Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1851-09-23
-REsouRcEs o. MRelNIA

49, Z4ElE.
The Report of the Committee appointed5y INC
Mercantile@Gonyentio which recently met IN
Richmond is published in the papers OF that CITY
-theobject being % show The ability of Virginia
to maintain q direct trade BY steamers Within
rope and South America.
Thesreport gives some interesting statistics
The trade on the James River and hAla@ha
Canal for the last year reached IN value an ag
sgregate of $6.135865 from me i%nterlors O
S7,727,224 ofSmerchandizs and goods carried
into the interior The business of the Central
Railroad has doubled within The year I.he 70,
spections of Virginia tobacco amount 10 2u,uUo
hogsheads, Of which the larger portion ts shiPPen
TO Europe, whilst The remainder with q large
amount not Inspected, is Manufactured ln me
Slate for consumption at home aud abroad.s ine
fiourfshing mills of Richmond manufactured last
year, 4, f73,l00 bushels of wheat and they are
expected this year IN manufacture uPwafds5eia
million and a half bushels
The tonnage employed in the direct iqEelgn
trade between Europe and the waters OF lanes
river amounts 10 nearly 3o,ooostops he re-
port says
elf it were in our power to present the com
mercial statistics of the cities OF NoFiolk, ae
rived froufthe Roanoke fiveTstte S@anhP
Canal, and other sources The aPlaty dncIeaslng
tradeof Alexandria derived from the Shesspsahs
and Ohio Canal, and from the country adJacenl
To- her, of Petersbutg.ana fredericksburg we 90
mot doubt that an yannnnnt OF Chesapeake ttaae
could he demonstrated adequate 10 sustain q
once, by the energetic and united patronage oil
onEmerchants d direct trade with Europe and
II South America The material for this trade al
ready exists. Any doubt, lei, which may
be entertained OF tho present ar Bunt OF Virginia
Commerce becomes nlimportants IN view ot me
Immense accessions TO follow the completion oil
the improvements referred TO Whilst we
pause 10 make the figures the fact is upon uss-
IL Alsnccinct statement OF the works OF aFtlnciai
Il improvements, now in progress, and actually
+ completed, will serve 10 em6ody the lacllties
upon which we may rely, and TO deyeloPe the
capacity of transportation upon whichth ing fp.use
trade of Virginia must principally depend "
think, Therefore, il sufficiently aPpearst that look
ing alone at the present tradefei our clt'es,swe
have ample encourageme To- comInenc PC Al once
upon this undertaking, with. the fair prospect Of
trade enough to ensure handsome profits TO caPi;
talists who may embark therein
There are now OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 66h miles
of Railroad, and 1853 miles of Canals, and there
are in.course of sconstFuctionsSS0 miles otsTail:
road and 22Olmiles Of plank road The aPpro-
%priations for those works are already made and
the money has been already entirely raised al
home without the necessty of incufring5a foreign
debt. The Reportreyiews the progressSctEraii
roads in Georgia, South Carolina Alabama and
Mississippi, and contemplatesithe certain connec'
ton OF. the Virginia system of roads, viii. the
Eextended and. comprehensive otaroads
now spreading throughout the South and the
Southwest. References are also made 70 the
growth and prosperity of Boston, and othel
Northern cities as resulting from their internal
Improvement by which access from the interior
and the great. West was facilitated for pToductt
seeking an Atlantic outlet.-BaA. ANaerteans
Statement Of the Railroads in Virginia eoasplae'
ALr L-N 49, FETF Ah