Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-08
GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
(.No.lll)

GOVERNORS MESSAGE,
(No.ll)
To tie Senate and House Of Delegates Of the
General assembly Of the State Of Virginia
GgxrLgxES lit has not been for the wan, Of reverence
for religion, or that ! have been %unmindful OF Gods provi-
dence TO our people, that J have omitted to observe the
mere form and fashion Of executive messages, TO acknow-
ledge Divine Goodness. have purposely omitted to do So
for the same reason that | have, on every occasion when
called on By the clergy or others, declined to recommend
or appoint a day Of Thanksgiving. The Mayor Of AleXan-
dria lately addressed me on the subject, and returned for
answer the letter, n copy o. which | herewith cOmmunica-
ted. ! declined for the reason that the State officers have
no authority or power 10 tnterpose in religious matters De
longing exclusively 10 private individuals and their vonn-
tary church organizations. We are n Christian people. re-
cognizing the Christian law, in our baptism. in the naming
of our children. in the sanctions of our oa,hs, around the
family affairs, in keeping the Sabbath day, in the courts of
justice, in our ideas and observanceS OF common iaoraIny
and decency, in marriages and in burials-fromt the cradle
to the grave, in our whole lives and laws. But. there Is no
church establishment, and ought to be none; and there
ought TO be no medding Of The State with matters of rel.
gion and faith, except 10 protect and defend the freedom OF
conscience and voluntary worship, and to enforce SOUND
morality and common decency. This binders us not, but
FATHERS sets us free TO praise God in our own way. Any re-
commendation OF worship from the State or its officers, in
any form, is to some extent q constraint upon the people,
who have forbidden by their Constitution the interrneddlng
with such matters by political power. Politics and religion
ought not, In any way. to be brough. into contact. They
pollu,e and destroy each other. Two Of the worst evils OF
times are poiiticdt-religiom and religiouspo'iHc*. am
NOT constituted and appointed 10 nanule HOu \ nOly lnlnEN,
and | will not dare hypocriticany and cantingly to hucEster
them in the market Of popularity among men.
Having fully discussed other subjects important enouGht to
fill two separate messages, now address you upon the gen.
eral and miscellaneous topics Of legislation
THE Public WORKS.
The various reports Of the Board and Of The superintena-
ep,s of Public Works will show the details Of their cNpendi'
ture and progress. and Of their estimates for the future
NV own genera, views are fully presented In the accom-
nanyinr pamphlet, containing my correspondence with
II, IacSuture, on his proposition of a line OF steamers with
France. Ihave only to add on the general topic, that what
1 have cndeavored 10 show respecting the law OF the cen.
tres 10 trade, bears strongly on the policy OF exPeditine
The nuhlIc works Of the Commonwealth by all the
means in her power. 4 centre OF trade ~ tnatspensdoIy
nscessary 10 sare the cost cf exchange, though ne o0ants
nothing com pared icith the loss incident TO me mont q "
eom'G1a on nJ am NJ u yne% a central commercial pomer. That
control Is what can shut up or open the banks, or contract
or expand the currency, over the wno.e county,, a. pea,
conservative or destructive part, according to n good or bad
administration Of commercial or financial policy. To have
that control as far AZ possible al our own eGmnhahn, "inIh
the reach Of our own laws, in our limit, Is vitaly essential
I, would not. perhaps. lie hyperboical 10 say that the total
van, OF that control will cos, Virginia more In this one year
than would be the completion OF the Covlngton ana ONO
p,iIro,d IN IN. mex, five wears 10 come. That control car
mo-, b, had riAout a centre IF trade: and that centre "
;,,,y. c,ano, d, GuRt up oriMont Iutttc uorks 20 briagd
D., - ca.utru 10 som, yoint Of commerce. This argument,
alou. is sufficient, 10 maintain the whole policy Of state I'M
proveuen, upon which We have entered ana rom "hich
az cannn, now r.c-le without q loss Of capital and a loss
~ cha rac,er which would not hs credi;able in any respect.
H.. Greatest line of Virginia. by far, is her James river
,mJ E.payha canal It's rraCtlcaDlIlI, through lHe Slls-
.hauy chain Of mountains, no one doubts who has any pre-.
:ensions 10 science. The able engineer on the work wonll
blnsh 10 give up the problem; and no Intelligent othcHr would
,,,nji that i, Is any other question than one merely of means
."d ~ ,Imc. The history OF the canal ana OF IL, ';""-.sr.,
Of It's cost to the State and 20 private stockho,her- -
TOO volu1ainous TO enter upon here. Hut IN spite oil every
s% ~ S,acis and ali imposition. and though it be now out of
fnnds and gu, Of credit in its present incomplete stare, u
no f.arlcssly pronounced 10 be a successful work. IN the
~ I'M, II. importance and its practicability are demon
.tra,ed. 1t would this year have paid the interest uSohis
bonds. but for the unexampled seasons OF the TWO pas, WIN
-. e .a ,.nrr ahlnn and hlcpn pslIln OH
Cow will show that its affairs have been well managed; and
The COMPANY have again resolved upon q means oi rsiie1
which they call upon me to present 10 Inc ieelsia,u!e. WV
rnas,,.s and acting under Il strong sense cf justice TO
,nrncsnt s,ockholders, who have sacrificed their whole iute-
rr,, for the State, | repeat til" recommendation which made
"a III. last session, to convert The whole debt ot the company
s,o,l for the State 20 take is portion Of the debt in pre-
f,rr,d stock, and 10 sell ~ 700 shares for further construction
Of the work. TIE reason and jusiice"t his are yet forth IN
INV previous message. and m the accompanying ic"tr from
the president OF the company.
