The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-14


These States are thus represented in area and
population under the late census:
Area in Population to the
square miles square mile.
Massachusetts ;. 1900 l2746
New York j.. !. 10000 67.33
Pennsylvania !. . $4,000 5O.25
Maryland 1886 623l
Virginia 81 1852 23.l7
Leaving out the slave populatonin Maryland
and Virginia, and the former has 81 and frac-
ton of inhabitants to the square mile, while
Virginia has but ii and fraction; and the area
Of Virginia under the last census is set down at
2,64S square miles less than that awarded her
under all former census returns, which, if
erroneous, makes the disproportion still greater
against her. But with the territory assigned her,
if she had the federal population of Massachu-
sets, she Would under the present census be
entitled to So representatives in Congress- if as
populous as New York, she would be entitled
to Al; if as much 80 as Pennsylvania to 80, and
if az much so as Maryland, she would be entitled
to 80.
This statement shows at a glance the relative
population Of these several Stntes and since
population is the true element on which all
works of internal Improvement should be based,
it shows how little able Virginia is to compete
in expenditure with the States before named.
If the friends of these improvements demand
that, in proportion to her territory, Virginia shall
have as many roads as these States have then,
to equal Massachusetts, she must build more
than 5000 miles and to equal New York and
Pennsylvania, she must construct about one
third more miles than they have. 1t is clear,
therefore, these States do not afford safe ex-
amples for Virginia to follow in carrying on
works of internal improvements. Her ratio of
population to territory settles that, and is also
valuable in another point of view--that is,
whether or no the ratio of population to terrific
ny is not the truest index of the solvent cond-
ton of such of our States as have taken upon
themselves the construction of these works.
During the last great money pressure we
had, of the States before named, Pennsylvania,
of least population, suffered in credit most, and
Maryland next-while Mississippi which had
also engaged largely in these works, with a
white population Of only and fraction to the
square mile, was utterly Frustrated.
But were the population of Virginia equal, it
must essentially change before it could be made
to conduce as much to the support of railways,
as does the population fthe North The North
is made up of busy, active, trading communi-
ties so much so, that they have been character
lied by European tourists as always travelling /;
while Virginia is essentially agricultural, and
her citizens are averse TO travelling In proof
of this, look ut our railroads and steamboats,,
and see, comparatively speaking, how few OF
our citizens are transported on them.
1t is not believed that the steamboat line be.
tween Richmond and Norfolk, our largest
towns, could be kept up, nor our railway line
from North to South, passing through the heart
of the State, be made to pay expenses, were it
not for the foreign travel
have now furnished the data from which to
estimate the probable cost of the railway system
in Virginia, and the ability of the State to bear
the burdens it will impose
The view here taken ought to make even the
most sangune friends of these improvements
pause and reflect; it ought to destroy many a
road existing only in surveys and projected lines,
and dispel many a bright vision of railways
meandering all over the State, and pouring into
her cities and towns, to use a favorite express
sion, "Aoods of wealth." | regret this, for |
had rather mpart pleasure, if could, than give
pain; but |, in common with all, have an inter
est in the welfare of the commonwealth, and
having long viewed this subject on the reverse
side of that always exhibited, feel it duty not
to withhold my views from the public. They
will pass current only for what they are worth,
and will not circulate unless they are genuine
coin--so they can do no harm.
To look to these works as remuneratiye in
dividends, is worse than idle, as taught by all
their past experience, as | showed in my me.
mortal to the Legislature.
If in this country they could be made to paw
anywhere, it would be in Massachusetts, from
the peculiar character and density of her popu
ation; yet even there, as | showed in late
article the paid dividends on the aggregate cost
of their railroads, was not one half The sum
usually claimed for them
Nor are the reports of the New York Erie
railroad, eften quoted by the friends of these
works, at all TO- be relied on. In their report
for this year, (see Railroad Journal, Jan. 81
they admit that the cost of the road during the
past year, has exceeded the estimate Ss3,OSO,OOO,
"a sad commentary on railway estmates,) max
ing the cost now S24,OO0,OOO, while only so
miles of it has double track And the same
Journal says "We believe that about two.
thirds of the expenditure necessary TO complete
the Erie railroad, and give it double track, has
already been made. The double track, which il
indispensable, will cost from ten to fifteen thous-
and dollars per mile. We base our opinion upon
the experience of other roads Compared bv
this standard, out estimate of final cost is a
lower one"
have shown that the estimated cost of this
work in the report of 1851, fell short Ss,OsO,.
600 OF the actual cost in one years operations,
and leave you to infer if you can, from these
data, what the ultimate cost is TO be.
This road has figured largely in speeches and
publications; notoriety was given to it by an
invitation to the President of the United States
and his cabinet to make the first trip over it |;
and since then it has, by all friends of the sys-
TEN, been often referred to AZ an example Illus.
trating the great remunerating benefits of rail.
ways. II runs along by the side of the Erie
canal, and is certainly doing a large business.
for the directors estimate thir income for 1854
at SS4ooo,Oo0, and after deducting 4S per cent
for running expenses and paying per cent on
$lS,0O0,000, there will be surplus left sufi-
cient, the directors say, to pay 1871 per cent d.
vidends on the capital stock. have seen this
statement quoted in Virginia, in support of our
projected railroad schemes, and refer to 1t in d.
tail TO dispej tho fnlsa ilnsloua crcafad hv n