Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-01-30


,asn e:Gca ln. TIC poGai,a: aia4!t!cna i: oH: SIX"
urge .!yie ~ every means Ia %: power ron III
ManchestGrs and Birnnghums ci Grcut Britain and tn
continent hOs" arcers who daily turned out by hun
drcds without food employment! from their factories.
With railroad system completed this valuable class
people will find in manufacturing Virginia, uaceas!ag EN-
| pinyment aud food inexhausthle.
is needless enlarge further upon the capacities OF IL
onil for furnishing local trade 10 her system OF rail- ROADS
Turning therefore, TO the trade which these works VIII DC
rive from beyond her limits it Is to be observed mat the
reach into that portion Of the Mississippi valley lying ot
tween the atitGdes of extreme Southern Tennessee an
Northern Ohio which is far the most productive portion
that immense BASIN and that they will afford 10 its product
the shortest and easiest transit ~ Inc ocean ui all ONE
routes North South.
The natural uets TO this basin are The ST. L5wE"nce a
Mississnpirvers midway between the mouths Ut which IL
Virginia and the Chesapeake BAY ia not 10 be doubted
that if there natural channel Of navigation !ow!n
from this valley Virginia into The Chesapeake bay
The great bulk of Western trade would be borne uFoa lis 90
rather than upon the Mississippi and ST. Lawrence
rivers But these natural channels do not answer IN
great demands OF Western commerce. Artificial lines
transportation have become necessary 10 It's accommodation
Yc, the artificial highways Of Virginia will possess th'
same advantages all other snch works vi art IN trans
porting this that natural channel across her Ter
rtov there one would possess over the great natu
raj Northern and Southern outlets 10 the ocean, The ac
ia obvons, and requires application or proof
But is needless enquire into the capacity oil Inc pn
lie works Of Virginia compete with others Tor trace
which if already will speedily be- g" vast as Ia sue
competi,ion If there be competition al oil In respect 10 Inc
oyerlow;ng commerce of the West will be between ac
cumuatng products struggling for transit and mol between
lines of transportation concnjing tor trade Already Is nis
the case with The canals and railways OF New i".h
only limit trade issuing from the West now that pGpua
ton Is becoming generally dused over lis territory
will be in the facilities OF that trade for reaching market
Capabe of producing beyond lis own con
sumption every addition to its facilities fur transportation
will only multiply its surplus production P"fuIauon was
its first great That being partially secured, lis future
never ending will be ACCESS TO MARKET
Statistics Western trade have been 90 oIcn IN so many
FORMS and from many sources laid before the public that
to eyhhi! them here would DC useless repetition lhcy but
teach The great fact OF that countrys Unlimited capacity
when uly populated for the production OF human food and
mineral treasure This immense capaci!y for production mas
caused of population such as the world never
witnessed bcfore un recprocay this astonishing increase
of population multiplied its material wealth with rapid
lily and in ratio outs,rpping all previous computation
The country is yet In extreme infancy us mh'nfca hnef
pcs are not vet begun be exeed It's complete resources
are scarcely beginning BE- developed The combined re-
cproca action OF its population upon wealth. and It's wealth
upon population, have scarcely Yet commenced 10 eAho
their stupendous results. u
very few facts will suffice show the increase of West.
ern population and wealth. In 1886 The commerce Of the
lakes was computed to be SIG PA in value In 1913 that
value had become S59 533 100 In SS was 9oo
and IL is now mare than S2UUUUUuUO
The area the Mississippi Valley is 600 square miles
If populated as densely New England II would hold
600 900 of people Ii populated like England ii would
contain 3i5 900 Of sou-neary equivalent 10
present population Of the globe Less than seventy hVe
years ago but 10000 people, besides aborsnes
now il contains than 000 600 OF civilized Inhabitants
II support dcnse population than any country OF like
in the world is attracting emigration by hundreds
of thousands every year. With population generally IN the
prime of life surrounded by OF the circumstances
which usually check the increase Of the Pece' continuous
y repensed by additions aside from It's natural increase,
and enjoying political institutions tending 10 develop human
energy its Ultimate capacity it would be difficult 10 clc-
the numerical progress of this valley II is certainly
safe tina. the end OF this century will find containing
not far less than 5000, 900 OF sJu!s
What will be The amount and value OF the trade produced o
people increasing thus rapidly from eleven 10 seventyve
millions in number and what The results of their labor upon
q Astounding
everywhere in minerals would supass the elufts OF the h-
mind accurately 10 compute 1t would seem that the
mention of the foregoing leading facts would suffice to
Danish all apprehensions that might be felt OF deficiency
of trade afford occupation for the numerous pub
lie WORKS projected for its transportation
The annual loss by accidents on tho MISSISSIPPI river 10
the commerce transported upon it, computed in lSlO TO
be upwards of s300O000 The value OF that trade in that
year 1920 0O0 Tho loss upon trade pursuing ms
channel therefore and quarter per cent This Is
item OF the Of transportation The statistics ui
Western trade exhibit the fact that all the articles OF West
grown food except the products OF the hog are exported
in larger quantities eastward towards the Atlantic, than
southwark down the Mississippi river The fact - owing to
the injury sustained by cereal products IN their passage
through the warmer climates nf the lower Mississippi!
