Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-08
ALEXANDER X. HOLLADAY AND RICHARD
g. NORRISS

! ", Is
ltHy, which has recently given formal cunpari.
son of the political merits and cemcri,s Of tie rival
candidates for the Board Of Public Works We do
not object to thI parallel and shall gladly aid the
| IlIig IN hrmiS out. In doing ths, il shall be
our aim onnc It strictly to such topics Ms are por
tinent 10 question, md to avoid all matters mere
ly personal. 1lIeprivntc character of public men,
far Affects their qualifications for office, il
public property ''u, not one jot further. We ar"
happy that in ~. present instance, no question can
s be raised as +" personal integrity of either '""'i
We are rnfnrn'edby the hhig, that Mr.. Holiday,
"shoush mos, worthy and estimnble gentleman, /"
not n very warm friend of internal improvements.
The proof is that he voted during the sessions OF lSi
6, and lslG-', n;aiust the Richmond and PaInunkry
Rail Road-,hs Raension of tho Louisa Road to tn"
eastern base OF: the Blue Ridsc-tIe Underwater con-
nection, aud the Richmond and DanviIc Rail Ro"d.
1t is admitted tha he also voted for appropriation
TO extend the Cam! To Covington.
We apprcheud that the lasl vote acquts him oil
hostility to tho watorlinr, and, consequence to me
tde.wuter connection. The other votes are certainly
insufficient to chardctcrixe him ms an oneiny al th'7
day to internal improvements What ms reasons were
for those votes 'lu not pretend 20 know; bu' W"
can well nacnn that the warme,t friend OF general
system of intcrAl Improvement might have give"
them oil.
The RchmouS aud pamunkcy Rail Road scheme
was altogether premature before tho western tro"e
had been secured. The popcr mode OF doing ths' III
the opinion Of many zrnluus internal improvement
melI was to concentrate the energies aud capital OF
the State upon the great central water line. Such
men might have voted, as Mr.. Holiday did, without
mourning suspclon of hostility To the cause OF inter
nal improvemep!. MIR. Flournoy was nm opponent "'
the Rch,nanI aud Oanyiile Rail Road because ne
preferred the Improvement OF tho h"aHoNc;
Did that con: tituic him an enemy i" "'c
general system nf Improvement We hsht maui
tain TINT it did, with much more parsihlIlty
tbnu il cvinccd hy the argument OF tho |'hg against
Mr. Ho,ladav. liz selected II grand trunk Lno IN
! nrcf,rence IL unfortunate branches of the general
system Mr.. Fl"urnoy preferred NEE local i'm
prove,nent branch of III" general system, hence we
might argue his hh'diy 10 that system. The extension
of the Louisa Raj! Road to the eastern base Of the
Blue Ridge OccusOncd q violent contest among the
fricuds Of the roni. Tho citizens Of Richmond prs
ferrcd what was called the Northern rou,o and went
en- N use Ggenst lo extension as il now eysts. We
can well Imagine that with this doubt about the route
pending and not t" be without careful surveys,
friends Of the rcnd would hesitate TO faa its
tension. Indeed many such friends still regard that
extension most unfortunate for the road and The
cersi. The: aleee that it brings them into direct
and ruiuous competition.
Now, snys tn, Nhic, behold, on the other side in
the person o Mr.. Morriss, tho variable friend :"
all the scheipea OF internal Improvement, attending
a. al; # ,I,..ra a,Nnl.i
This OF course, exa2seraon. and, in justice 10
Mr.. Morriss, we protest against the eu"sy Of his
friends Il would hrcaI; the back of.a camel, much
mere Of shG!:y politician. II he Were the friend "i
''ull schemes of Internal Improvement he would he
a filter candidate for Bcdian than for the Board OF
lub!ic Works.
Heis not the friend Of all such schemes on the
contrary, he is nud hns heen in our opinion,
most obstinate, pcrseverng, ard incorporate enem,
tn the creates; aud n""f h-"-h---' ""h.ne ever
planned IN this I"mmnnWealtl-t9 scheme hp-
proved by Wn-Lipc,ca Ainrshall, and h".i ot
yrur,Les /. scnutue TINT would make Virginia 'hr
ga,e ri the Mississippi valley, and the point of cA-
change between two continents. We mean the Cr"at
central water line Freed by ice from rivalry at the
North and by geographic coniiGuraon from com
netition at the South, it would, Il completed, be he
isa,er ir.e Of the continent.
Yet our earliest recollection Of Mr.. Moniss is that
of most excited, aud it "tmed tous v'udctlHe enc
my Of the adminisr,ioa q the GonHl Company. It
ia true his opposor secrusd he directed against
the President Of tho Compnn and 10 be caused
mainly by an anxious dc.i:" to urn that gentleman
out, aud to put himself in lis 'ro. Hnt the effect
was the same as ii he had opposUl the work ITSELF
He aided ir bringing odm ubon tho scheme, in
bringing it into disrepue with tho Legislature, from
whom alone assistance crull be obtained. And final
~ he voted us stnck!oilcr to s, the whole
cern to disband the corporation, s in effect, stop
the further prngruss Of the work. For in his
syuses can ol sec that the cxertions Of the pri
vae corporators acno lie ascribed the assistance
granted by the Legislature aul that without this
faithful and peysever;ng hand hi friends the Cana
would never have passed ilS Eil" Ridge.
Mr. aiarriss, il elected tpthc post Of Commissioner
Of the Hoard of Public Works, will, doubt recon-
] mend the measure for which hc voted stockhod-
er And if he command influence enough (" car
ry it through the Legislature, thun goodbye 10 ali
hopes Of Couiplc.inr in nhr day and generation,
scheme Of Internal improvement in Virginia really
deserving to be called great.
In this single net, Mr.. Morris would do more mis-
u chief than he could repair 10y century H good
= works.
Mr.. Mor!sss conLac. towards the Canal Company
furnishes Us another tzcu! lesson nth regard to him.
1t GENES strictly thin the prescribed limits of this
examination, und therefore shall hesitate 10 use
IT, 1t teaches that lie is IN Incorporate, ii not
vindicve man. Of course, we do .ot the word in
its vulgar Mr. Mqrriss is, believe strictly
abstemous, and WIS, for many years, if hc be not
: now, Son of Temperance. We refer tn his temper
! and not to his habits-and 70 his temper in public
G and not in private. Willis Tie sacred circle Of do
nestic liz. he may be the uHdest of men; but no one
who ever heard his n'tacks upon the gentlemen at the
head of the Cann Company, who has noted his I'M
ceusing warfare upon som" other connected
with it, fail TO perceive that he is totally des-
tutu ofcalmnessor conc!ilaon-qullitios more impo'
tant in Commissioner of the Board of Public Works
than any officer ofthj Government member ottbu
Board is necessarily il with Rail Road Pres-
dents Directors, Engnce Contractors and others,
prcferrng asorts ofclhms us and unjust, ndruylng
for every imaginable thing. To pass this ordeal with
. propriety, doing justic: alike to the Commonwealth
and to her citizens requires the possession of unusual
, GOODNESS of temper and amenity Of dispositions -
: If Mr.. Morriss POSSESSES either, entirely mis-
conceive his character. li.he be elected, we shall
look for endless controversies for appeals TO the pub
lie and TO the Legislature for the expenditure of vast
quantities of ink and the exhibition of immense
amount of feeling. We 60 therefore, for Leading Mr.
Murr,.s out of temptation, frr leaving him among
the amopities Of private life where he Is doubt an
estimablo gentleman. In short, VIC opposed to
spoug guod citizen for the purpose OF making
? Ind nm hc officer.