The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-10
PRICE ONE CENT

soon M.
eur. bil. was pending before Congress- .os.
tanning appropriations for similar ohect, IN.
o'hef states, many Of them less deserving snd
uone more deserving, than the imnrovement of
ou, .!,, own nooie river; and il was believed ,hs
ohl would pass, though it appropr;s,eJ nn,
one cent lor any purpose any " here in V;rs;.
n,a' II vas OBVIOUSLY just and right, if hi,
cp,n,P tne paoiic money, belonging in
common TO, as IT had been contribursd in cor, ~
moh oy, the people of all the States. sboniJ y.
passed by Congress, that the ma;o,;tv -
would pass the bill should see thar !, ms5.
uIsI'IDu'ioh OF the common fund with q, Isas,
suaie approximation TO equality. Under ,hs
.nnuenee oi these considerations. it was dse,,.S
20 ~ DC III accordance with the Instructions Of To
oounG"' ah1 every way admissible and pronsr
United States. s'oss oi the
The able ano faithful Representative !, co
giesS from this District had, however, sn,ic;.
pated any action on the part of your comnn;t
zee and not long after the adjournment of ,h.
General Assembly, without making promn,is
adequate provision for tho Improvement he
naa moved IN the House of Representative an
amendment to the bill, then pending before
pat ma, mouse known as the River and Harbor
Dill, which amendment embraced an ammo.
prlatIon for the improvement of lanes r;vsr
oeiow the city of Richmond. The Amendment,
theh proposed by him was lost by yery close
vote, there being majority of only one or two
votes against IT, and that, il is believed occs.
stoned by the accidental and momen,arv ob.
sence from the House of some of The friends of
the amen Iment, at the time the vote was tnken.
and me- ofcourse determined to move another
amendment for the same purpose, as soon os
an opportunity was afforded.
Some of the members of your committee be-
ing informed of that determination, and being
advised that the presence of depufa,ion from
the committee in Washington migh aid our
Representative there in Carrying the amend
ment through the House, the Chairman and
two other members of the committee associat.
ing with them our fellow citizen, Robert C.,
Stanard, Esq, who had communicated the in.
formation went on at once TO Washington, and
united their best exeriionS with the untiring
and efficient efforts of our Representative in
procuring the adoption of the amendment.
Your committee are pleased to state that an
amendment to the River and Harbor Bill ap-
proprating the sum of $4,000, for the i'm
proVement ofthe navigation of the James and
Appomaltox rivers below the cities of Rich.
mond aud Petersburg respectively, was adopt,
ed by the House of Representatives, by a very
considerable majority. The bill, with that
amendment, subsequently passed both Houses
of Congress, and was approved by the Presi.
dent.
The amount thus appropriated is less than
your Committee desired, considering that a
portion of the amount is to be devoted to the
improvement of the Appomattox river; but it is
believed to be more than twice as much as
was ever heretofore appropriated in any bill
passed by Congress, for the improvement of
our river and if confined to that alone, it
would probably be as much as would be re-
qured for the expenditure OF one year, in the
prosecution of the work. According to the re-
port of Capt. Stansbury, the amount required
for the first year, in improving the channel of
james river, is $40, 400 and the reduction
which is believed to have taken place in the
present cost of dredg ing machines, would
probably reduce the amount required to $45,-
000 the sum appropriated. Your committee,
however, anticipate that if the work is begun
by the General Government, the obvious policy
of its completion, to render the expenditure
which will have been made available, will en-.
sure the small additional appropriation which
NAV be required, together with the annual ap.
prop opriation of $13 900, for four years, as esti.
mated by Capt. Stansbury's report; especially
as that report was placed before Congress, and
the oppropriation was made with full know
ledge on its part. that the additional sums
would be required to comple'e the WORK. u
Some of the members OF your committee still
think that it is possible that the General As
sembly of Virginia may pass the bill for the
of james River, before referred
to. and stated to be still pending in the House
of Delegates; and believing il to be the pecu
,iar province of the State Government TO pro-
vide for that improvement, and polite and wise
in the General Assembly TO make the provi-
sion. thew would cheerfuily urge its conside-
ration. 1t would still be competent TO the Ge-
neral Assembly to make the provision; and if
made by it, the money appropriated to the i'm.
Of james River, by the General
Government, mig be most usefuily devoted TO
The erection of the light house and the addi-
tionaI buoys recommended by Capt. Stansbu-
rv-ohiects considered by all to be within the
legitimate powers Of that government. The
General Assembly not having acted on the APP
plication made to it, on behalf Of the City of
Richmond. YOUR committee submit TO the
Council to determine whether they shall do
any thing further in regard to that apple alton,
or whether, considering the object Of their ap-
poin,ment "a accomplished, by the appropria-
lion obtained from the General Government,
they shall be discharged from further duty IN
reg ard TO It.
Your committee respectfully recommend to
the Council, for reasons which viii al once
occur 10 il, and which need not therefore be
stated. 10 appoint one or more Of your body, or
of the citizens Of Richmond, 10 represent the
city before the Department at Washington ha-
wing charge OF the appropriation which has
been made. to confer with the Department 10
regard to il. and to attend to the application of
the money in The mode best suited TO advance
the interests Of Richmond; and they take the
liberty to suggest that, if more than ono 10 ap-
pointed, the number should be as limited as
possible.
: The expenses incurred by the committee in
the discharge Of their duties amount TO the sum
of S206 g. an account OF which is herewith
submitted. That sum has been paid, upon the
draft Of the chairman of the committee on the
Chamberlain, out Of the sum Of $500, appro
priated tor that purpose, and made subject TO
such draft.
Copies of the two charts Of the river made
by Capt. Stansbary, which were obtained by
the committee from the Department at Wash.
ington; and printed copy of the Report Of
Capt. Stansbury, expended to the proceed.
ings of the Virginia Commercial Convention"
held in September, 1851, are herewith return
ed to the Council, TO be filed with this report.
as they may be again servieeable in any future
action OF the Council on this subject.
All which is respectfully submitted.
vii A