The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-12-22
THE GREAT WORK OF VIRGINIA


| IN UhEkAN "Ohth OF' vAHAoA0AA
Enthustastic Meeting Of the Ctti'
| zens OF Norfolk, im bek ali Of the
James River and Kanawha Canal
NoRForK, Dec. 2lst, 1857.
meeting Of the citizens Of Norfolk, called b,
tne mayor IN response 10 q request signed by ths
principal firms aud citizens of this oity convened
| at Mechanics Hall, on Saturday night The meet
Ing, while large aud enthusiastic was posed Q,
our most respectable cftizens-iadeed We have
rarely, II ever, more respectable BODY of our
Citizens convened on any occasion.
on motion OF JOS. L. ALLrS. Esq, His Honor the
Mayor, was called to the Chair. and SAMUEL r. Bo.
RUN Esq was appointed Secretary.
The Chair stated that the object of the meeting
was 70 OBTAIN an expression of the sentiment OF
our people In reference to the early completion Of
the water Line of Virginia."
On motion, committee of seven was appointed.
70 suen report ITO be approved by the meet
my rs would express the opinion of the citizens
OF Norioik, upon the subject before the meetior
consisting OF the following gentlemen; D. r. Bis.
be. H. H. Cham berlaine, Geo Blow Jos T. ALVIN.
pen ipwln p ana John 4. Doyle, Esqs., and the
The committee having retired, the audience was
entertained during their absence by able and elo-
guent speeches from Messrs Summers Anderson.
slmPSins' Ghiselin Croppsr, Parks and Lamb, all
oi "noH, though part OF the time speaking upon
sac issues which had arisen, bore exalted tsstpo
ny 70 the overwhelming importance of the great
"ofk, whose merits had called together the large
anu respectable audience assembled. George W
amp Esq, being called, declined until after the
1 Offering of tie resolutions
4 tne committee on their return, through their
slal na man, BIT: BissiE. made lengthy report, of
which the following is an abstract:
IL sets forth the ne cessty TO the sopth of nm IN,
dependent commercial and financial power: az
psaiueu that tne overs ahelming commercial power
OF the North had arisen in Consequence of the al
,ec' aavantages which the connection of the har-
prk yr;th 81, 4
had given that city. That if the South ever pos-
sesses anything like commercial and financial
power, 1t must be through the very means which
nave nuiit up and now snstains Northern CONNER.
etsi suPfehacy-namely, the connection by water
OF some large Southern port with some internal
ters of the interior e' W.
Inc report then proceeded to show that New Or
leans, Mobile, Savannah, Charleston. or Beaufort
can never be such ports for the reasons conelu
siVeiy given. but asserts that Norf lk and ports
mouth combined must be such locality, for the
speclhe reasons, which were presented In forci-
uie manner. The report then gave summary of
the reflex benefits which a connection of the bar.
DOT oil Norfolk with the Ohio River by means of n
union OF the head waters Of the James and Kama.
VIVA hiSers, wonld give to the various railroad
sB'icuiturai commercial and other interests OF
virginia. and closed with a forcible and a,o.rant
appeal TO the Senators and Delegates of Virginia to
SNe tnis matter that earnest attention which its
| oVgrwheimins Importance demands.
lhe report was followed by speech from JAs
=. ALLYN, Esq, endorsing it's proposition on condi-
tion That 1t be connected with q plan which he
presented, OF adding to the revenue of Virginia ty
uIiecI ponce tax upon all goods imported into
virginia through other States of the Union
=, MT. bisBIE opposed the amendment sugres ted bv
hr. ALLYN, as not coming within the objects con
teupiated In the call for this meeting He conteu
ueu @ that That call contemplated only, an express
o % Vi the views OF cur citizens upon the que estion
ol the speedy completion of the great water con.
hection OF our harbor with the raro concentration
Vi western waters, at the confluence of the Ohio
anu tue mississippi Mr. r. gave an interesting ac-
| ; VI t'ie views winch were entertained by the
| various members of the Legislature whom he hal
et curing his late visit to Richmond: declared II
10 De MS conviction that the intrinsic merits of
| sis proposition were commenting themselves more
"na 'oIe 70 the virginia public, and declared, that
| IN IN us opinion the support of the measure would
oe general and not sectional: and paid n high com
| phmeht to several members of either House whose
exalted patriotism he was certain would indncp
| S u.h W iooH upon this question one of great
| state, southern, and national inportapce and
| "ouiu not be governed merely by a n,iserable
duestoh olits popularity among their constituents
VI IoFmef Legislatures, he could not speak but he
| ,eIt eohhdent that the present body would be LED
| D5 gentlemen who had the patriotism n face anf
the ability to ride any such petty obligations
| He >exhorted the friends of the measure TO STAN
nrni, IN strong confidence of an early and thoroui
triumph OF this, the greatest movement Of tn,
age.
