The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-02-13


ton ana docs justice 70 private stockholders. ~
! aave thus, IN tho present emergency, thrown
togener some reasons for the recommendations /
70 carry On the Covington and Ohio Railroad stea-
dily and economically for the next two years
sna. 10 enlarge subscri 5tions to the Southwest
ern kaaroad, 90 as 10 complete the same to the
SD To enlarge equally the subscriptions to the
Cenfrai Road so a. to enxble that Company to
progress with its work for the next two years.
An. To authorize the Coyingfon and Ohio rail
roaa to be constructed with grade broad enough
for two tracks. and with view 10 connexion
with the Southw estern railroad at the most elipi-
be points, and to accommodate. respectively. the
guaees OF the Southwestern and Central roads
Oh. To direct the Board of Public Works to fix
minimum tariff of tolls upon all the railroads and
canals IN Which the state IL party; so that the
state revenue may not be reduced by vicious
competitor between State lines And to direct the
Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, also, not to
divert that fund, under any pretext or construc-
sinking the principal and paying the interest of
the public debt.
9th To authorize advertisement for State loans,
instead of sale of State bonds .f. :.
9Th To organize q system of revenue from the
oyster fundum of the State
sth. To increase the rate of taxes in conformity
to the laws requiring these additional subscrip-
tions, appropriations and expenditures.
9Th. And lastly, to digest these and other meas
ures, recommend the two Houses to extend the
session Of the General Assembly, for the reason
that if the great measures of public policy left
unproyided for by the present session, shall NOT
deem my dnty TO take the responsibility of call
ing an extra session of the Legislature say this
out of Difference to the will of the present Assem-
bly,, if they shall decide that important measures
shall not be acted on by them.
To sacredly guard the public credit to construct
the primary Pablic Uorks. to build up a centre of
make ms rt nf fo oStiy
ulate mining, manufacturing and the mechanic arts
to foster Home Instruction in literature science and
the arts to provide for all these the necessary re-
reaae, and to pay the public debt, am anxious to
divide any responsibility with the Legislature and
to incur any risk or make any sacrifice for the sake
Of our beloved commonwealth She has a mighty
work to be done, and shall it be said that she has
not the men. at this day, to do 1t masterlyf With
the utmost confidence, appeal to you, gentlemen,
and am, with the highest respect, your obedieni
servant HENRY WISE
The message being read, on motion of Mr.
WELLMAN, it was laid on the table, and 2J00 copies
ordered to be printed.
MR. FIsK's LETTER
The following is the letter alluded to by the &c.
vernon. 1t was communicated by the Secretary of
the Board to the House, and was laid on the table
and ordered to be printed
RICHMOND. 9Th February, 1856.
To the Board Of Public Works in its character as the
Corineton and Ohio Railroad Gompaag
The ''hiillion Appropriation to the Covinglon and
Ohio Railroad is nearly exhausted that, under
your instructions TO not to allow the expenditures
account of the road to exceed that appropriation,
it Is my duty to stop the only remaining work
in progress and direct the contractors for the Aega
ny tunnel to suspend operations forthwith.
The necessity for this action part will be ap-
parent, when state if the work done the line of
The road to this time paid for in full and all
accounts and claims against the company settled It Is
very doubtful whether exceeding five Thousand dol
lars of ..the million" would remain unexpended. i.
The suspension of operations at the tunnel, and the
a Ant Of,
laborers now employed there, will occasion directly
aud indirectly heavy loss to the company.
The tunnel is in the hands of contractors of great
experience and energy, and they have at present in
enploy large force of skilful and efficient miners
As some evidence of the energy and skill of both
contractors and miners, would state that from early
in October Is a to this time, period of sixteen
months they have driven two-thirds of The .head-
ing of tunnel 4,675 feet in length. Comparatively
little progress he's been made with the "bettoming
for the that the contractors directed by
me TO employ only small force upon 1t; the
Of the company being insufficient TO allow of the
pid prosecution of both .heading" and "bottoming"
The latter might otherwise have been at this time
very nearly as far advanced as the former..szA
force like that now at the tunnel, when ii shall
have once left the line. could not be brought back
without much loss both of time and money.
The time lost in bringing together such force af
ter the work again put under contract, would not
be less than six months. 1t would probably be
There are two steam engines owned by the compa-
NY and all the machinery necessary for carrying
the operations at the tunnel that must remain expos
GA du euDJccb W uutAhS sso tiuc Nofh is
And as the excavation of the tunnel has thus lar
been carried entirely from shafts, the whole
cayeted space will be filed with water long before the
work can he resumed.
The outfit and preparation of the contractors which
have been obtained and made with reference 10 the
execution of the whole work. will suffer much dilap-
idation and injury during the suspension of opera
tions.
These few of the direct losses that win be
consequent the suspension of the work at the un
nel-but the indirect will far exceed the direct losses
In my recent report to the Board, of the SOL of
November, 1855, in which submit revised estimate
of the probable cost of the Covington and Ohio Rail-
road took occasion to call attention TO some of the
why Public Improvements 80 often cost large
y than the estimates upon which they are conn
rnenced. gx M
As prominent among these reasons 1 spoke of the
suspension of work to which companies are often
subject from the want failure of means The lose
ss that many have sustained from this cause aione
may be estimated at from ten TO twenty, and IN some
twenty five per cent. OF hat would have
beep the entire of their works II they could have
heen steadily and uninterrupedly prosecuted and at
cash prices. t-~. ~ r. -ses5- ~
In preparing the revised estimate to which have
lust referred took into nsderaton, and made al
owance for the fact that large portion OF the work
that had been under contract upon the road as
already suspended, bnf mot ot there 'cohdd De "a e
tire stoppage Of the cor; for assumed that although
under the present circumstances, the company might
not be placed possession of means sufficient ior
pressing forward its work as rapidly as woid be de-
sirable looking solely to its interest, yet that
enough would be put at its disposal to enable II 70
prevent total suspension of its works. and thus en-
Able it to guard against the disastrous
to its credit and future operations that would follow
such an event. This, Isuppose might be accompilsh
ed by an amount of means sufficient to keep the
work at the Aeshany Tunnel in progress and for the
employment of moderate force. at some few OF the
heaviest points of the road as to place them In
snch condition that when ample means are hereafter
provided for carrying the work. they would De IN
readiuess to receive large force, and admit Of being
pressed forward TO early completion, and thus en-
able the company to bring about IKE early compie-
tion of the entire division divisions OF the road on
which they are located. For il must be recoiiected
that the time in which any division OF the road can
be finished s that required for the construction OF i
heaviest sections
Some NAV think that the allow ances IN the revised
for the consequences arising from the par
t;si s,spension of the work, that had taken place
when IL was prepared would provide also for the
consaanencea that would result from total stoppage
of the work at this time ...
Hut such would not be the case. Those suspensions
took nlace when the Legislature was not in q ss'e1
ma Ii was consequently wholly out OF the peser OF
tLe co,npany to prevent them-whereas total stop
ma % acquiring now, would take place when the Le-
is in scssiensnd when 1t is well Known 70
Contractors of experience, aud others familiar with
sueh matters that comparatively small amount ap-
pied 20 the road would prevent such result and be
the means of restoring, In great degrse that CONT
aeuce in the company which was lost BY the carrier
for il would shew that, although II was
fhous 1t in the present state OF money
market to urge the work rapidly. AMI, therefore