Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-01-23
IMPROVEMENT OF JAMES RIVER.

i pu,;ic atcrr!Dn the announcement ot james klve' De
Iy III. cirv OF Richmond You conclude with expires m
d., ho thar enough has be- said by you the SUBJECT Il
wake M our cy fathers and w', am SURE, De lTa
I!cd tn tHA youT hope was realized before vas eN
-sC!.
:na Conas ae tie ci;T have several occasions he 10
!or actcI n!s important subject, AMI have dane al
WHICH BY ,w they had Authority I" CO. ana when - nc
,fru.- Jr them In re.a. 10 IT, lney contributed
M. L.. not A roasils .b. part III the cost OF The su.gc,
ui Lira;. Sanebury in 1887 10 which you refer; al
though made ~ officer, and Under te oirecu"n,o
tn. General Government.
During In. past yea, the Council have again had the sub
il! undcr rnns!d-!.tou, and conmtee 10 men II "a
:r.r, ,dc able report. giving detailed acco''
lad heretofore been done IN The matter pfeseht!
CONCISE and anii of the peexln2 questions "Aicl
!i.Yr gown OIL o IT, and which have been heretofore IN
fortunately aNc the footballs Of par;izan wa:srr express
ln nat think all viii al tt 10 be sensible and just con
csIns tn. obligations 81 the community ana O. t
government reference 10 it, and recommending an a2
~ lo General Assembly at the State 10 make sci
provision the oi Tile oblecl as may Ss'!
/ I" i tiait drd proper.
c,cor eurirriv ia vuur views Of The Importance OF III,
,urove,; u james River below the head of tide water
AMI like yun cons!e il essential To the future prosperity u
.e CIV o Richmond II is equally necessary 10 the pros
D.rity -; the Whole State NJ ot the lnpoftan i'm
oryrsns which have executed or when IS no" con
eupated in Virginia, will contribute in greater deSr': |"
her advancement in commerce. popualion wealth ana
err lr number The people Of Tie otae are me
I'd in n. speedy accomplishment Of This wnra man ni any
other w!lha All that portion OF oar population
whose products whose supplies are transported on
River are ak. interested ceupenlng the cost OF mai
/
hea he has concern about the transportation " S
pr0dnc:s after tey have passed INTO the HANDS OF me er
chant and thinks thst the merchant then has 10 tar
its ransro: iatun To another Market sila e
consumer is no less mistaken who supposes when ne pnr-
his supplies that Is nothing 10 nm no" '"Fy were
market town. and that lie PAYS 10 ne 'el.
chan part ut the IF bringing them hcre lHe very
al this is obvious. The 'ncrcann! is but INC ma
OF the producer and consumer his pron's CONS
wages The producer ana CONSUMER uie Inc principals III
M coGcefu ana pay costs OF The business ara me
| n he
iticnroGd the manufacturer or shipper VINO ony' II nus
consider The rcst OF its transportation TO anolner hrth''
and the OF what he dDrd To pay 70 'ehhZS
profit ard insure his wages nc must dedcs '' .o, ~
yvEs The planter thus pays me COST n INNS
prrtaOn cactuaIy If il levied .: to.i-aate
The If the consumer. Or, at least e,e w"
pr1cer consumc! or both togehe-lt eeihg cNieu oc
tween ;rn-nGs pay the cost for i viii be admit'eo 'a'
MERCHANT doca pay il aud in The we" now pre-
ed u Is nnaterl how political economists may Feltie te
Gu. stIon :Ur the whole community are consumers, "na "
every thriving community the vast majority Of II ios W
Producers L. is he community AT large, mol inc 'r.
al ne, principally who are TO reap the oena
o this iupro,. urnr and whose interest and duty y u
! contribute Ia its accomplishment.
10 what end should construct canals ano ran 9a"s 80
Du prirrinu market towns products were 10 remain
there uEd supplies could rot come I!tTei u 10 "
p)ri tl: Irc should he cheap ana SAFE coI'r!
tyvrrn Inc interior the country and our nike ~" ~
her" is ii not equally important that there s"a DC I
conveyance between those market Towns anu VIC
markets. If the woi with which VIC trader None can ''
it, Are not whu. community as much interested ~
clcaening the conveyance at one point a5 AZ 'he oe
More will dispute it, ii wae and prudent economy, ~
j, ,1,I.s H. means 10 accomplish one u
these rclS IL equally 50 10 acc"np!!s" 'o o"
! II would seem to oe Il necessary concins!,n , 3D..
The improvement of the lower James River wona lhcii-
tale tie Trade from Tho cities OF Sofi"6' fe''s'
i-.monc three Of The principal mafAst towns o. IN.
