Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-02-24

twenty-five years ago, are now only eight hundred
and thirty thousand. And were i not for the occas-
ional aid which our sister town Wilmington affords
us, our operations would measuraby cease for want
of banking accommodations. This matter of statis-
tics which have here set forth, is made without
reference the valuation of land town property,
slave population, agricultural products bank stocks,
mercantile capital necessary to carry on the trade
of the place.
This, Mr.. Speaker, is the section of country which
imnores YOU to consider her claims and relieve her
necessities. Turn your record sir, and you will
find that the representatives of this people have new
er refused to sustain ertraOagant schemes OF aneTdt
Improvement for other parts of the States but on the
other hand have advocated them with a zeal and
manness which hope may ever characterize them
They have, in fact, so circumsciieed themselves
and that too by their own hberaty that 1t 1t were
not for individual enterprise IN constructing PLANK
roads the town of Fayetteville would almost be in
accessible. Tho city of Raleigh Hllsboro', Green's
borough Lexington, Salisbury, and Charlotte, towns
which never become great commercial marts,
have received their millions from the public treasu
ry but Fayetteville, with all its advantages as an
interior market, has never been able to obtain but
1920 600 which is invested in her plank ad ex-
tending to Salem the best paying stock in the State
all of the benefits of which will soon be lost forever
by the intersection of the North Carolina Railroad
Where now, l would ask, shall we look for relief!
If we look for the rich trade of the Northwestern
Counties which formerly flooded our streets, We
find that it is diverted to some some Virginia mark
ct. If. we look to the eastern counties-Sampson,
Duplin and Wayne-that too is gone to Wilmington
or some other market. And soon, yes too soon,
arm sorry to say, tat valuable trade, which we now
get from Robeson Richmond and Bladen-that, and
that alone may say, which nfuses life and supports
vitality in quasi cky existence-wil be intercept
ted and carried from us by the Wilmington and
Charlotte Railroad. This road, though emnently a
State improvement, and one calculated to benefit
class of Counties long denied the advantages of in
ternal improvements, will nevertheless intict an in
Jury upon Fayetteville and its interests, which time
N of 70 no
west.
The Cape Fear and Deep River Improvement is
also work of no small Importance, and in which
the State is already deeply involved, and should
doubtless give additional aid in order to complete it,
But, Sir that work has damaged the citizens of
Cumberland more, imagine than it will be possible
for to repay. Persons who have not formerly had
the advantages of the river will not be able to realise
it, but those who have been accustomed to floating
their timber and other naval stores to Wilmington,
can readily appreciate the idea wish to convey.
Ever since the commencement of that work so great
have been the obstacles to transp rtaton from its
unfinished condition. that few have been able to avail
themselves of their former privileges. Neither can
this improvement be of any advantage to Fayette-
VILE inasmuch the naval stores which it would
afford must necessarily find their outlet at lining
toni would be neXpedient to stop them in transit
tu in order reShip at Fayetteville. So, sir, when
gent emen set this work down to our account and
point to it something they have done for our
ton of country, wish to rebuke them-to tell them
that they have done this for Wilmington for Moore
and Chatham Counties, for North Carolina Even
the trade which used to get from the upper part
of our own county WILL by means of this Improve
ment, pass triumphantly by US, bound for the port
of Wilmington
Sir, this is the relation which we sustain to works
of internal improvement now surrounding us-this
the relation sustain to cities, towns and villages
in this quarter of the State. And a county, the first
in territory, the third in population and paying one
thrtieth portion of the of the whole State, thus
to be neglected, thus to be cut off from the rest of
the work. thus to be commercially damned, is
spectacle for you to contemplate, for me to realize.
Refuse us our Railroad, and town, the ancient
emporium of trade, the Palmyra of North Carolina,
will arrest the attention of the traveller spot
once beautiful and prosperous, now pile of ruin.
But reasons of national character have induced
me to prefer this to any other line of road in the
State. 1t is not only the most central through the
State bat it communicates with roads, in case it is
extended to Chattanooga, which is in direct connec-
ton with the Mississippi valley. Not only this, but
so soon as the great Pacific road is built which
believe has already passed one house of Congress,
we will find ourselves in direct communication with
the Pacific ocean. And Beaufort and San Fran
cisco are on the same parallel from ocean to ocean,
Beaufort will not only be of the termini of one
ofthe greatest roads but will become of the great
est cities in the world All this might visionary
and IN fact would be loath to believe it myself
were it not derived from the conclusions of some of
our proOundeSt statesmen 1t is matter Of history
that the insurgents essaying to batter down
the walls of China, and in the event they succeed a
line OF Steam packets will ply directly between Chi
ma and San Francisco, bringing the Injuries and
treasures of the great East and pour them into
laps 1t will be giving, Col. Benton says the last
and grantest channel to the eastern trade which
has invariably enriched, time mmemoral, every
ton through which it has passed. AS this is the
shortest and most direct line of travel from the At
lantic to the Pacific all Europe and Asia, and the
Indias will pass from oorld to acord this route,
making the grandest thoroughare ever known to the
past dreamed of for the future. Besides, sir, the
area of our domain has been rapidly extended now
extending from ocean to ocean, and may yet embrace
the whole continent. In case we were invaded by
foreign foe the advantages and necessity of this
road would be felt in the transportation Of troops,
and the various munitions Of Instead of its re-
quring months to arrive at the of action eff
cient aid might be fur liShed to frontier and al
most ready relief afforded in a very few days
But Mr.. Speaker, North Carolina bids fair to
enter largely into internal improvements at this
sion of the Legislature, think it behooves US to
look we'll to resources, and husband them for
future liabilities. We must necessarily tax the
people nearly double, and in some cases How,
therefore, shall we compensate them? How shall
we better their condition mass enable them
to meet the exigency? In the first place we must
contrive the best possible means for transporting
shipping their produce. Beaufort, believe, is the
best harbor in North Carolina, and therefore pre-
sens greater inducements to the shipping interests
than any other, vessels of large tonnage clear
that port with little inconvenience This state
ment which hold in my hand, furnished by gen.
tleman remarkable for his accuracy in such matters,
will show the many advantages which ships of large
tonnage enjoy over those of small. He compares
two vessels. of 200 the other 1000 tons burthen
both embarkng from and destined to the same port,