The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-09
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

This great subject is yet before the House
We have heard of very little difference of OPT
MON among the members, and we are led to
hone that ut last things will be adjusted with
all due regard to the interest aud honor of the
Commonwealth. Ii is impossible, at any rate,
to stop the progress of internal improvement
now, let the cost be what it may, unless we
wish to throw aw ay entirely al! the money that
has been spent, and thereby TO subject the
Commonwealth to a system OF taxation TO
which there never can be an end. In this view
Of the case, we do not agree with our neigh
Dor Of the Wing, in hoping that If Virginia 8
quota of the land money be rejected. the inn
provements may be arrested. We are in favor
of lis reception-as much so as il is possible to
be. Yet even If il should be rejected, it strikes
us that it will be far better to tax for the pur'
pose of continuing the system OF improve
ments until the works pay, than TO tax tor pay
ing of the interest on money literally sunk IN
the ocean, on the principle that man would
spend money TO save debt.
The subject of disagreement between the
friends Of internal improvement in the House,
80 far, seems to have been the gauge to be
adopted on the Covington and Ohio Railroad.
The peculiar friends OF The Central road CON
tend for gauge of feet 81 inches, and
the peculiar friends of the Virginia and Ten
nessee railroad are in favor of gauge of five
feet. To these the discussion seems to be con-
fined. With all due Difference, we think the
Central road, in this instance, has the better
Of the argument.
The gauge on the Central road is 4 feet
81 inches. Now the Covington road is no
thing more than a continuation of the Central
road. 1t begins at Covington, where the Cen
tral road terminates. All the roads in Ohio
and Kentucky with which the Covington and
Ohio road expect to unite, are Of the same
gauge with the Central railroad. There can
be but one reason, then, for making the link
that untes these systems of different gauge
from The extemities, and that is, that that
gauge has been found not to answer. This we
learn is not so; for it is fact that the large
majority of railroads in this county, is Of this
gauge, as is likewise the case in England. In
the latter country, we learn, that all of a recent
construction are so. Now, this serves to prove
what, we understand, has been asserted by en-
gineers Of great experience and ability, that it
has been shwon by actual experiment to be the
best The Virginia and Tennessee railroad s
i've feet in the gauge, and that fact, no doubt,
has its controlling influence. Now, if it be
question of convenience between the two, it
seems to US that the Central road is clearly en-.
titled to the preference. 1t is first on the ground
and first come, first served" is the rule all the
world over. 1t has already contracted as far
as the western terminus of the Ohio and Gov
Ington road, and the Virginia and Tennessee,
II il ever goes TO that road must gel to it
through the difficult country presented by the
counties of Giles and Monroe La one word,
II is matter which ia more directly concerns
the Central than it does the Virginia and Ten
nessee road.
1t Is CT great importance, in railroad trans
portation, TO avoid transhipment as much
as possible, and though it sometimes oc-
ours where the gauge on two roads is the same
from disagreements between companies, &c,
II is best TO avoid it as much as possible
lmpolitic, then, to the last degree, must be any
law which renders it indispensable as this now
proposed would.
The Monroe Convention, last fall, had this
matter before it, but unanimously declined to
interfere.