Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-05-07
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

this important subject For time the pEotracted discus
sons the various important bills framed for the purpose
of putting the Government into operation threatened
the whole Of this unusually long session
and the bue spirits and grcy black spirits and ~h non
esy conured W by Mr. Goode u his late report erri
and TO appa had we'll nigh frightened members from he
popety and caused them wholly 10 neglect those grand in
teres,s of ths Commonwealth which above all Others
Legislative and assistance. But the mastery effort
u Mr. Alexander Rivcs Of Abemarle, Friday las com
pleey exercised the phauom which have sprung from the
gloomy fancy Of Mr. Goode and the friends OF our public
Works gathering fresh courage and animated BY new hopes
been making renewed efforts carry through such
propriaons as may necessary for their completion for
their successful prosecution
! Repeated caucuses friendly meetings for consultation
held by them AS these meetings not secret
in their character and all persons interested were allowed
to attend feel liberty state that the meeting
Wednesday evening" Col. Townes Of piltsyIvaaa, in q
speech aboundng valuable statistics argued most uby TO
show that in purely financial point Of view ad means
of tightening the burdens Of the people, it >ud DO e their
interest to make appropriations TO the main nss Q! I'M
provement At adjourned meeting Friday night pend
ing proposition TO appoint committee 20 consider the best
means OF promoting the SUCCESS of the eadng lines,
Western member having at before he would be will
ling further appropriateness would frs, have to Know
what increase of taxation would required; this brought
Mr.. Stova Of Halifax TO his fee He was an annienal
Improvement man. had always be- such, and renrcF,'aG
40 anti-nernal improvement .stttuency Wh.!ertr Of
character he had in that body hud acquired by his
opposition 10 all schemes He had voted against near
every scheme When the different roads were chartered
he warned members the time against embnrkns in such
expensive projects and had prophcsied that the time would
when they would feel the shoe pinch and would shrink
from the Just responsibility Of their actions. That time
had now arrived He had turned out TO be true prophet
Now when the various rail roads which had been chare;i
against his vote and against his protest. and mainly by the
votes Of Western men, only half finished, and conse-
Queny almost utterly Improbable and burden upon the
treasury, and when these western men were called
upon the money necessary for their compcon like
the Carolina justice they ready to squat When
additional means asked which, 1t was thought
under the stringent provisions of the consti
tuition, would require a direct and immediate in
crease of taxation they would cry out "Gve US the essi-
mates the estimates ~ He found himself most strangely
situated on the present occasion. 1t seemed 10 him as if
the respective position of himself and western members,
both money and taxes had 10 be voted exactly The
reverse of what it was when money alone ~ :! &c voted
He really began to suspect that he better inter
nal improvement man than they were who in response to
every proposition help public works would at the tops
their voices call for the the MI
S. continued 70. some ime after this fashion, 10 pour hot
his audience. He continuation his part he thought
every consideration of sound policy should induce US
60 and finish important and useful of these
works. that they had boon begun. Things had entire
y changed since he voted against charerng them The
circumstances of the country were altogether different
Right wrong, the internal improvement policy had be-
The settled policy OF the Stale. We could not re'race
eleps if would 1t late now TO question the
wisdom uf this policy for which he certainly had not been
responsible The question upon which hs should shortly
have 10 VOTE was very dieen, from that which had been
originally presented The question was, moi whether
should make rail roads. but whether, that western
votes had forced them should go on TO
continue COM !ele them. Should act like sensible
men, and finish continue what we ad begun. should
exhibit the height OF folly, by abandoning our woks al
very time when they most needed "hen
very small expended now, would go farther than al
any ,ime extend and make them prohtaole-ana
thus throw away the millions which we had already invest
sd2
When the friends Of any OF our public works snail ask
for legislative aid shall stop TO enquire, said MI 8
whether they will vote any further appropriation TO tine road
which penetrates my sec,ion shall not attempt 10 ogo
with them shall only seek 10 know whether &c great
leading line in which any considerable portion OF Inc pco
ple of This Common wealth interested. VIII II probably
nav when completed? Will II accommodate the entire
rude and travel Of the people o any great section OF inc
State? If il fuhls these conditiOne, shall vote or H.
whether friends and patrons vole for the DanVle road or
not. (This sentiment was mach appauded) he "ouo
specify the Lynchburg and Tennessee the the
Dauyie the Gordonsvilo and Alexandria, and Manassass
Gap roads as emneniy uaaul and meIitoous works. all
of which the Legislature should make provision to COM
plee Comparatively moderate Gums would De required,
for by far the greater part the necessary expenditure mad
been already incurred by each the preliminary surveys ana
the heaviest and expensive part Of the grading masonry
and bridging having been completed He was moreover Will
ing for The relief of the james River Canal IN
its difficulties and for the Of the Central
road in the direction Of Coving,on.
1t had been estimated that three millions or three and
half was the aeqrega ted sum sufficient accomplish all
these purposes He ready to march up to that hgue,
and Eastern and anti internal improvement man as ne
was forced 10 call on his Western friends TO march with him.
Is three millions sum terrific said MIR. s. Seven per
cent annually on that sum only OF one
oer cent on $500 the assessed value Of the entire
,roperty of this Commonwealth Great complaints we're
made OF heavy taxation in this State Ho" vas In other
States North South and Wes He had 10y been on
visit to his native State, Tennessee Feeling natural s."
citude for the welfare Of the State Of his birth ne enquea
Of an old friend, how you getting ont On very WE'LL
aad he Are YOUR taxes high Only do,r and half on
negro Yet here were we Virginia complaining most
bitterly of negro Of only ,he'y EIGHT cents
Mr. S. next enlarged upon tc manifold benefits 10 the
State which would from -! public Wo'k4. lhey
would omen up to US that fine res the South West with
its beds Of plaster and SALT it's .on and lead ~:'H us
endless agricultural products Not long since IN company
with an old gentleman from little Tennesseehe was aoou
to brag his great crop of Irish potatoes forty bushels
but when the old man said he had failed in CROP having
made only thousand bushels thought 1t most prudent
retire. Yet here the Yankees feeding us at this very time
upon potatoes dollar and half bushel;-tMr s might
have added that although the richest grasses the natural
growth of the soil in South Western Virginia. often covering
the land In the deepest forests these Yankees are
actually feeding horses for with their hay, sent In
large quantities in bales Richmond up the cana
to Lynchburg-und into the country itself upon our
> Railroads in every directon)
! Mr. S. spoke of his section, mentioning many facts
which had not been previously known There that i'm
mense splendid valley of the Roanoke (sad he forty miles
wide second only that of the great father OF waters which
produced more than fourth the enre tobacco of this
State he quondam Cerbeus of the Treasury here grew
slightly hyperboica in setting forth the advantages OF his
Of the State but that pardonabe under the cir