and the Calf These cereal products, especially Indian
corn cheap beara h2h cost Of and
invariably seek the cheapest transit to market ms np"r-
tant desiJeruum will be possessed by our own Improve
mens Scientific surveys shew that the grades uon our
rail IDS will BIZ considerably less thaa those OF tc roads
north OF hcm and whether Cincinnati Louisville ST. Louis,
Sprngtsld Memphis, Independence, be taken ~ The
centre Of the Mississippi valley the transit thence Vir
gni 10 Hampton Roads is by miles the shortest OF all
the approaches from the West 10 the Atlantic me chphcl'
u that valley for furnishing exports .! cereals may DC IN
feed from the productions Of Ohio in 1885, In that year
the wheat eop that STATE estimated TO be 3OOOOO
OF bushels of which she consumed but about 2OVO
Eer production of Indian in the same season was
81 900 O00 Of which she fed 10 her stock exported
100000 in hulk and fed to fat animals which were driven
10 market 20 OOO So therefore, hut for the of
transportation Ohio alone would havp exported in that year
4O0O0G00 bushcl, of wheat ana Indian The statistics
Of New York and Ohio canals exhibit the inci that but
of
from distance greater than the eastern shores OF Lake
Ec-u which demonstrates that our Virginia lines OF
transportation and Chesapeake ports will monopoze
the Indian corn trade oi the Ohio valley
The subject of great rail roads has been dwelt upon
some length in order dsabuse the public mind in VIZ.
pina of prevailing prejudice induced by the want OF due
hcc,on that the public works of the State are antagonists
and rivals and In order if possible put end 10 the
mutual hnsies which unfortunately prevail between their
respective friends Nothing is wanting TO the rapid p'osper!-
~ Of the Commonwealth but harmony and concert %! ac-
lion among these great interests. Conflicts between them
only result reardng their progress and exhaustlng the
means Of the State upon works OF secondary consequence
IL is vaIy important that the Of the treasury
should be concentrated upon leading enterprises and ap-
piled with systematic economy, but enlightened lberalty 10
completing great system OF improvements in which the
State is engaged The completion of these instead OF ind
Ing them competing with each other for trade will only find
them laying down additional tracks and engaged in augment.
ed efforts 10 accommodate the accommodating commerce
pressing upon them for transit.
Ill the good fortune ,ad ba able announce,
that Notwithstanding The embarrassment prevailing In the
selling for higher premiums than they have ever before com
handed While this is 81 OF the present time, The finances
OF tho Stale have just emerged from important crisis
The difficulties which presented themselves To The Board
during the year scarcely be understood by those not IA
milar with the duties imposed upon them by The hws Inc
appropriations OF the last three years 10 works OF internal I'M
proveen have far exceeded what ever before known
in the history of the Commonwealth. So considerable and
sudden the increase OF the public debt that seroIs APP
prchensons public credit began be entertained by
discreet and rejecting The engagements into which
the State had already soenly entered amounted 10 m inn
mcnse Of moncy-much beyond what had ever been
realized before year from the sale OF State bonds-thC
only mode provided by law for procuring funds 10 deray the
Of puoic works whether constructed br JDnt stock
companies or wholly upon State accouct Tho Common
wealth. by various cEacnent directed the Board OF Public
Works subscribe great number of Joint stock conpa
Mica whenever the subscribed by private individuals
should rcuch specified sum.
When these subscriptions made II became ne duty
of the Board pay the State subscriptions par passu with
the payments by private stockholders There no con
dtions whereby the duty thus imposed could DC
either deferred avoided by the BoaTd-te mandate "a'
absolute. To fail in the payment of the States quota from
any whatever would have been act OF papabe re-
puaton. failure to discharge the interest annually ac
crung upon the State debt could not have been
plee forfeiture Of State credit inflicted deeper stain upon
her honor. The responsibility imposed upon the Buarc
IVES under these circumstances OF most momenous impo
lance Not only the honor and credit OF the Common
wealth-so dear every Firginan-were committed Il
their charge bn the prosecution of every public work in t
their meeting promptly the extraordinary