IHos. T. CRoPPER, Esq, next addressed the NEE,
ing, In forcible and eloquent appeal In favor O
| the report of the Committee. He dwelt at larg
upon the advantages which this great work woul
give to the South, to the State, and to Norf,lk
ile declared that this was not only SUPERIOR 10 an
other, but all other Virginia improvements, an
| that by Its side, every other one shrank into th
most pigmy insigniicance
| dEo. BLow, Esq, Common wealth's Attorney. ! mex
| rose, NOT 10 oppose the general object for whic
the meeting was gathered, but to question the DIT,
priety 0f pressing this matter upon the attentio
| OF the Legislature, while Norfolk was already al
plying for aid in behalf of her Railroad He d
| ciared the attempt to interest the State in a ne
scheme, while her old system of public inproy,
| ment was incomplete, as hopeless and absurd.
| Warned the audience against arraying the opuos
lions OF the friends Of the Covington and Ohio Raj
road, which he declared equally as important a
| the Water Line" to the city Of Norfolk
| Col. BLOWS remarks were extended 10 som
length, and was replied to by MIR. BIsBIE, who sal
| tnat this was no new scheme-that IL was first Or,
| posed by the greatest of the great men of III
earth, The Father of his Country" and that
| mad received the cndorsation of the greatest O
| lirginias statemen from that day to the preseu,
| tie protested against this measure being brough
| up as antagonistic TO the Norfolk and Petersb1r
taitroad, or AS merely Norfolk measure. Iii
| claimed that this work could not be claimed b.
| any city or county of Virginia. but was one who's
| 'irect or indirect benefits could be claimed from
the Atlantic to the Ohio, and from the line of Penn
| syIVania to the Caroinas. He secuted the idea o
l
| completion, and said ii Insulting to common
sense to suppose that the State could not afford 4
| complete work whose income would be abun
| dantiy productive; whose refiex influence upol
her railroad interest would make them four fol,
| valuable, and whose general enhancement of pub
lie and private property Of Virginia, could not b
calculated at less than hundreds of millions of dol
lars. No one, be said, could make a valid obiec
tion to the main proposition, while it was rapid
gaining ardent and enthusiastic friends and urge,
| her ~ al {Acar,
in the ancient proverb, ''Where there's q 1ca
there's q aody." The report was then adopted will
but one dissenting voice.
| resolution was then offered by Mr. VIM LAME
| OF the S.ahern Argus, endorsing the Oyster Tax o
| Gov WISE, which was adopted. hr. LAMB preface,
| his resolution by remarkiBg: That he had trayele,
| from the confiues OF Maine to the Cult of Mexico
from the Atlantic to tho Mississippi and had peye
| been in any place, except Jonesboro', Tennessee
| where he failef TO find Norfolk oysters What
| Mr.. Chairman, would the world be without oysters 8
lie believed in for their adequate protec
tlon ans that protection, he believed, was AFFORDED
| by the proposition OF Gov. WISE.
This meeting will be followed by ore In Ports
| mouth, and it is hoped that an enthusiastic re
| spose from your city and Lynchburg will seconC
the efforts at this quarter, aud that the ball thu
set In motion will not be allowed to rest this sd
oil the Ohio PERCUSSION.
DoudLAs on THE SENATE FLooR.-Ths Washing
ton correspondent OF the Independent gives tn,
following vivid description of the Little Giant
when under full headway:
lie Is very short In stature, but Of such physiea
proportions, aside from this lack instantly az
tract the attention OF O stranger yery larg,
head, connected with broad and powerfully bull
shoulders by short, full neck; chest sufiicieatl'
roomy to contain the lungs of a giant and pair o
short, gumpy legs, complete the physical picture O
the Little Giant" II We except the broad, ioft,
websterian brow. and the deep set, cayernous eve
| that sparkle and glow whsn excited, like NJ iners
lamps beneath it. IL is the tremendous brain pow
er, lodged in that perpendicular preetce of fore
head, and shooting ont its fires from its shadowe,
haf has rixar him fhu nl.rio