The work next in primary Importance is the Covington
Ohio railroad. submit 4 synopsis oil the progress ui
rho INCOMPLETE work, prepared by its chief engineer. Two
,r;uion. r. anumn can be economically applied TO this
work. and al that rate Of expenditure u VIII lake about Tour
or FIVE years to complete H. 10 max ama' amount oil
bonds of the state cannot be sold al par, and no money
could be raised on them. In answer TO this 1t may be said,
that II no money can be raised, none will he expended. If
non. he nnnropriated, then none c0uidbe expended, though
some miyhf be raised. And, II appropriations are to be made
and ought 10 he made, they oughttobe snihcient TO meet any
rnr,nnat. contingency for raising and eNpending the means
Ia carry on the work. And bonds can he sold and the mo.
n,y can he raised in part by taking state bonds Issued
,r;or ~ 1,,,2 from the contractors and creditors on the
49, mnrr. and sinking them at par, on condition, as heretofore,
of the purchase Of new bonds at par from tie state. ms
will make par to both the State and the purchaser Of bonds,
and will nut money into the treasury to pay the public cred.
;tor and make par all around. The accompanying letter
from the engineer kill show how that operation has aided
this work. therefore recommend me approPriatoh Of al
l.as, one million and 4 half Of dollars TO carry on the con
s,ruc,ion Of this work "a speedily as possible. And, In
y;ew Of the present financial difficulties, ! hesitate about re
commenting any other appropriation to public works al the
...,., ,;~a In, We have reached the Tennessee line with
our Southwestern railroad, and that work has every pro-
spect Of profit and OF being completed in the next year TO
Nemnhi. And / call the attention Of the Legislature 10
m. i,nnor,ance of a branch Of this great work through the
Cumberland gap, connecting with the Kentucky works, and
terminating on the ONO a, ~ mou,' ci az ~ ,hs m ~ y a q
the Ohio river, and the reserve which Virginia made there
she coded the territory Of tina, state: The Memphis
cou,,eted through Tennessee; the Cumberland gap
road branching to the intermediate West; and the Coving-
ton and Ohio road finished TO the North~est-we will have
nearly nil or the most essential Of the connections needed
with the Ohio valley and the back country beyond. And
by completing the South-side to NorloiR, anu CONNECTING tne
Eauviile road with the works Of North Carolina, and finish.
inp the York river road, We will have the most essential
Southern and Eastern connections. And l call your atten.
ton TO the accompanying memorial OF a committee OF cni'
izen. appointed At a late general meeting OF the stocKhoid.
ers of the Orange and Alexandria railroad company. The
friends Of the extension OF that road TO Lynchburg are per
suaded that, a. an operation Of finance alone, Its compile
ton would bring large returns into the treasury. That II
would put into immediate and profitable activity nearly 4V
miles OF railroad otherwise unproductive, i'll which the state
has already made large Investments, and which, at the re-
luccQ estimate OIL si,OVV yearly ICSClNs ISI iulic, nhSu tHS
entire through line is put into operation, would yield an az
cregate gross receipt Of three millions IF dollars per n 7um,
out of which, after deducting one-half for working expenses,
and $5OO, 900 for repairs, interest and contingencies, there
would be left to the State ut least half n million for her
clear annual dividend. This would at once relieve taxa.
ton for the completion of other works. Such is the conf
dent calculation Of the projectors and stockholders Of this
work. I think that 1t is, undoubtedly, likely to he one Of
our most profitable lines when completed; and its inpor.
tance il immensely m~agnifed, when viewed in connection
with its junction to the Cumberland gap az we'll as the
Memphis lines. 1t is a work in progress, is waiting for
go, - I;.ti Gfa n 2faf. Ia t.s.oi.
interested In II, Il will be hereafter of the greatest Importance
AZ a link Of a great national line, and / recommend an APP
to il OF at least $25o,oW.
Indeed. all the unfinished works, approaching neares, to
conplction. ought to be aided at once. and no appropria.
lions ought TO be made to new until those unfinished works
are COMPLETED and profitable. The present monetary crisis
ouyh, no, N deter the appropriations 80 far as TO seriously
delay and damage the works near completion. In less than
six months. it Is hoped, the EMBARRASSMENT will cease
,nm the money market; ,s specie cnn,l pas% sI rebound Sa, Dc into rs,
a prosperous condition; our credit will have passed
through the trial unscathed; our bonds, IL reheved, as re-
commended, must rise to par; the banks generals VIII De
sounder than ever. there will be more specie In the country
transactions will he more solid; public securities OF intrinsic
and tried value will be sought for investment; and the credit
Of this commonwealth will afford the sale Of State bonds or
the negotiation Of loans. I therefore recommend appro'
priations, amounting in the whole to two millions hve hun
finished works according TO their relative Importance.
To the Covingtoa and Ohio road. saw 100000
To the road between Charlottesville and Lynchb'g 100000
To the Norfolk and Petersburg road 100000
To the York river railroad, 100000
To the clearing Of James and Appomat,ox rivers, 10000
To other works, as It may be distributed, 100000
$2,5O0,OO0
The Winchester and Potomac railroad COMPANY desire a
charter simply to extend their road south from Winchester
up the Valley, 10 as to connect with Strasburg or other
point, to give them a through line with other works. They
ask for no subscription or appropriation, will build the ex.
tension with their own means, and want only a charter.
This Il Is but Just and right to grant them. l hold II to be the
duty of the Legislature 10 grant incorporation to any pro.
prie,ors who viii construct public Improvements at their
own expense. The principal ofcompe,ion is rather to be
adopted and cherished than to be repeNed by sound policy.
rv.rv nortion OF the people ought to be allowed TO improve