Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-03

with discriminating postage after that time. Our
policy henceoth should be TO give to all vessels the
postsgee which they earn, and not one cent more
This will be due to the Steam Ferry Line.
vIRGINIAN INTEkEsTS-soUTHER INTE.
RESrS-NATIONAL INTERESTS.
In our 6rst article under this caption, We expressed
the opinion that the railroads which would be compile.
ted during this year. from the interior to the Chesa-
peake, together with existing traffic communications,
would attract and be ample to convey more than su.
ciency oreshts for the contemplated Ferry Line Of
Levathau Steamers. Upon closer examination of
the subject We are confident that this would be the
case. The low price At which they could carry, und
the rapidity with which they would cross from the
one shore to the other, would draw the staple pro.
ducts Of the earth for many hundred miles South and
West to the hsveu in which they would moor II
would soon bs found that all the capital which South.
err sea board cties might otherwise be disposed TO
employ in foreign navigation, would obtain profitable
investment In steamers TO convey to and from The
ferry landing on the Chesapeake. Small steamships.
land when We Say small we mean such as draw under
twenty feet wstsr,) cauuot possibly carry ponderous
articles 5000 miles except at eIorbian, rates. The
them 90 deep that they are precuded from conveying
cargo except to very limited extent This can uever
be remedied, except some new motive power. dis.
pensing with bulk and weight, shall be discovcred.-
The economy in fuel is greater in the screw steamer
than in the paddle Wheel and yet there are few II
any Of them in ocean service which DO not consume
IS tons per diem, while their Passages, we presume,
will average more than sixteen days between New
York and Liverpool. Thus they carry ton, If not
more, of Goa! to convey two tons Of mercbaudize.-
or passengers, because of their slow movements,
they carry, comparatively but few, for the saving If
even day at SEA is desirable 10 ali who cross it.
lis estimated upon reliable data that $50 tons cf
fuel per dem will propel II 5oU tons Of freish,
such vessel as the Great Eastern and at a rate OF
speed that will enable her to mske average passage
in seven days If b, shall OCCUR, or anything ep-
pro1imatingit, eau DOUBT that the Levsit.nrs
must mopopoze the traffic, from the fact the;
they can afford to conduct it at lower prices and more
expeditously than it has ever yet beer conveyed, or
can be conveyed by such bottoms as are now afoa''
The Ferry Line can have no rival, because there Is
no water on either the English Sea board or our SEQ
board in all respects adapted to it but Milford Haven
and the Chesapeake Bay. depth of 20 feet is the
least that i. required aud only % can be had up to
New York.
The immense size of the proposed Ferry Line
steamers Is calculated TO bewilder meu's minds who
are even eminent as ut,arians Let us enquire,
for their instruction whether the ocean has kept up
with the land in improvements for transportation,
and whether science, after having attained what is
now considered perfection on the latter, should not
naturally turn It's attention to the former The loco
motive may draw l5D tons weight over rail al tue
rate of IL miles per hour-we will say from Gordons'
Vile TO Richmond. A team Of slr horses would not
draw, twenty years ago, more than one ton, at ite
rate Of three miles per hour between those places
Now 500 ton sailing ship at that time stood in re-
lutiou Of more magnitude to tho wagon cart team
than the Levlsthsn steamship does at this moment
to the locomotive aud cars. Let ;hose VINO doubt II
make tho calculation. Ocean facilities have there
fore become necessity and science would oe faith.
les, to It's trust, false to !tss Ii il wers not 20 pro-
vide them 1t sbrinks from no duty assigned 1t, and
.. n,en,-.d md p.ope.Ds ",tonsh moro and more
the most obstinate inoredulity win Iss amoss uoi-
vellous exploits
The largest steam epgipe ever constructed 10 In op'
.rst,on At the Iron works of the late Sir John Guest
q, Merthyr T.dvi, In South Wales, aoou. 100 miles
from Milford Haven Tbi. engine has sufficient power
70 blow eight furnaces which out about ls0 tons
of pig metal daily 1t approaches s' yearly to the
screw of Archinsdes any machine ever Construct
ed, and when seen in motion by those who behold II
for the ar,t time the Impression is created, In the
midst Of the amaI cment experienced, tha; it Is in
reality moving the earth. Its strength and proper.
tons and performances are but in simple correfpon-
dence with the wants for the ocean which Brunei
and his oo.djutors are endeavoring to supply
Ills asked, over and over again, how long will 1t
take 10 load such vessel as the Great Eastern We
answer. from assurances on the subject upon which
wa can RELY, not more than three dsys-perhaps not
two At Cardiff on the Bris,ol Channel, coal shi2-
mad at the rate of one hundred and fifty to71 per hour
Thu, with twelve trans, one 70. each compartment,
the Great Ea.te.a could receive eighteen hundred
tons per hour.
Cunard, who has been emnen'y successful with
steam OH the ocean, is building at Glasgow an iroc
vessel of the largest size that toe water vii! ADMIT OF
entering the port of New York. she is to be 4;Ofret
long, and 30 constructed as to ensure toe utmost
,psed attaipsbe for her size 1t Is calculated that
she will run across in something Ices than nine days
Cunsrd commenced with steamers one.halt toe
length of the Persia, but he has aeoertained tina:
s,reugth and sze have enabled him to diminish the
tims Hrst re grred for passage, nearly one half No
practical mind any longer INDUCES fears that long
ships will break in pieces on wave.
Let u.s. In Wow of all that is SO wonderfully trapspi.
ring, yet on rapidly with our rail roads, in order that
We may be early prepared to profit by the natural ad
vantage. so lavisbly bestowed upon rs. The great
lsnd.locted bay water in our front, and The mineral
teeming mountains and valles at our back. were de
signed to confer peculiar benefits upon ourselves, the
entire South and the Union. Let u, BE- true TO our
apparent destiny in ;sa,ng no efforts untrlsd to turn
tteu TO valuable account.
We will conclude Ibis numbe. with the following
statement of the railroad receipts in Great Britain
during recent week. Wild as many Of the railway
,cbemes were considered in England, which wer,
subsequently on.ummated, there IS nobody now
who bslieye. Il there IL enc line too long one
mi, too m.n operation. What has iranspired il
England will, uadsr good management transpiro In
Virginia
"Tbe traffic receipts for this week are 4ai a73 le
2 Thi, amount hs. hern acquired on 8 lio4 miles
and /, equal to E55 IS q per mile The r.v-nut
fnr the c,rresponding week last year Was E4lsne
on U 7g5i, miles, and gave an averages OF Esq IS
e, psr mile. The increa.. in favor Of the present
week i, to the extent of IS U W per mie: Inc ag'
gr.rate w income from the tir' week IN Ju,y J.
f7936so4 the numb, of miles 1, open nFig , Sa4ns
nnnS;us NJ ,iod ssr year rhe income ou 7p5l; nrs
pTsa.ta74 gos .7 4ss sos or f94e Il per mile Th, nd
na,ss an increase in favor vi the present year Of
E2S per m'."
Wa are no, ye. done With this subject. In few
days ws shall recur to 1t.
HON REvERDY JOHNSON ON TIE SIMON
TON CASE.
The New York Tribune says that Rererdy John
son gave a written opiuiou. maintaining tina. under
the existing law Mr. Smortca was bound to disclose
49, Id l.