Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-18
Prom tho Richmond Wing.


Court House. ON July Court day. the 10th inst,
agreeably TO public notice. to take into eonaider,
alton the condition Of our foreign commerce and
domestic interests n motion, Col. Thos. NJ. Bon
durnnt elected President, and K. ; LIS
and John ). Meredit Secretaries.
The object of the meeting having been ex-
planned BY l.. ". llhbard he then moved TIM,
the President appoint committee OF ten per
to consider the subjects brought before the
meeting and report such action rs they might
deem advisable
The President thereupon appointed L w Hub
ard, g.. 4. Lancaster. Col jos. Foqnn' 6eo.
". Kyle. Dr. VIM =. Moseley. Jas Il. Patte-
son, II. l.. patteson, Robt. Shaw, VIM. Shepard
Col. w. 4. Ford, To- act on said committee
Ii was.moved by DR.. VIM. 7 Mosely aud sec
onded. that the President and Secretaries Of the
meeting be added TO tie committee.
Upon motion. TIE meeting adjourned for a
short time.
In the eslnng the President called the meet
ing to order, aud +. W. lIubar !, as Chairman Of
tie Committee offered the following report and
resolution which, upon motion being made, were
severaly read by the Secretaries, aud adopted
by the meeting.
REPORT
Whereas. this State has undertaken, and
partly perfected the greater portion Of her ex-
tensiye system of internal improvement. In
1853 we had ia operation 624 miles of Railroad,
and 6lO'miles IN course of construction. Our
Canals, though unfinished, Of great value and
extent. These improvements were not prOjec-
ted with view alone OF aiforing facilities in
getting our own productions to market, or of in
yiting within our borders lhe productions OF
ueghboring States. But the great controlling
motives were, to develop the resources OF the
State, 10 enlarge our commerce, and 10 increase
our shipping, lay augmenting our imports and
cXi orts Thus our system of Improvements was
designed 10 advance all the great interests of
the state. The development OF our agrlcultur-
al and mineral wealth has heretofore been our
chief consideration. But our commercial anl
shipping interest are OF equal Importance, and
our improvements are far advanced, that il
now becomes US TO our hest efforts TO give
an Impulse to them. The internal improve
ments OF the State, when completed, even ifthey
attract the full share of trade and travel that we
have been induced TO expect; yet, without our
commercial and navigating classes promptly a
vail themselves of these anticipated advantages,
aud speedily augment our trading and shipping
capacity by arousing the dormant enterprise and
capthl of our citizens. and diycrtng largo por-
tion of each into commercial enterprise, we will,
in fact have gained II moety only of the benefits
that ought 10 flow from our heavy expenditures in
constructing our railroads and canals. Should
we fail to enlarge our direct trade with Europe:
II we continue to go north fT imported mer chan
disc, we will doom the State to an inferior posi-
ton by transferring to distant localities what leg
ltmatcy belongs H. Virginia. To pierce Virginia
with 50 many great lines ofimprovement,to make
her n mere conduit through Which the trade and
productions OF nrlghborng States may pass, to
spend SOME twenty or thirty millions OF dollars
to facilitate oul productions, well rs those
from some of the Southern AMI Western States.
IA going through to Baltimore, Philadelphia,
New ork and Boston, is in fact nothing more
than converting the State into magnificent eul-
lender through which to strain the fat of the
nd INTO the lap OF those cities, reserying The
craekllngs only a. our share.
Whenever circumstances will permit each
State should carry on its own foreign trade
Nothing eNefts II more powerful influence upon
TIE destiny OF oomnun rs than commerce. Each
State, rs member Of our Federal Union, should
encourage AN exchange Of productions between
her sister States. our internal trade exert hap
~ influences, and should be foslrrrd by all. But
rs an independent State. it is equal, proper and
wise, whenever we have local or other adyanta
yes iavorlng direct commerce with foreign ma
lions TINT we should exert ourselves to turn then
10 e nod account. The slave States have beer
relying too long upon agriculture alone. The
northern States, on the contrary, wisely threw
large proportion of heir energy, capital, and en-
terprlso up N commerce. Our lands are more
productive than theirs, but they. nj an early pc
rod, turned their attention to trade and manu
features. They possessed no more local adyanta
Res, iavoring commerce, than we enjoy The
Slave States, producing the great staples of ex
port, had not only equal but superior, because
substantial. elements of commerce in thrir favor
Bat the action of the Federal Government in To-
eating the Bank of the United States in Philade
Phia, and subsequently the passage of severa
protective tariffs by Congress, combined with oul
negligence and apathy regards all great com
merciai enterprises, soon gave the Northern State,
the control ct the commerce of the Union. The
slave states, in comparison with the Northern
have mllen, by the force of the causes Just emit
meratod, into the position of what we farmers
call, quarter plantations while the Northern have
risen to the wealth and dignity of homesteads.-
Thus, we have been lahoriug + years, fully a,
much 70 aggraudize the Northern States, as t,
advance our own interests. We till the eartl
and encounter all their abuse about slavery, an,
furnish the staples for them to export, and thel
are So deficient in what is due To our own welfare
aud dignity, as To go North in quest of our sup
plies, thus making our State tributary to 9th
! ers and placing her in the condition of "A Deepen
| dant province.
As illustrative of the enriching tendency o
commerce, we need not point abroad and hold N
to view the history of all great commercial EN-
! poriums, but invite attention to the iollowin.
! facts taken from the last census returns. lh
| average cash value per acre of the farming land
! including both improved and unimproyed, in min
! leading COMMERCIAL States, is estimated as fol
! lows:
! Massachusetts,, per acre $32 d
| New York do % N
| Connecticut do 30 d
| New Jersey do 43 6
Pennsylvania do % 3
! Mary land do Is