Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-23
For THE TIMES

f way corporations in the State, the belief T an
tertain--that there is now forming in the Lee
gislature party, composed, for the most part, of
the mere political hucksters of that body, who
are determined to arrest all the great internal
improvement enterprises of the State, lest far
ther appropriations or subscriptions should en-
danger the supremacy of the Democracy of the
Old Dominion in the approaching political
struggle. Thus it has been from the be-
ginning, and, unless the people interpose, so it
VIII be to the end, that every practical good is
sacflhced to keep in place and power set of
small politicians, whose gourmand appetises for
treasury pap is absolutely Unsuitable.
would give notice of this treachery, that the
people may see to it in time toprevent the mis-
chieVous consequences which must ensue to the
treasury and to every citizen who has been in
duced to ait with his private capital the cause
OF internal improvement. Not alone to this class
OF our tellow-citizens, but to every man whohas
| anticipated benefits of any sort to result from
the speedy completion of the great State works
now In progress, would Iappeal I would cali
upon all to take warning from what has occurred
IN reference to the james River and Kanawha
/ Canal, because it was arrested before it was
much more than fairly commenced. The CITY
of Richmond and the Bank of Virginia, own
| ing little less than million of dollars in the
stock OF this Company, suffered sort of fnan-
clal paralysis for years because of the failure of
that company toprogress with the works. Many
individuals, who subscribed largely to the stock,
were greatly injured by the worthlessness oftheir
investments, and the producers of tonnage were
alldisappointed in their anticipated profits grow
| Ing out OF low transit charges. Was not this
treaehery to your city, to the Bank of Virginia,
| and to all the individual stockholders in the
James River company? Most assuredly it was.
! What would be said of the first capitalist in your
city, If he should project and set on foot, under
his guidance, great commercial enterprise,
solicit his associates and friends to join him. and,
as soon as they were committed to the full extent
OF their ability to pay, desert them, and coolly
tell them, 81 have changed my mind ~ Would
not every honorable man in the community pro-
nounce him infamous and treacherous to the
last degree ! This was the conduct of the State
| OF Virginia to your city, to the Bank of Vir-
ginia, and to every individual stockhoder in the
James River company. Like causes will pro-
duce like effects always, and predict, without
the fear of being upbraided hereafter as false
prophet, that if this Legislature shall adjourn
without providing adequate means to prosecute
the great system of Railways now in progress,
the very same results will come to pass on the
Central road, the Virginia and Tennessee road,
the South Side, Danvie, and Orange and Alex
andria roads. It can't be otherwise. The in
cipient capital in all those works will have
been expended, the roads will all be stop
ped, without reaching any point from which ad-
equate tonnage can be commanded to pay in
terest on the money expended. The Directors
of these corporations will adopt the old policy of
taxing local tonnage, to pay interest on capital
expended to attract foreign tonnage; and then
the people will begin to cry out against those
who projected and managed these lines of tran
sit, and, finally, the whole subject of Railway
improvement will be odious in the eyes of the |
people, as the James, River Canal ever was or |
ever can be. This is not all; if the Virginia |
and Tennessee road is arrested for want of cap
ital, we will lose, beyond all question, the whole
trade and travel of the entire line South West
of Washington county to Memphis. In this
way, Tennessee has passed all the laws neces-
sary to build every mile of this great thorough
fare, within her limits; and all her part of the
work is rapidly progressing. When completed, |
if our road is not connected with it, the trade |
will take the Southern line to Charleston and
Savannah. No man, who has grain of sense,
will deny this position. If this trade is thus
diverted from us, ever get it back All |
must admit, it is extremely doubtful. This is
not the extent Of the mischief which will be
done by aresting the progress of our great
South Western line of Railway. The success
of our efforts in prosecuting thisline Of road has
attracted the attention, and inspired the conf
U0uC0 Vi I'LL WIlOSe lIlI0TeSt has leu CuoIn 10
carefully watch its progress. This has caused
the States of Tennessee and Kentucky to char
ter road from Lexington to Knoxville, which,
when completed, will throw upon our South
Western line its entire trade and travel; be-
cause from Knoxville to Richmond is 436 miles,
whilst from the same point to Charleston and
Savannah is, to the former, 522 miles, to the lat
ter 436 miles. To i've to your readers, and es-
pecialy to the members of the Legislature,
some idea of what we risk-nay, what we will
unquestionably lose, if we do not prosecute the
Virginia and Tennessee road with all possible
diligence, beg you to insert the followinga ar
tice from the Knoxville Plebeian:
| From the Knoxville Plebeian.
Knoreille and Lexington Road.
! We are pleased to see that this Important
railroad continues to attract the attention OF our
southern neighbors. Among other proofs of
this favorable feeling in the seaboard cities, we
might give several extracts from their public
journals. We can only make room for one this
morning. That able Journal, the Savannah
| Daily Georgian, of the Goth inst, after paying
a high and deserved compliment to the lberaty
which has distinguished our present legislative
assembly in reference to internal Improvements,
thus refers to the important road under COM
! ment:
"The charter for another road-to the con-
struction of which (the road, not the charter)
Savannah is not indifferent, has lately been OBJ
tanned. 1t is for road from Knoxville,
Tennessee, to Lexington, Kentucky. A yigo-
rous effort is now making in Nashville, to obtain
for this projected work, the same aid from the
State that has been extended to others, namely,
the loan of its credit for amount sufficient to
iron and equip the road. Lexington is alreadyl
connected by railroad with Louisville and vii
soon be connected in the same way with Gin
cinnati. A charter has been granted by Ken
lucky for road from Lexington to the Tennes-
see line, to meet that projected from Knoxville
to the Kentucky line. When. then, tho latter
[ shall be completed the length (which will be
|, from As to so miles, Savannah will be brought
into immediate connection with Louisville and
Cincinnati, by way of Knoxville, the shortest
practical railway ofroute from our port to those