The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-03-26
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
ThurHdny Morning, March 96. 1857.
Direct Trade Between the Capes Of vir.
ginia aud Great Britain ..- Lieut.. Maui
ry,s Opinion.


Direct Trade Between the Capes Of vir.
ginia aud Great Britain ass Lieut.. Hlau-
ry's Opinion.
Among those invited to attend the proposed
Railroad Convention aaRrstol, Tenne ssee, In April
next, is 1t. Mathew F. Maury, U. s. N. In re-
ply to the invitation he seat letter, in which be
says:
This convention has for its objeo the establish-
ment of line of mammoth steamships between
Great Britain and the waters of Virginia The
successful accomplishment OF such q measure
would be great achievement, and one from which
would be dated new era in the commerce and
business relations of the States concerned
BY the construction of proper works of improve
ment, Virgna might place in the category of q
back country to her seaport towns large fertile.
and very productive portion of the great west -
BY completing the Covington and Ohio Railway,
and bringing il In connection with other internal
improvements of the State, New York. herself
would find it nearer to send by sea to the Ohasa .
peake and thence by river, canal and railway 10
the mouth of the Erie and Ohio Canal at Ports.
mouth on the Ohio river, than she now does by hsr
own system of internal improvements. More than
half OF the distance from New York via the Virgin.
in routes to the West lies along the untaxed high.
ways ofsea and river, which most are shut up by
the frost for only few days in any yesr in com.
parison therefore with the route from New York
via the North River. Erie Canal aud Lake ia much
more available. Consequently the completion of
tie Covington and Ohio Railway would offer to
the owners OF the Great Eastern" and other tra-
ders the most direct and favorable route that com
msrcs can possibly have between Western Europe
Aod our West
The establishment of lines of regular traders to
run in connection with the avenues of trade which
have been actually opened by your people, and
commenced by your State would bring the mer.
chants of Europe in direct communication with
an exceedingly rich and well cultivated portion of
the couLtry. The people who inhabit it have much
to sell, and many wants.
We seud to England annually something ike
forty million pounds of tobacco, and nearly all of
it is grown in this part of the country. We sent
abroad last year of wheat and -four the equivalent
of twenty five million bushels. Virginia with her
back country lies under the best wheat growing
latitude, and exports largely of this cereal.
Of corn. there is now annually grown in the re
gion for which the internal improvements of Vir.
ginia, already completed or commenced, ill acrd
drainage and supply, not less than five hundred
million bushels; and the export of Indian corn Is
large item among the statistics of our commerce
All the hemp of ;he country comes from this
region, and through the Virginia aud Tennessee,
the Danve, the Petersburg and Weldon the Raj.
eigh and CASTOR Railways, with other roads
which, " i.h their connections stretch to the south
ward and to the westward, convenient market
ways and the channels of profitable trade are
opened with the cotton growing States. Among
the mountains which. in these latitudss divide the
waters of the Atlantic from the waters of the
great Mississippi, are copper mines and mineral
treasure of great value.
The climate of these mountains is most salubr
ous and from their sides springs of healing waters
gush out; the kind and diversity of their mineral
ingredients impartng to them medicinal virtues of
rare excellence In short, the mountain regions
which the actual and proposed lines of communi-
cation will bring W ithin the reach of the travel
ing public are destined to hold, both to the old
world snd the new, the relation of great Sani-
tariIna.
If any one wishes te $50 what can be done fer
old seaport towns that, like those of Virginia.
have little or no direct foreign trade, by connect
ing with them, through net work of railway,
large. fertile and rich back country let him look
at Hamburg and Bremen-the extent of their
Railways-and examine the statistics of their
Railways-and examine the statistics of their
trade twenty years ago, when these roads were
not; and when such one has realized the vast
increase of this trade, let him examine the back
country for which the merchants of those cities
have become factors, and compare it with the back
country its resources and people, their wants
and habits which like improvements on this side
would connect with the seaports OF Virginia.
When he has done this then he will begin to per~
ceive what room we have for building up trade
also
The first line of steamers to Bremen was con-
sidered by many as visionary scheme but, in
connection with the railways, see how business
with the Hanoyerian seaports has increased
Much more abundant for sach increase are the Gle
ments "nlch lie dormant In this shouid-be nay, In
this must-de back country to the fine harbors of
Virginia, which only require little display of the
right sort of spirit to call them forth.
In calling the attention of English capitalists to
the great physical and natural resources of this
part of the country, and in presenting for their
consideration your rapidly drawn sketches of its
prospective and present value l hope you will be
able to give them assurances that the Covipgton
and Ohio Railway is to be pushed forward vigo.
rohsly to completion, and tha. by the time they
can get their ships ready, thiS WORK will be also
ready to fetch and carry for them.
You have my best wishes for the success of all
your laudabls enterprises.
i have no doubt that the proceedings of the
Bristol Convention will be both instructive and in
teresting, bu. have very little hope of being able
to be present at it. Respectfully, &c,
NJ. F. MAURY.