Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1848-08-10

III II9 Dill ~ 4NL4E tIE A[|@EIIIIU
Southeastern Railroad Company
Ilo,hs Houzs u Delegates o. v, March nh. lSisa
Mr.. THOMPSON said that The question bc.
fore the House was one u great Importance mall
its aspects. The extent oi the road-iis length
being two hundred and forty miles-and lie /.
mount % be expended--were considerations IL
Be well weighed, aud every one who votes unoH
this bill viii Be held by hisconstituents to 4 strict
i accountability. He would not be deferred. Ii was
trne, bY such considerations nihe prosecution of
Internal Improvements, Il he deemed themitdi.
cious, and likely % Be- successful, and lie w6aIi
vote for this work il he could see the results thar
lis patrons claim FOR II but lie could mol see
them. Onihe other hand, whist he was salts.
fed that the work would cost vastly more than
j vas estimated $4,000 per Inile-he was inIlyS
and clearly Of opinion that i would not answet
The paramount purpose Of every work Of internal
limprovement-that Of bringing the prodacfs of
The State 10 market, whether The product ol The
Il soil or the mines. He was aware that large cal
lculafions were made uponthe travel0fihe SOnth-
ren States, and the toll to be received Of passeu-
gers but, before indulgsng ID speeulations ofthat
kind, he would again say, that the first question
with him would BE- The capacity and adaptation
of the work 10 dereege Tie resources af ne HiaiS
ana 10 transport IFS prskiacfs. Krone, be should
look to these objects, and 10 the permanent and
solid prosperity 81 the State, and he was unwill.
ing 10 regard il as i mere Arabian desefi where
like Bsdon n, they were levy tribute upon way
fareFss
The lirst question then to he examined ii, will
THE road transport the produce Of the farmers
and Of those valuable mines Of gypsum, sat, lead
+, and IRON which are said to abound in the South
western counties This Is the question, aud II
is to be determined BY no figures OF speech and
flights Of fancy, but by practical experience and
Z "a nrtlbnaftr and rvnhprfner
iloarishes about iron rivers viii not answer tho
E pnrpose--are not TO be relied upon. The friends
Of this bill must give Us an example, and then
+ come, by fair comparison aud reasoning, 10 con-
illusions, in regard to this work, Of two hundred
land forty miles length, now under consideration.
Z WelI--we are u that the railroad from Boston
TO Albany-two hundred miles long-is fairex-
il emplificaton Of the feasibility Of the ynchbnre
laad Southwestern railroad, Of two hundred aud
! forty miles length. The appeal is made to Cesar,
and TO Cesar We will 60. Fer what has been
= dnne may be cone again under the sanle circgR-
. stances. This, at least; was the philosophy Of
Sam Patch. 1nthat celebrated jumping, in Nliicl,
he acquired so much notoriety, Sam held it ever
! as proverh, that " some things might be dono
. las well as others" and only failed in the sequel,
and broke bis neck in high leap from his omis.
sion to observe in his experiments, that though
g some things may be done as wen as others,"l
that the things 20 be done mnstbe done underline
q same circumstances. With this very important
i distinction then before us and Sans sad fate
), case in point TO enforce it, we will consider the
e Boston and Albany railroad--two hundred miles
]; Iong-and see how larthe Lynehhbrg and South
western rairuad-two hundred and forty miles
: tlbng-wil run parallel with it. IN all cirtttm-
Z stances.
The Boston and Albany road, besides having
J full and constant supply OF every description Of
! produce. and freight, is sustained by very large
! amount Of travel--lhe latter being almost nva-
], rably essential to enable railroads 10 carry tho
( former. The gathering point at Albany is an
/ immense one, from the concentration there andat
I Troy Of numerous canals and railroads, and the
! whole motive power Of the company has constant
! and steady employ ment in the transportation OF
countless passengers and vast and varied masses
| of freight from such centres of conveying COM
merce to such a city as Boston--one of the most
wealthy and enterpfising in this country or any
other. indeed the construction Of this road will
! lawaysbe monument oil both the enterprise and
II wealth Of its citizens. No other people but the
a Yankees would have dared such work and such
contest with NAw York, or by their invicble
energy and good management could have sus,
tanned it. This road, was in fact, CONSTRUCTED By
J Boston capital, for the express purpose of com.
: peting with New York, and is to be regarded, as
IL WAS luleuuFu, NllUOlL ftitTeHcSNO Hts pf0tltS,
1 as stock, as a great engine Of rival interests and
1 competing trade. No railroad anywhere upon
earth is better and more economically managed,
and to fiji it for its vast and heavy transportation
il has been constructed al a cost of $50. 900 per
mile. With all these advantages in its favor, it
viii be seen by reference TO the rates Of charge
upon this road, that upon one part oft, the l5G
miles between Albany and Worcester, the charge
n for ton If heavy article ST; and that upon tho
-. ~ IL IT,
distance AL miles--the freight per ton per
mile, varies according to the character OF lliear-
tcles, from 10 6, s and 10 cents. Such Is the
Boston and Albany railroad, and such are its rates,
reduced TO the lowest point by the favorable cir
! cnmstances mentioned, and particularly and more
especially by the competition on the Hudson, and
i by the sound.
lie would non sketch the profile ofthe project
Led road from Lynchburg to the Tennessee line,
that proper idea may formed Of their relative
positions.
!. The point to start with was town Of about
] 5000 people and the point determination was 10
be somerAere in the Tennessee line. Is il neces-
sary tosay more, after announcing The termn -
Surely the difference between Boston and Alba
ny and sHeh points Is obvious enough without
going into particulars IN the one.caSe before
the road was commenced was animmense
! Concentration OF every description Of tonnage
ready to be put info the burlhen cars, and Of pas
! sengers ready to fill the seats Of the passenger
ears, as soon as the line could be completed. In
the other, the tnansporfable matters and things
are toconsist.of tile growth Of the earth and pro-
81 duciso the mines gel to be dug up 10 the bonnes
Of Southwest Virginia and intravellers who are
: gel 10 come like .spifits from The Vastly deep -
when caled-from the sunny South! But con-
cede all that the friends Of this road clamintheir
prospectus, both iii relation 10 travel and freight,
the important consideration win be 70 ascertain
at ,cat price they will be able to carry The pro-
ducts Of agriculture and he mines Tothis issue
al Improvements should be brought, which claim
the favor 81 this House. The transportation 70
market Of the products of every species Of faboy
isto be had and ought TO Be provided fox and, after
that is done, why then we can indulge il partner
ship with spectators in profitable lines and IN
improvements to accommodate Southern passen-
gers. take il for granted that this road will pot
be able to carry for less than the Boston and Al
bany railroad or for less than the average charge
Of the majority Of raiIroads inthis country This
i will Be found 10 range between and 8 centsper
ton per mile. Indeed, The proper rule 70 be go
verned BY In making conjecture upon this sub
liect-anil it can Be but conjecture would be
found III the rates ofthe railroads IN our own State.
+ They are As follows: Petersburg and Richmond