S;ac well aud from every town ana 'h'ase III ''e
Sac connected vii. either of those cities " canal or az
road or whose trade in any way carried On or transported
through those 1t would thus be directly othchc'a 10
all those cities and towns AID all the Counties IN The
whose trade is carried on or transported through any
ynD,ur "A
STATE TIE James River the great artery along
which tho ie-blDcd nj commerce lJws through ue
Whole community and directly or Indirectly Inc "he
Slhc is interested in s Improvement II any Is 10 &c 80
reg !ri this Is uIQucstiunably and cmphatcuy '"Ne
improvement; gn ought 10 be accomplished Out oil Tue CON-
| mon !nnd
Ia his view am opposed to making this Improvement on
the Int Ok pncpIi or that inc STATE ITSELF much s
any Company should regard II ss source o ini' d"
lIv., 10 tells inc trade ol the lower Jints
Rive, would BE- Ia b1rtaen the trade OF very neal, c
Who'll i,; and would thus place Us al disadvantage 10
cnpe,n. with The ohe States Of he (onrdcrncy tuE nc
co,ncfcr Of The world NnrG oar great Improvement 10
Vest shall reach their destination on the Oh and 'se
$cuh shall have paced HE borders at Norm ,"'
liza, ." an ta= "lfeady done ana o: iehnese' -
wii d. very shortly their sicc"saGi cpernti"n -
trade al West - coz earned WI! si"i''
IL ,.rrud on .c i,r,ty with winch their Eastern to
mini ll4t transported 10 the marE"is % nc
..Gj. he Western has fran Boston, Ne" lofs f"!.
.sp? d, igvI, C!,rleeon sod Savannat are al com
l.t;;. fJ his great trade o. the Nee; should
nssslF ourtsn !, with tax on eavng our own cities
i ulviGs thai ;hI. extent advantage VIII DC 2''th
III c'mD"ag lines IN aI:'cr STATES. when OF htH
may, and probably would. N composition ohsf"!'" 81
"a G1ri.e ri inst ncn ~ his great an IN.
cnia. commerce. l. is sufficient, think 10 susste 'hs
vIew and n,l:S. 10 enar .. upon II The lower James
Rv styu, b. great h! !tw.r. free 10 1H IS Shth VI
n 49, practicable, made nccessao" |" all; h'
he H. % world may ',at along u without ohE''H
rn wi'3"It Price. Oar Interest as comnGnlty Fl
o.y aen,ai. mis-; mi his can only be accomplished y;
ard sg!civnt ctGti!sntiOn or the i"asG'J .!"
>: n u .! the Federal G'ecInnen
concur win YOU entirely NJ 10 n" .pacuciShiv t IL"
mrs River easily nlvildhe 10 the head Of Tide walter :'
vessels drawing stvent en- ies mod slso the cnrta
lively insignificant required for s accompaniment
Upon bh these points the eoort III Lieut. Siausofy may
regarded conclusive But II s kno"h that his conc l.
uns respects cDncnrred in ny an nhie ant 70:
.snei Engineer particularly and practically skiit III
his 5tnch Of The profession, who has recently been consult
=. IN The subject and who has had I'm opportunity q" exam
ning me chart OF the River made by Lieut. Stansou1' ~
1897 copy n chart has been procured iro; TIE a.
ice Typographical Engineers nf The United State al
Washington and wall 10 exhihi', attn glance the 'l
lion sud ni The obstrGctlDES IN tle h""f
rom view ~ winch II will appear o.viou= iilt
hey BE- removed q, cost comparatively Irlfng
The Government is appealed 20 and sJS' i :"
ms ar ocretclHl work. 40 easy .! ar'"n
II " uid seem hat every consideration :" i!
lie p ~ and Of public utility demand IL. think VITA oHr
that General G ,"ernment has no constitutional! po: To
appropriate moncy u such works. But il thought o'r'
il believed that government la Tie right wl''I ~"
the STATE Improve James River should '' 90.
Is.d giving that TIE right to Improve !iTt'
cary with i, :e right Of jurisdiction over the r"' -
extent in my conrcp3n lastly greater Than tha' c'H.
the collect duties iinpcsIs ~
torrgn 4anfs ported IT, by the power to r.:
rf;r with foreign ions and between the States /! IN.
Ciencra h7s The .h improve the jams ~
v: anal The condemnation Of land along IT. shores >: NJ
cas=ar: tb:l Improvement, follows ha ne G"nt:!l
G. n!ty condemn snch land for the purr"se. ii
IL may improve, i. mus; pass laws 10 protect hs Inn rose.
rlcn' when rntrt may pass laws tcfaing HE ris Id
u. improvements, ana tie manner IN when ap'. ct
uls, used j. lh ,nalica spirit, which hiss so lci
and recently convucd the Union should unfortunately
.r1ur control nf the government, II might be- tempted
u .ccte slave should be transported on the H"+f
thns improved b. and necessarily under the lnslc3n ana
c,nfjl OF hat government. These views might b. ifc
fall; To hint hrm is deemed 10 be sufficient.
No hua,i foresight il ia believed, could anticipate tSr
tent The power AMI patronage which would nc chnrsrj
GencJal trrmrn by the assumption or g:f" ~
such ,-Stlr:un. Bur from tie Considerations sug9e~gj
other which will readily 10 r"y
ac;i"! mind would nor for one, Ia sell The .r.
dciia Tie James River, for Zines The required
a,c; il gable 10 the greatest cX,cn, wh!n the @
it, j; possibility.
iei, The improvement contemplated, must be malc. 80
;urs the Tj.ht nj tn State government - make tt
Il wise and u:.;ic thai snu he made Nor" thru
touL TIE GtY II The STATE Government 10 make H. Lrt :ic
I.egs!tur, for the first lime assembled undo.
constitution nNrc?stea sam sufficient, hrsX
pended for pugus under the direction Of Tie oaj
~ pHhlc Nuhs be constituted. No wuui d.
illustrate his in our political history. and
demon THAT the step recently taken By in our puti.
49,, l. It.-