Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-12-03

necassv Of mutual cooperation ana assis'u" "
Tho comnleou of this great enterprise 49, ,,,, ,.;l,,,
also much in the progress oil inc eieas Iailoau
Lines 90 literally aided by the STATE 10 n STATES h
Of internal improvement. I,, ~, er their completion.
In Lis particular branch Of our enterprze W. IVA S" a
the fullest benefit OF the experience a system is pro-
einus =, grfut degree of perfection and uihy IN
Massachusetts any part oil Inc wou W;rnn;o md
- - ,n,rtorv of about one ninth that OIL virginia, any
@ h hs !, covered over with railroads amounting 10 lne
,csreoaie length TO more than thousand niles ha,oen
csnI nre they multiplied that the average os.anoe ,h @
mem is only seven miles. And yet, not"lhSass ;
isrn nroyimi,y OF their roads TO each other we hu o l
ou,y or spirit of rivalry amongst them. ley pa Guess
one its course with energy, industry eeon9 mia ond
IN , f these roads has been about soUoUopef lc aha
~ t1s' :" have made upon nearly seven
per cent per upon Their money Gov non hen,
same time both travel and transportation alo INV m lo
the prlcc of the former being only ABOUT wv 49,
& nsscnner But the effects Of these Improvements upon
The city Boston, and The eenerI ptospey nst nc
in urouuipu commerce and manulac luics, ui' "" s
Giblc. . ,hso,y.rs that the rreot
advantages natural and artificial OF New ois mv'u n
III ,rav Ia that civ the oi The west o' "uiu
, U, .nder all The cities of the North tributary 10 her
unless something could be done 10 cohee, =, ' ,h
points, some OF The enormous trace WIN. i ;nd ,I
civ its ugantic proportions. Boston quickly peiec' ~
,r noh. arbor would be Of little wort without coie
10 iii il with ships and that these couia ohiY VI
y snch noducs as could be derived from huch 'alsV
r,o ,bnn Massachusetts possessed having no l'cl "
hc nroducts of distant and fertile regions 10 er port o
rrnincd al once supply the natural dehciehces Vi n
great vigor system Of railroad Improvements "., III
bits her in liz the poudest and most enylaoe una aous
an invaluable example 10 every stale IN inc onioh
railroad enterprises Here is All exainp Vi uo1ao 49,
ruy which would moi be turned aside by any ooslacc
ever formidable of udcious forecast, recelvns IL
" ic advance benefits within Her REACH anu VI
b,r,y which embarked enormous treasure h al sn''
nrise having for object the glory ana hsceuahc VI
chsctts Their success has been complete Inc IT,
Boston for the last ten years Is ION IA III dollars
value of her property has increased from ~ lfo'f ~
2G6 GAG s4I dollars; twelve per cent per
more than double the legal interest In virginia ny pa
la,ion oil the city has increased win an equay o
r,nidty having advanced from l5oib to z9oio; MA
an addition OF la BOD nearly double us zoo ~
population Of the State has advanced o'. 80 H., has
s3 7 an increase of 23 Every vocation OF Ills nus
,r,,ren nf This nrosuery and thrift. Agriculture, manu-
features comnercea branches OF industry are
with unparalleled mpidy and inc ilutc ,h civ
ton continue still be brilliant as nose Oh any oe y
in the Union That this great increase has been Inc es
of her railway improvements, is denied oy n"ne-no %
element of prosperity than this has been adaeu 10 ie
oy noss,ssed nv her; and have, therefore, right TO
infer that from this source flows the extraordinary ue ol
wealth In 1880 Boston had l6I miles ol farouu laIal'
thence in various directions; in 1851 she connected WIN
0O0 miles ne-,hrd of which lies within The territory oi
massachusetts; 1850 within the borders OF othe sew M
land States and $50 in the State oil Nc" io.A. ,
works have enlarged The area OF country @hcn coniou
10 her commerce. probably euu and the eiect -
dented Her annual manufactures are worm ssuuooou
and the home trade of Boston is estimated 10 oe worm MI
nuay lie immense sum OF S2UU,OUU,Coo.
