Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-12-11
GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
40 THE LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.

e
such subjects in my judgment de"'0"" '''' a.
teullon, Lt r
That Of Internal improvements wlich mas Tor some
"", =. ., - .,,,t the attention ofvour body,
REQUIRES at this time yonr earheS' '""" '""
.;1...,; l. much to be regretted that regular
I'll ,I ,strn has not been heretofore devised,
.rI cnn.,.nrly adhered to by the Legislature. Many
han.6.,.l results would have already accrued To ihe
prblic from such policy, which, 1t is ieareu' must
NOW he deferred lnr some time to come. lhe SUD-
;ect has grown from very small beginning hl" 'he
most important interest which presents lSeH I"t ieg
isla,ive action. A fixed policy should now he eS-
,abli<het and nflexnly pursued. The hnanceS OF
the Commonwealth imperauveIy require thar inriher
.pnronrotions out nr The Treasury should he con-
6nrd exclusively To :he great leading lines nl conntc
linn with the WeSI, begun and under way. Tins Is
more necessary. because any other appropriations al
nressn must he attended wth serious enharraSsm meni
10 the treasmrv whirh would AT once thr"" su'h us
cred,l upnn the whole subject, a wnulu rearu our
proUress ms, materially for years 4" come NOM
inu could he more deeply depl"red man Snch an ei-
Go, aud ,ous wuuld regret 1t sn much as those who
bslisv. the regeneration ol the , ate depends upon
the successful completion "f the great Improvements
now progressing. 1t Is, III my opinion due nom Tie
friends Of the policy, To the people Ct Iarg''at some
evidence should he given of prudent regard Tor the
y
reasonable time return will he made I" Tie coiierS
or ,hs Commonwealth for the immense sums already
.xoend.6 Much apprehension has been le IN some
Dor,ions oc the State as the policy pursued ny 'he
ie,sl.ure for the last few yearSn appr"prlang m"h-
rv ON, of the treasury for numerous Inlernr works o'
internal Improvement. 1t has ben u9h"ngh' by some
rsrsssand extravaganiandh II has beenlmp"sSl-
bIs IN concentrate the energies ol the Stale upon any
,vslI-dev,srd and economical 81 stem. otlll Is que "
the nncy that has htem pur>uedand I" It's i'lphlS,o
.a,e that comparatively small sums have heeh eS-
nended npon wild or useless schemes nose ap-
i,r,s,;n,s rnr what are termed mud turnpikoS
=, fra sight appeared the most unwl>r. have prove"
vs,v mnrh The reverse 1t is true few "t them pay
J;r in the form Of tolls in the treasury. hut the
increased value givrn lands in The regions through
which MANY nf them pass, furnishes prnaitnl lnn"
for laxatnn whch,in many Instances lar exceeds 'he
;nte,s nm the SUNS expended ~ their constructions
II ia now matter of vital importance to the puhhc
whether AN invest uneni paws good return "lS'r'Hh
tbs road upon which il is expended, "r IN taxes from
the lands rendered valuable by us conSructi"h nut
this snerips o a2prnprmIinn should not he ernlnat-
ed and # there remain inferior works yet To he 'l-
der,akpn, they may he postponed Tor the present.
without tetrment any interest whatever, ana win
great benefit tp the treasury.
Il !; essential o the interests Of the State, in pc
j
rnu,lv sys,enatized Without this. there Is room
C. well-OrounIed fear lesl embaaS>meniS may
emo unnn thc treasury, and dslruSt be brought up
nm the credit of the State Euher would be alike Ia
-, :, onr GREAT enterprises. and both are therefore I"
bs mos, $p,lu .,~v avoided. The policy which has
ts,etnf,re c,ut-ued thr action al the legislature
-,n,r,huIlnO tn uo,k> "E mrr"vemehi, has looked
rather to tL, benefit be derived from increased pop
la,;,n and enhanceG value 81 lands, than t" re'"r"s
IN tine Cor,u oC TOLLS lhe treasury Ihe wisdom "'
,hc noic> stands ruIy vjodcacd hy the recent asses
smen, ot lands m the C"mmnnWeaih'"mch SheWS an
Increase r ,weutv -nue and haif per cent upon our
entire landed property during the last twelve years"r
an ag,reuarp nrrpase in the value of real estate alone,
~;nce 1S9s. G62 7J97lS. while the increase between
,L ass.sSnenis of IS 10 and 1898 only S5.O36,-
52o rtvo and half per cenr. The total value olandS
in tho STATE in 1919 was S2O6S93.97S; IN 1888 u
was 60 .93O.50S aud in 1880 1t Is p2I46SJ'Z2o
(which shpws an average INCREASE each year, since
1898. whilst the system ol internal Improvement mas
been i'm operation. equal tn the whole increase unt-
,nrinr The nineteen Years irlor I" lhai umr. lh>
result has been ow ing chiefly nthe impulse impaired
IN the industry of the State by the acinieS "hich
her nubIic works have afforded To our rIllzenS Tor
Transporting their produce to marked f"r""hS "'
our country which, twenty wears ago were S'",'eN
iL.bred. are now Ihirklv settle, well cultivated and
Drn \ -IdNlIS l"''" ''"' w
Yds which will constitute through all Tine waltz
bl- addition to the permanent capital of the common
wealth -,
Bu notwithstanding the uhdoubted benefits which
bove thus accrued he Safe. still, sound AMI Jn-
trinns policy requires that we should ahSaln from
any Ctrther appropriations tn internal Improvements
excrnt snrl as are absolutely necessary "r he com
neuon or the great lines thai are begun and III pre-"
yress We should take such measures IN pressing
cnru ard these lines would speedily ensure Telu'"
from ,he cao,ta invested in their constructions The
buhr have "A rlght ln expect lhlS and we are o"uh"
~ rnl6l so reasonable an expectations To accom-
nI;b This emil our resources, should he husbanded
,ib ,he greatest pains aud the credit of The State
cultivated aud strengthened by every means III our
power.
| am happy To assure ynu Of an awakening Of the
,soole to The true interests of the Cnnmunw eallh
mpnn this subject. Indeed, Virginia has awakened
so suddenly tn the advantages "t her geographical po-
sit,n for securing the Western trrde that she Is IN
dancer of looSing them BY the eagernrSS "l different
enterprises Ia grasp the commerce that awaits 'hetn
Local eanuSeS and rival scheme threaten to dVe her
.uergss distract her coun>rl$and reard. serious
extent the completion of her Important lines OF trans
poratinn No Conflict in reality exists, or can exists
between tie great line of connection with the wespro-
iec,e over her territory. On The contrary, il will be
found hprp,aS has heen found eSeWhPrPthat the conf
Plennn "r any Of the proposed improvements will carry
along with II the necessity Of completing the others
also. in nider fully To Accommodate that immense
trade which VIII nc attracted to her works If every
facility and mode ni transportation provided upon
other routes shall be provided upon hers
Orcnpving n position midway between the mouths
Of the Mississippi and the ST. Lawrence,he only nat
nral outlets for the products of the We>r possessing
the best harhor upon the Atlantic coast, and the one
nearest of all others the centre "i The al-
vial basis of the connent Nature seems to point 10
ours as The true locality for artificial Gutter from
that vast region tn The ocean The mouth "i III" o.
ho and the cy ri Norfolk are upon the same par
sIlrI oc Lnc,Lc and the most Northern point "I de-