The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-02
LOCAL MATTERS.

After the organisation of the meetine-which We
have already notced-the chairman, Mr. Walter D.
Blair, returned Acknowledgements for the honor
conferred upon him. He had to confess, that in
regard to the great object of the meeting bis own
information was too limited to enable him to make
q satisfactory explanation OF it, He had no doubt
there were gentleme present who could give light
upon the subject, and he invited them to present
their views SO that all might be enabled to decide
whether or not they should instruct their delegates
in the Legislature to vote to establish Q line OF
steamers from the ports of Virginia to Antwerp, at
an expense of one million of dollars.
Mr. Daniel II. London said he would make brief
statement Originally he had been opposed to
Thompson's line of steamers. On Monday last he
received, from member of the Legislature, the
bill providing for the establishment of a line of
steamers to Antwerp, On reading it, it removed
every obstacle which he had IL his mind to the ss
Enlistment OF Thompsons line. Monday a'eh'nS'
about O'clock he met with Mr. Butler, one of their
representatives, WHO said he should vote against
the BILL He Mr. L. mentioned the fact to several
importing merchants, and they were equally sur
priced at it with himself. After consultation, it
was agreed to invite this meeting that evening. A
ing the representatives to vote for the line and
large majority of the persons engaged IA the i'm.
porting trade and other leading nerci. anita signed.
On presenting it to the delegates that day, they
stated they should not consider t. emseyes instruct
ed By it, but should await the action Of this or ge
neral meeting of the c'..dzeps Mfr London then
proceeded to read 'ns bill, the chief features of
WHICH we nave already given. He passed high
encoilu1 .pon the character of Mr. T. as reliable
lian' Gil .ng Judge Mason and the record of the La
g's' lure Of Pennsylvania, which record had in
ecrbed upon 1t vote of thanks to Mr. T., as good
authority in regard to his charaster In one state
ment in regard to the profits likely to accrue from
emigration from Belgium, he thought Mr. 7. had
made an over estimate. The others were correct
He (Er L knew nothing practically of these mat
ters. He was anxious to see the line established
even without profit. He believed the government
| would appropriate 90 or 10000 dollars yearly for
carrying the mail, which would aid the line mste
rally. He desired direct connection with Europe
Mr. l.. then cited statistics Of the commerce Of vir
! giaia, and of the immense trade which would &C.
crue to her with the completion of the great South
Western and other railroads. With the compile
ton of these works of internal improvement, he re-
| garded the commerce that would result as anply
sufficient to support line of steamers with Europe
! He did not wish to make any appeal to any party
section in this matter. He felt sympathy with
those who would be hostile to direct foreign trsde
| because 1t might trespass upon the trade of the
North. For himself, he should prefer sesing his
own State benefited by the goods consumed by her
own people, and far possible the profits of her
| into s barn
| merchants
| MR. II. Gilmer next addressed the meeting
He said the smallness of the meeting was doubtless
| owing to the fact that its announcement had only
been made in two papers, and that the Times had
called similar meeting for Wednesday night
He (Mr g. felt deep interest in this subject as
| every Virsnisn should feel. This meeting was, Of
course, too small TO instruct the delegates, but he
| trusted larger future meeting would be held for
| that purpose. In converSing with gentlemen, he
had found but two objections prevailing against the
BILL The first implicated the character of distin
| guished Southern public spirited gentleman Am.
brose W. Thompson. He (Mr G but alluded to
questions nstul ally put by our citizens to the
qualifications and responsibility of Mr. Thompson
Mr. G. would declare, from his own personal know
potent and upright gentleman. He (Nr T) had
come before the Legislature with his project only
after great persuasion the part of representatives
of Virginia in Congress-among them Mr. Meade OF
Petersburg He (Mr g. should not, in that meet
ing, enter into the merits of the bill, but simply
ferred to Mr. T because he had been unjusty spoks1
of, when his object was to assist Virginia in carry
ing out her own commercialindependenc
The other objection he heard was, that Virginia
could not sustain this line, and he heard it with
modification. Appropriations were about being
made to complete great internal lines of improve
ment and the produce brought by them would be
carried North and Northern men would be made
the factors of Virginia Instead of exporting their
own flour and tobacco, and importing their own
goods, New York must do it for them. Virginia
had the power to support these lines and thus Ie-
lieve her from her commercial thraldom to the
North He believed that the time had come to
strike the blow for commercial freedom. If this
line was not established, when the time should ar
rive that Virginia would be permanently and ire,
deemably bound in commercial thra!dou to New
York-would not those who had defeated the es-
Enlistment of the line have to answer for the
slavish consequences True there was risk in this
matter, but only the same as in declaring war, or
sending out new ship, or engaging ia any new en-
terprise. He hoped gentlemen would not so eff
halfcocked on this subject but would examine it in
al its bearings before they made up their minds
upon it.
Mr. GeorgeN. Johnson said this was not ques-
ton as to whether they would have direct trade
with Europe all would say aye to that; it was not
q question "a to whether they should have direct
trade in the form preferred in the BILL but it was
question as to whether they should now instssct
their delegates to vote for the bill. They had
elected three intelligent representatives, and he
did not think it was to be presumed that they would
act upon this subject without fully examining it in
all its bearings. He would ask if the members of
that meeting were so fully aequ aintsd with this
subject that they capable OF instructiag these
representatives faithfully of their duty in the pre-