Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-07-23
COL. WEBB ON HIS TRAVELS

We sludsd sunie time ago the fact that the editor
OF the Courier and Enquirer having escaped from the
annoyances incident to his prof sson, spending
the hot months in tour through the lakes He keeps
his paper regularly advised of his movements. From
aieiter dated at Nlchimacnac. make few extracts
Immense Trade Of The Lakes
Sncei addressed yon hurried letter from Detroit, we
have been luxuriatng Ill the e.htfu atmosphere Of
this healhful region.
We made the from Deroi, to this pl zee in twenty
six hours, two and half of which were devoted to
king coal on board in the River St. Cair-making he
actual running tne twenty three and half We were
byard the steamer Empire Stae the largest, and p:o
baby, the fastest steamer the Likes. That however.
Semains to be tested Inc May o,re nearly large,
claims to be quite fast. Be this it may the Empire
State made the last passage from Buffalo Chicago
travelling the entire length Of Lake Erie, the Detroit
River Lake ST. Clair. the River ST. Clair and Lake HUI
run and Michigan seventy two hours The distance
rs about thousand miles. more commodIoIs steam
than the Empire Stale. cannot be imagined, and
her dimensions are gigantic. Estimating her hull only
she 10 upwards of seventeen hun lred TONS and she
commodities comfortably, four hundred cabin, and
Thousand seerage, OF twelve steam
which constitute lime running daily (Suudays
cspted) from Buffalo and Chicag and the tide Of emf
grafton setting steadily TO the great West gives them a.
bundant employment. One o the line passed here yes
'.trday for .Gitrakie and Chicago, WITH told up
wards Of seven hund,ed passenger principally German
engrartS
know not the punber # steamers and sail vessels
thesa lakes bit the former should oe eckonei by Scores
and the latter by hundreds. suppose, however, that
MIR. Spauldlng, The member ell CT from Buffalo. who is
Of the active and energetic gentlemen of &C
quaintnce, and has heart the interest of this great
gion, will make it his Sp ca duty 10 furnish the next
CungresS with the necessary Information upon which to
base eng hlenrd and permanent system of internal
improvements intended to develop, foster and protect
the immense commerce of these Lakes"
The Col into the consideration of the question
of internal improvement, which he considers paramount
TO all others. He says:
"In my Judgment the energies and the resources of
our Government should be turned this great subject;
and ,hrou h it, the prosperity and the happiness of
people be enhanced TO greater degree than in any
other conceivable way. Whatever money may be drawn
from the peoples treasury, for rhs Iupose Of internal
improreme.t, will return to the peoples pocket hum
'dred fold Buad light houses and construct harbors
these great inland seas-opeu channels through the flats
and acss the bars which ubsuc the entrance into these
rlyers and keep them open whenever they become OBJ
Struced and you will lessen The price of bread every
man. woman, and chill in America. ! care not where
the person lives, what his occupaun he is, in my
judgment. directly interested in this subject; and is
hazarjng little say, that the annual saving nsur-
ance and transportation arising from proper improve
eat Vt the ygaon Of great lakes and rivers would
almost be equivalent e the entire cost Of such improve
fmens.
"Bu,I would not stop with the improvement Of the
navigation ofour lakes and rivers would at
vive the pulley, which, under Maids and Monroe, orgi-
mated and built tine hatiora' Road. | would upon the
same argument and by the constitutional exercise
'ofpwer. begin al once and prosecute with vigor the
construction of aNaRal Railway from the Mississippi
10 the Pacific coast. Nay, for this constitutional! pow
exists much less liable to be cavied than any
der which present National Road constructed
Such Ne'onsl Railway wuuld run almost entirely
Throngh the public domain, and independent of lis being
"Pust Rad" the construction Of which is directly
provided for by the Constitution this fact leaves no doubt
81 'consuonality. The, such Toad is Of immediate
and pressing necessity, WI deny; will it be
denied that lis great magnitude renders it idle talk OF
placing ii under the direction Of individual n;eprise-
u is einphacaly National work and the people of
she Nation demand that the Nation make it. In truth
great the outlay migs be- it woad not cost the Ma
sion dollar because heenhanced price Of the public
domain through which it would run, would more than
gay fir its construction dozen times And that ii
might not be tax upon the old States, would have
the Naton from tune to time to borr0,c the whole SUN
secessay for construction upon pledge of the entire
proceeds of the public domain beyond the for which
it is at prs pledged. Another benefit arising from
such curse would be the settlement for the next quar-
Ter If centnrv at least Of ali discussion in regard The
public domain"
.Mchilimacinac.
This spot If the Colonel than justly enthu-