The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-03
THE STEAM LINE,

10 advance.
THE STEAM LINE.
While We are doubling here at home, our
farseeing neighbors of Baltimore perceive at
once the enviable position in which the estab
lishment of steam line would place US. The
American, of Wednesday, in reply Ito some
remarks Of the Wing, on this subject, says:
If the establishment of this line is TO be so
prolific Of good results to Norfolk, Richmond,
and ultimately to the whole State OF Virginia,
what may not Baltimore, with her superior ad-
vantages and more adequate means, expect
from the development OF her steam communi-
cations with Southern ports and their ultimate
extension to the ports OF Europe If Rich
mond is thus fully awakened TO this subject
and presses so earnestly for the establishment
of line which will not connect directly with
that port, is it not proper that Baltimore
should be fully aroused to the Importance of
similar projects, in which she, with the whole
State of Maryland, has SO great an interest?
We are not at all surprised at the violent OPP
position made to this bill, in certain quarters,
when it is well known 10 every body, that self
interest is always the ruling motive, and that
any scheme, no matter how feasible, or how
advantageous. would be opposed, if it wanted
NOR Of certain old-world men-men, whose
IDEAS stuck in the mud twenty Five years ago,
and remain there still. There is no conceiva-
bic plan for improving the commerce, the
manufactures, or the general wealth of the
country, which they would not oppose with
all the zeal of which their natures are su.cep-
tible. They oppose everything, no matter what
it may be, and they suggest nothing. Rich
mond, to them, would be Paradise, if they
could be allowed TO sit down in quiet, in the
midst of dilapidated buildings, falling roofs,
streets overgrown with grass and weeds, no
sound of life save the lowing Of the cattle
brousing in the streets, ever disturbing their
repose. tits useless TO talk to these sort Of
people. No impression can be made OF them.
1t was such people as these that told us the
Danvi!e Railroad was to be complete failure,
and warned every body against taking it's
stock. 1t was such that told US the great tho
roughfare from this point to the North, the
beginning at Boston, and ending at New Or
leans, was to be an abortion-it is they who
told us that we could have no water-worka
here-it was they who said that the gas works
could notbut fail 1t is true, that after these
things succeeded-after the folly Of their own
objections had been completely exposed by the
event-after experience had shown the practi-
cab lily Of the schemes against which they
raised their voces-they sneaked into the
ranks, pretended to rank among the pioneers
and, in some instances, clutched the larger part
of the spoils.
1t is now said, that the steam line cannot
transport bulky articles, such as tobacco and
cotton, on account of the price of freight We
were told the same thing, few years since,
in reg ard to railroads. The canal it was said
must always he the means for conveying pro.
duce and merchandse-the railroad for travel.
Time has laughed this stupid reasoning to
seorn. Let any man 60 and look at the Erie
and Dunkirk Railroad, if he wishes common
'ary upon it. Nay, for that matter, he can but
60 to the Danville or the Central depot he
will see enough at either place, to enable him
10 place proper estimate upon it,
Shippers, we are told, will not pay the
heavy freight which steamships demand on
heavy articles, such as cotton and tobacco
and We hear, for the first time, with infinite
surprise, that the quickness of the passage
will not weigh feather in their favor. What
Time no element in mercantile transactions
We had always thought the fact was exactly
the reverse. We had believed that it was all
important and we accounted, partly in that
way, for the enormous business done by the
Dunkirk Railroad, the rival Of the great Erie
Canal. But Mr. Thomson, in his letter to
'acse Mason, says that cotton may be shipped
on board of steamers, at one dollar the bale,
or twenty cents the hundred weight. Surely
inns IS moderate enough; and it, in connec-
ton with the facilities offered by the Belgian
railroads, which furnish an immigration of 500
per month, the steam line be able to afford it
thus low, We know not why it may not sue
eessfully carry on the trade. The duty on to.
escco, IN England, is three shiIlngs sterling
-aoont seventy five cents pound The
same tobacco, here, does not average fen cent.
pound; so, that instead of one hundred nor
cent, as we stated the other day, the English
tarin calls Tor seven or eight hundred ne,
cent. on the home valuation Of the article -
The freight to Liverpool. depending upon
the memorable laws of demand and supply,
varies continually. Sometimes it is as high a.
forty shillings sterling per hogshead, and some
iimes as low as twenty-five or three. We
should suppose, therefore. that twenty Eve
shillings would be fair average. Let US sup
pose one hundred hogsheads shipped in sail
vessel TO Liverpool, each hog shead being worth
ten dollars O hundred. The value of the
whole 10 $4,000 here. The freight il $500