Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-03-21
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
REMARKS OF Mr.. STOVALL,
~ HALIFAX.
On the bin providing for the construction Of a Ran
road from Covinrton TO The raiis oil the
Kanawha upon State account.

prialioD of Two hundred thousand Gollafs PEI dt
num-, Tor an indefinite period, Tor The cohs'iuc''o
of a railroad from Cuyinglon, on me James iise'
10 the navigabie waters OF The hanaWna, d ois
lance. | believe, Of about one HUNDRED ana my
Two miles, al an estimated ceS', IN ne a@siesd"
OF Two million i've hundred thousand uoil"'s.-
Coyins,an is fry miles above Buchanan, 'hep
con, c~onnsmn,aieJ t.ro,ipas Of The canal. Then
Mr. Sneaker Think The conclusion lair ana lea
,;,a,r thai mis- bill necessarily implies a iur'ie
,no,onr;a, ion Of Two millions Of dollars, which
would COS, 10 constructive canal from buchanai
- cnvino,on Ii this conclusion be correct, (ant
nresn,nc no one will eainsay IL his bull IN
vo'ives an appropriation directly from The Iiea
Snry of tour million five hundred thpusahd 90.
lars. l. the contemplated improvement OF sucl
| Importance as 10 demand is construction al dn.
time2 Is the Treasury in sucn q conultion a.
| Justify an appropriation Of Two hundred thnusano
dollars per anpum for an indefinite peried! VIZ
will see. Sir. upon an examination lntolhe imam
ces OF The State: The condition Q! when ! VIII pre-
| SEM 10 the House before | am done win inns ais'
cussion. Would The travel andtranspoltatioh take
this direction from the Vale; OF Inc Ohio ant
Mississippi Rivers, even /! Inc contemplated iui
| provemenl were in .uli operation! icahhot per
suade myself that il woult; II | am not mistaken
nroduce can now be transported from Pltlsbufs
in Pennsylvania. 10 Richmond, Virginia, by me
way Of New Orleans, as cheap as Ii could DC
done from Buchanan 10 Richmond, were Inc ca
nal completed 10 that point, anu Inc pIesent idt
of transportation charged. linen, SIR, II ! an
right in This, would The ptodnce come Gown 'ne
Ohio river from Pirsburs, or mp IL from LOUIS,
vile or Cincinpa,i 10 the hana"ha ii'cl, am ~
then M that river Tor a longer distance, III small,
and consequently slow boats, ui from Tory 10
fly IONS burlhen, and then by railway TO Gov,
inston, and then BY canal boats 10 Richmond
Mr.. Speaker, do you suppose The tiasei OF trans
p~oriatiun either would come by tins routes lean
not believe that any rational man enseflains any
such idea. What! produce come up me Mana
VIVA river in steamboats, OF small class-re-shiP
on The railroad 10 Covington, a distance ci one
hundred and fifty miles then by CANA poa's %
Richmoni, a distance ot Two hundred aha my,
miles. and then IN Smaticialls out 10 sea oouu
il bear The cost ~ transportation aha ihe extra
commissions Tor receiving and forwarding 1T
every shipping point? But suppose, ior me SAKE
OF Argument, a fair proportion oil II woul'; WONG
no, IN. cuupctiiioa ii he Baltimore aud ono
Railroad, the PilShur2 Iuuie 10 fhiialfl phid'
Roslcn and New ycIa, giving opportunities %
~suocrioF markris, divert he transportation 10 nose
markets. and thereby proven! any thing Ike me
whole. or even a reasonable portion 81 The West
EN- trade from The contemplated !oniel Could iHe
road, with this competition, get a sufficient
amount al trans p~oflal'on 10 keep J, upi mink
not. Is here a railroad any where sustained
and kept up by iIansperlaiicDa alone! lnen, illhsie
is nos. the nexl enquiry vail X, viii the lfaVei
take his direction z Nj: | eIpha'icaIiy say no,
without he tear o. contradiction. If07 HJSqnH
III Olio yirey art fai. up h- haGHcfa, IN >hch
boal> as can Ply mp th-i aver; ihen III on a idii-
road, through the i0agnt>' and mos MOUNTAINOUS
country upon earth, IL. a distance .! one nun
Ired aaa iiay miles; and thea b. cana! boats, ior
A distance OF two hundred and fly miles 70 Rich
maud Why, Sir, | say tn idea IS ridiculous
They could @ 10 Baltimore by way oiihe National
road ani 10 Richmond in halt Tie time; or ihey
could 90 . Rev YufS. boy a sleek 81 goods, anu
gel back 10 Cluciuna,,l before they couiti get T.
Richmond by The proposed route; therefore,
am justified N tGe conclusion, tnai iiie
travel would mol take this route.
Mr.. Speaker, can YOU beiievc-can any one,
with these facts, persuade themselves 10 believe,
that the ltavel IRON The Wesr. I. any portion Of
il, wonlt lake this iouie going Norih} Then,
sir. If il would not. what is t. supper, the road !
IL is perfectly manifest ;hal this load could oct DC
Supported, even though i lniaat he coaS.fuc;eJ !:
tor / couii neither command The made nor TIA
vel Of NJ Tcs!, as ! think | have clearly shoWn.
VI; oeiniun is, shouid his road Be Constructed,
,hs. il les than twenty Yeas II would D, a d.
i~apiGaled ruin-a monument oulv o. the exirava-
sancc auG luiiy 81 lac ags IN walch I vas PROJECT
Cd.
Mr.. Speaker, ny friend .som Gteenirief (hif.
Pncel has exhibited 10 ihe House quite an array
OF ~iisu:e.; and b. his :sulaiians aad estimates
he has p.fsua!e! himSeil ~ believe tn's would
be a su.a Investment loI tie sac. ! have ~
doubt IN. I i:eHa bs;te:rs MS calculations ar" 81.
rect, f1r his >ince.ily will mol permit nc 70 d0nh:
that he heIicges tis estimates. would be fai.y real
i2cj. | !hink. however, that his enthusiasm is
we'll calculate % nislead ms judgment. have
no doubt ~. u" wouid be delighted 10 see a s,cain-
car living uyci those rugged mountain .uige>
that lie has given such a graphic description Of
Yel we should learn a lesson al wi:dom from *.
~pericnce, which teaches US, il ! mistake moi, thai
we have been sporting long enough upon extra.
vagan, experiments Of this sort.
have been informed that in lS33-i, think,
one OF The members from HALIFAX, one q: tie
most Gale Mating men il Virginia, possessing q
fund Of good practicable sense and information
rarely cGuaIiCd Is aav, mate ali array Of figures
a ;ormidab.: as those made by lie gentleman
from GieenbFief (Aif. Piice) IN support Of ,he
bill then under consideration, proposing 10 char
ter the Portsmouth and Roanoke 3ali Road Com.
pany, which has since been CONSTRUCTED, and 4
tew wears afterwards rendered Itself IS notorious
as il was then recommended 10 he merilorious.-
This road was chartered, q think in 1884, com
mencin2 al Portsmouth and terminating ~ tBt
Roanoke riyer-ihis s,sot ri:cr. according L
he description given ty ny friend ron Piisyi.
yania. Mr. Tuas,ai; ye>, sir, terminating on Tar
river severa! hundred miles below the mead q
navigation, penetrating as II doe, on u lhr rich.
est AMI most productive sections .! coun'.y ir
Virginia ami N.CaroIina. VIA hi ppwcfulieet
or. from This fica section D! county, 10 >nrrlv a.ri