-.
| sineers are holder in their views Than Tiers. The
highest grade heretofore used upon any leading
line Of road is abou "a ieel per mile. But this
il certainty much within the capacity OF the loco
motive as now improved and in crossing The AL
leshany ives, oil Cumberland, | think il more than
probable that grade OF upwards OF 100 feet
say ll6 feet-may be .opled The inc will be
so mucn shortened and cheapened BY il, that |
teei sure IL will more than pay Tor any additional
expense and riss vi working such grade. Above
Cumberland on one OF the coal railroads, We
have a grade OF l35 feet per mile safely worked
with The heaviest trains, by engines o, % tons. |
tank the locomotive viii be si further improved
Tor operating on nigh grades, 50 that | entertain
no doubt whatever Of the entire feasibility Of The
grade above mentioned (ll6 feel,) on line oil
general business" | have therefore again, with
nj SllI Inip Ia nd IN
your favorable attention.
In a former message, pointed ou'. with all the
power Of which was capable, the destructive et-
iec,s OF rail road competition | stated the wide
ruin which had been wrought ny it in England
and ths ictDedy mat had been adop ed t. arrest H.
called attention 70 our oSn experience, partcu
iary that which was furnished by The struggle
between he lale Portsmouth and Roanoke Ra il
Road and The Petersburg and Roanoke Ra Road
which resulted in The destruction OF the former
while the later barely escaped similar fate but
which bein. now relieved iroU the struggle, is
emiarntlv prospectus. Competition tor the
mighty trade 81 Inc West 10 fully Jus, liable, and
is high and solemn duty IN which we cannot
fail Of Success. But competition among ourselves
for he Inn; ed supplies Q! anr own exhausted
feds, ~ IL construction OF rival works, caLno
be vndcaied b. practical wisdom, and will, |
trust, her .eiorh receive no favor from The Gene
raj Assembly.
have dwelt longer upon this subject than
would have done, but for my conviction that the
lale OF interna! improvements in Virginia is in
vowed in il. Capitalists will not risk their mo-
nry amid the war OF rival routes, and The people
viii noi bar hdTdeus, continually increasing,
withou. some prospect ia the distance Of prospect
~ and reliei
NV views in relation 10 The character OF the
improvement, and The point al which il should
ar,.y a
see tine nave been he,ciuiut" - fully expressed
hat il may be considered presumptuous 10 urge
them again upon your attention, especially as
ditieIrnt improvement. was ADOPTED and IL now
in progress oi construction Bat am 50 fully sa-
,ished that turnpike can answer no important
public end tina, hope 10 b. excused for recon-
tnendng that the iur,her prosecution OF this wo.k
South Vi Sa.cm he abdnduncd, and he money az.
prcptaed Tor il be applied III aid OF The Lynch
burg and Tennessee Railroad, in which hope to
see The S ale become leading partner. b this
means the trae paicy o. he STATE, according 10
The views have heretofore expressed and sill
entertain can be substantially accomplished and
the great advantages | nave formerly depicted
and so anxiously covet for our State, BE- secured
| understand that railroad from the AiWassee
ID Knoxville in Tennessee, mas been recently pui
under contract, ami oui cnlerprsing sister will BE-
on our borders ready 10 cteet Us before we can be
prepared, with or niniu,. diligence, % give her
an appropriate welcome. IL is wonderful. that in
his enlightened day, with stores Of experience
around US, We should have attempted 10 deveopc
an important section u our Stale and connect dis
tant and inland points with turnpike Idouot
if there is IN The world 4 similar work under
construction for similar purposes.
The members 81 the Bpari ii Public Works,
with the exception Of IN governor, being aunu-
ally eecied aad booking xcusveIy to their Of
fees for employment aud Support give as strong
assurance of ieity 10 ther trusts as can b. ex-
pecled from auy human agent. Entirely discern
nected with all private patsuils-brough, into
daily cou,dc1 win Inc people in the performance
OF lheir public tulies. aud with ample oppouunl.
~ TO acquire thorough knowledge Of The pablo
Improvements, II is difficult 10 conceive an asen,
more likely 10 perform his duty in pure ana
elevated spirit, or one in whom The Legislature
can more implicitly rely. But the duties of The