Whilst these great results have followed these Judicious
and extensive railroad improvements me STOCK nsestea ~
which was nearly per upon the money then invested
in their siinction. Ii proper 10 remark u INC "no
country which this network ol ra.oaus - speuu
does not equal in size fertility, the State OF virginia
= alone ~, - , , =, Nou
York and the railroads Massachusetts, because ihey mus
vcrv fully the benefits To derived from either sort o
because the relative advantages and dsadVan
,aees of each are fully displayed by the statistics nave col
lated and because the facts here embodied clearly prove
,ha, there ia NOT nor can be- any rivalry between the wi
modes of Improvement. The system OF railroads. IN New
York. prosecuted with much energy, anu 'e eN'enI "
then greater than that of the Massachusetts roads Inc
aggregate length OF them is about l53 miles, ana Tue cos
of them over foy-sx and half millions OF dollars az ar
average cost of SID 900 per mile. The information nave
en allie 10 procure relative these roads has not been sc
detailed desirable but Is enough TO snow nal he "Se
upon them is prodgous the freight very ant
The protts about the those OF the massachusetts
r roads, fl,
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad is prosperous, and holds
on, the bghes, promises to The pnecsprl'ed ana ehe.
psng company who control IT, IL mas paid aviuehu uu
ring the past year than per cont And such a
been the effect produced by it already upon the commercial
prosperity Baltimore that il is said she Is now copcnsa
led for her subscription of 50 0000 TO the work
Nothing Gun he encouraging TO Virginia than thes
fac,s They afford demonstration perfectly conclusive
before her works are than begun, that they will
immensely profitable 10 the stockholders ard beneficial TO I'M
commonwealth. The country proposed to be reached o
tho.e great Western lines. the canal thc Tennessee a
Virginia. and the "Cena railroads. is more extensive an
BY far fertile than that region penetrated by The WORK
II of New England and New York, put together ana 'hnl
il plain TO a we-informed TINT the inducements mel!
out tho construction OF works are very hhci
greater than those which have stimulated neishbors
: Ine Virginia and Tennessee railroad will, when com
pccd form link in chain Of road from New York
Mobile and New Orleans OF which is already deter
mined upon and over which will pass greater amount
travel than this country has Witnessed Ii Is the gren
line which convey the travel TO and from California
the Northern Middle and part OF the Southern states
and which much of the intended for the Pa
cc by the rehuuntepec route will be likewise transported
J, IL is of all ad from the commonwealth. when ]
shall be completed the Tennessee line, it will have pone
trated country of higher capabilities and greater extcn
than that through which the Baltimore and Ohio rairoa
passes Cumberland And should the Central rail
decide Cincinnati by Guyandotte instead OF I
Is Louisville then the Virginia and Tennessee railroad vii
Is form common for a branch either from New River
through Giles Mercer and Tazewc Lexington, Ken
n lucky from Abingdon through the county OF Russell
Is city. The advantages OF This connection dcvc
loped sufficiently length my as annual sage
+ therefore deen It unnecessary 10 repeat ticm mere liner
Il mistake made in lie State subscription to this wcK
&C which ough, TO be rectsd and which earnestly recon
I, mend 10 be done
Should the Central Railroad reach Cincinnati. it will
The shortest line Of road between that great city and tide
water and will OF command immense amount bo
travel 1t is truly great work and will be I'll
II llma!ely productive of grca, benefits 10 the State.
That section OF this road put under the conduct OF TIT
Board of public works. is progressing we'll The grouns
which passes the face OF the Blue Ridge, ID exccs
sivey rugged and difficult ntersected everywhere with ab
extraordinary skill and precision with which the work in
been located by that highly accomplished engineer Col Gro
zel and fills need scarcely earth 10 be was
ted borrowed III point When c"nnctcd viii be
C work OF which the State may be Justly proud.
To the report Of Board OF public works, herewith
: mted refer You for detailed information touching all I'M
works in which the State is Interested
dismiss this part OF the subject, however, wlthou
bringing the notice Of The Legislature, pronlncnt!
the report referred the subject Of plank roads, the,
invention Of comparatively recent date and are de
servedy supcrscdng nil other roads travelled by horses
carriages Their capacities for heavy draugh and rapid ira
vel very surprising The cost Of them is scarcely ST
much the Macadamized road ] would recommend &c
neral law auorsnr the Board Of Public Works 10 subsIi
plank roads for the ordinary turnpike wherever
Il be done without nugmenng tie already fixed by law
Plank roads the North pay from 10 thirty cent
c upon the money expended in their construction.
Ill must invite your earnest attention and scri
Gus celebration the present condition OF the finances
le Slate and to the and amount OF the public ndeb
ooness usclcss deny conceal the fact that the
cent appropriations by the State extended works
nal improvem nj have been Of such magnitude deman4
further provision fur their prompt payment such periods
they may respectively fall due and especially rcgu
lar payment Of the interest thereon The credit of the
has been hitherto fully sustained both home and abroad
should be remembered that public credit is tender deli
cate plant which requires constant and nurture
stanty and seriously affected by the slightest nu
and wiihercd y the least breast of suspicion Some
alarm has been already expressed within borders
and though has been abundany demonstrated in anoth
part OF this communication that the appropriations made
up 10 this time, do justify such fears while tho system
0t internal improvements which have bcen do