The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-30

over the breast of one of Five's members severely
njuring him. Such reckessness should be punished.
MANCHEsrER.-A transit across Mayo's bridge at
this season of the year-past small and dreary-look-
ing islands, clothed in wintry foliage, and washed by
the swift currents of the river-will impart to the
traveller degree of melancholy, which it requires
some effort to shake Off One cheering thought dis
pels the mists of sadness. 1t is that the gay and
dancing spring will shortly appear and with magic
wand transform those dropping barren isles into
gardens of blooming verdure arrayed in all the
charms of wilderness beauty. Leaving nature to
her task, we pass on by the decaying dollhouse
and the massive cotton factories with their busy
tenants of humanity and machinery-and come upon
the main street of Manchester. ramble through
this retired village npresses the mind forcibly with
the idea that Manchester has-so to speak-a well
formed, vigorous body, covered with a very shabby
suit of clothes In other words, its inhabitants
quiet orderly, sober and industrious in eminent
degree, but live in some very shabby, deforned and
dying habtations. 1t is not desire to dsparaee
in the slightest degree the virtue industry sobriety
and intelligence OF the citizens of Manchester Far
from it Their example to us, in all these virtues,
has always been a bri ght and consistent one But
the appearance of the dwellings of the place is de-
cidedly uncouth, and not in conformity with the
means or intelligence of its inhabitants. And why
Owing, believe, to the want of free bridge from
Manchester to Richmond, the progress of improve
ment in this deserving village has been stayed in
fact almost entirely stopped There are some new
and tasty edfces the Methodist Church, and
in the street to the right of the bridge-and we re-
joice at this evidence of the revival of spirit OF i'm
provement-but they have only been constructed in
such limited numbers to render the contrast
between them and the dlapiated skeletons of tene-
ments sinking into the ground in other places-abso-
lutely painful.
And how long viii this state OF things continue p
1t is to be hoped that it will be of very short dura
ton. Let free bridge once be established, and
new and glorious epoch in the history of Manches-
ter will have TRANSFERRED short path prosperity
and wealth will have been opened--and to
tread in it thenceorth viii be easy and lucra-
tive labor Let a free bridge once be established,
and we viii see the citizens of Manchester and the
citizens of Richmond unitedly engaging in rearing
neat and substantial tenements, and commodious and
elegant stores for the accommodation Of those who
live in migrate to that village. The energies and
enterprise of the working nen-and men of mode
rate means, in both Manchester and Richmond will
no longer be crushed to the earth by the action OF
monied few, or the expensive restriction of toll
bridge Hundreds and thousands of our mechanics
and men of moderate MEANS were free bridge in
operation, would-because of the cheapness of
rent-convenient access-aud nearness of the coun
try market-resde in Manchester although employed
here. With population, tradesmen would flow in,
and thus with an augmepting population and free
scope to the enterprise of her citizens Manchester
would speedily take her place among the rural
cites-that delightfully."- characterized by quiet
nessand retirement and substantial beauty and prospe-
rity That at no distant day this is to be the cond
ton OF Manchester there can be question. In the
meantime every effort should be made to carry the
reform IF free bridge and to extend the manufac.
turing facilities of Manchester, and render them in
wiling and easily accessible to capitalists. Man.
chester viii then attain the position she should
rightfully occupy
There several points in connection with this
subject which we wish to present, in our estimation
of great importance. They have particular bearing
upon the question of the utility and even necessity of
changing the present aspect and position of Manches
ter, when its intimate connection with the prosperity
and the pleasures of the citizens of Richmond is
taken into consideration. We shall embrace an early
opportunity to discuss them