Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-12-13
E0.47.1.


Immense sum Oh $500 900 900. .s.st.
Whist these. great results have followed these
iadictuus aud extensive railroad lmpfoyemensht
The stock invested 10 The works yielded \ hsst'
revenue. in ls49, nl S2,S5o,2sls which WAS
nearly per cent upon the money thep sinSsssesA
IN their CONSTRUCTION II is proper TO FeRatk
thai the whole country, over whehthis Network
OF railroads is spread does not equal, m s1ze OF
fertility, the Staae Of Virginia alone
I have dwelt somewhat at lengfd upon the ca
mails OF New York Andthe railroads Of Massach
sets, because they illustrate very fully the oeue-
FITS Is be derived from either sort otimproeement;
because the relative advantages and dlsadyan-
taqes Of each Are fully displayed by the statistics
4 have colated and because the facts here embo.
died clearly prove that there is not, nor can be,
any rivalry between the two modes Of improves
went, The sfsism OF ra.IsVads, 10 New aor5s y
them is greater than that " the Massachusetts
roads. The aggregate length Of them is about
/ 1882 miles, and the cost OF them over forty.six
and bait millions of dollars, at an average cost
\ of $4,000 per mile. The Indignation have
been able to procure, relative TO these roads, has
Dot been so detailed as desirable; but is enough
to show that t4e travel upon them is psodigioils,
the freight very considerable, and the profits
ahout the same as those of the Massachusetts
roads
and ods on the brlghtesl pfomi1esr 10 Tie pub.
lle-spfrted ana .enierprsing company who con.
tFel n II has paid dividend dufHg the past
year vi more than ten per cent. And such has
been tie eheee produced by Il already upon the
comme rcal prosperity OF Baltimore. that 1t is
SAID she is now compensated Tor her subscriptens
of So 100000 10 the work.
Netting canbe more encouraging TO Virginia
than these factk, They afford demonstration
kNFN Ia.
than begun, th4s they wilfprove immensely pro,
htable lo the Stockholders, and beneficial 70 the
commonwealth. The country proposed TO be
reacbedbythose great Western lines,"the canal
"the Tennessee and Virginia, !" and the Central
railroads." is more extensive, and byi far more
fertile than thai region penetrated by the works
OF New England and New York, put together;
and think il plain 10 we-iniormed man thar
the inducements held out to us for the conslTuc-
ton Of our wutks are very much greater than
those which~have stimulated our neighbors 10
their enterprise. t4
The Virginia and Tennessee railroad will,
when completed, form one link in a. chain of road
from New York to Mobile aud New Orleans,
most OF wh,ehi II already determined upon, and
over which will pass a greater amount OF travel
than this county has ever witnessed II Is the
great line which must convey 1.-The travel TO and
from California, from the Northern, Middle and
pait OF the Southern States, aud over which much
81 the cnu merle intended for the Pacific by the
/ Tehsunlepec foute will be likewise transported.
Is 1t is worthy of all aid from abe, commonwealth
/ When it shall be completed to the Tennessee
\ line, il viii have penetratedfa country OF higher
n capabilities and greater exiefit than that through
which the BaSimofe & Ohq railfoad now passes
\ to Cumberland And should the Centralrailroad
decide togo d Cincinnati by Guyandotte instead
OF TO Louisville, then the Virginia and Tennes-
see railroad will form a common stem for a
branch either from New River, through Giles,
4 Mercer and Thzewell TO Lexington, Kentucky,
or rom Abingdon through the county Of Russell
, If..nI deyeioPeI-.l-1-s advantages Of this con!
II last annual message, and therefore deem u nnne-
-cessary TO repeat them here. There was MS
take made IN the States subscription % this
II7work, which ought 10 be fectlh9d, and which
I earnestly recommend 10 be done at once. Z
Should the Central Railroad reach Cincinnati,
il will form the shortest line OF road between that
great city and tdewater, and will Of course com
II mand an immense amount both OF trade and ira.
4~Nei Ills truly, great work, and will be Nlii-
maiely productive Of great benefits TO The State.
That -serlnn Of this road, put Under the con-
u duet Of the Board Of public works is progressing
4 well The erpand overrWhicL 1t passes, the ace
\ ol the Blue K dye, is excessively rugged and diff
+ ticnEt. netsecied every here with abrupt ridges
I and deep; PERCEPTIONS holiows. Batlsuch - the
extraordinary skill and precision with which the
4 work. has been located by that highly accom-.
pltshed engineer, Col Crozet that the cuts and
fills need seatcely any earth to be wasted bor-
rowed at any point When completed, it viii be
work Of which the State may be justly proud.
To the report of the Board Of public works,
herewith transmitted + refer you for detailed in
formation touching all the works in which the
State is Interested
Icannot dismiss this part Of the subject, how
ever without bringing to the notice Of the Legs.
lature, more prominently than in the report re-
ierred TO, The subject Of plank roads they an
\ invention Of comparatively recent date, and are
fdeserVediy superseding all other roads travelled
by horses. and carriages. Their capacities for
heavy draught and rapid travel are very surpris-
ing. The cost Of them is scarcely SO much as
the Maeadam3zed road. i would recommend a
gfneraP law authorizing The Board of Pube
Works to substitute plank roads for the ordinary
4 turnpike, wherever il can be done, without aug
menflng the cost already fixed by law. Plank
roads at fhe Nlrh pay from ten to thirty per cent.
upon the money expended III their construction.
mustnexr pve-your earnest attention and Sc
roGs deieberaipD TO the present condition Of the
images of the State, ard to The nature and
Z amount oil the public Indebtedness. Il is useless
TO deHy or conceal the fact that the recent appro-
\ pralons BY lie State for extended works OF, in
terDal Improvement have been Of such magnitude
as 10 demand further provision for their pfotnpt
payment at spdh periods as they may respective.
VITAL due and especially for the regular pay
mebt ofthe interest thereon The creditof the
State has bees hitherto fully sustained both at
home aid a5roAd but it should be remembered
that public credit is 4 tender and delicate plant,
which requires constaft care and nurture, is ia
stantg and seriously affected by the slightest M.
favorable infudnces, and is withered by the least
breath Of suspicion Some alarm has been already
expressed within our own borders and though il
has been abundan;ly demon. trated in another part
of this communication that the appropriations
made up to this time, do not justify such fears,
while the system OF internal Improvements 10
which they have been DEVOTED has been produc.
tive of an immense accession TO the taxable pro-
perry OF Virginia; yet it would be unwse en-
tirey TO disregard tie apprehensions which
NJ have been expressed or to postpone that cautions
examination Of the whole subject which such 4
warning is calculated TO suggest. There are
many Inducements 10 enforce the pr5priety and
urgency O. this cautious consideration of'ths ii.
nAHcial couditshn Of fhe Stale atthe present time
I IS only by maintaining the public credit who'll,
uhmpaired, th4ttae i'm oftaBt works alreadycbIn
flenced, ard in faiaering progress, can be broi
al an early day, to their successful complexion
and il is not until their completion that thesrict
Il harvest OF prohls and benefits anticipated from
them can be fully realized. and augment maferi
ally the reyenaes Of the State. Moreover. an
considerable change in the fundamental laws Of
Stale is celebrated 10 give temporary shoek
her credit in foreign markets and when sue
changes are so extensive in their charac fst /
those liberal measures which will probably me
, with the sanction Of the cow enllon. which
shortly 10 resume liz do iheFafiorss thara