Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-23
Halifax G. H., May Is, 1858
To the Voters Of the County Of Camp
bell.

d TIC OlefsO the county Oh Camp-
bell.
| learn from various persons, Wings and
Democrats, that have been represented by
those who are unfriendly to my election,
being Gan ultra internal improvement man. -
If those who SO represent me desire to make
the impression that in my advocacy Of internal
improvement measures, | am regardless of the
cost, and alike regardless OF the taxes, which
must be imposed to sustain the debt contract, d
by the State TO pay her subscriptions to the
stock of internal improvement corporations
great injustice is done me.
In 1917, the first impulse was q ven 10 the
internal Improvement cause. by convention
in Lynchburg, called together to concentrate
public opinion upon this idea: that il Virginia
desired to retain even her present position in
the great federal family of States, she must
grant to her citizens the facilities for CONNER.
cial intercourse enjoyed by the citizens of
the other States; in other words, that the people
OF Virginia must cease to pay onerous taxes
in the shape of wagon freights, whilst the PEG
pie of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio paid
only one.iourth of those freights, because they
enjoyed the advantages of railway carriage
This was the idea, that the few who then ad I.
vocated internal improvement desired to in
culcate They, TIE friends of internal i'm
provement, were the men who sincerely de-
sired to relieve the labor and capital of the
country from the burthens it had long been car
rying: and in what way did they propose to ef
feet this objectl will tell you in few words.
They proposed to build railway from Rich
mond,on the south side of ames river, through
Lynchburg to the Ohio river, and from that
line, at the most suitable point west of the sum
NIT of the Allegheny, to send out arm
through Southwestern Virginia 10 the Tennes-
see line. This was the scheme presented TO
the citizens of Lynchburg, when many were
afraid of the sneers and gibes of those who
were too indolent to think of a remedy for evils,
that all were obliged to see did really exist
This was the scheme adopted by the railroad
convention, of September 1S47 and your re.
representatives., Charles L. Mosby and Gen.
Oden e. Clay, entered the Legislature in De-
cember of that year, determined if possible to
obtain the necessary legislation to consummate
il; but they soon found that combination of
the friends of internal improvement schemes
in other parts of the State had been formed
which left them No chance Of success; and they,
like wise and prudent men. determined if they
could not get what they knew was best for the
State at large, to take " hat would greatly pro-
lulOtc tHC lOCul luLeICSl liley represented, ana
with it a large portion of the State-applied
for and obtained the charter of the Virginia
and Tennessee railroad. Here permit me to
say that for this act of wisdom and prudence
done by your then representatives, you anG
the people of the South side portion of Vir-
tginia, if not the State at large, owe debt oil
gratitude that you should aln avs recognise
When the Virginia and Tennessee railroad
| 'ompany WAS ynI i,pIor bo ,bar Oh
tanned by Mr.. Mosby and Gen. Clay. was
made Director, and in the v inter of 184S-9
in company with Gen. Clay and Mr.. C. H
Lynch, another Director of the company, visit
ed Richmond, and there remained nearly the
whole winter, to endeavor to have passed an
amendment to the charter OF our company
granting to it the aid of State subscription
TO the extent of 3-5 of three millions of dol
lars-the chartered capital ofthc company.
From The moment our proposition was pre-
sentcd, it was violently opposed by the ad vo-
Gates of other railway schemes, and it was soon
f seen by Gen. Clay, Mr.. Lynch and myself
that we could not get a Safe subscription un-
less we would advocate and urge upon the
friends of cur road the propriety of voting tor
applications from other railroad companies
for like aid as that sought by US, and it became
a subject of very grave and anxious solcitude
" ith US all, TO what extent we should recon-
mend our friends in the Legislature TO 90, to
secure our object. After much reflection,
suggested that we should change the charac
ter of our application for aid from the State, ii
this wise: instead of inviting the State to be.
come a stakeholder for -5ths of our capital
e should ask a loan of the State credit to ena
f bic the company to borrow 81 ,SoO,OOO and al
the same time ask that law be passed TO levy
, a special tax on the lands of the seventeen
counties of Virginia, directly tributary to the
Virginia and Tennessee rail- Dad, to pay inter