Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-09

AT the request of one Of his Charlotte constituents,
We publish the able and interesting speech of Chns
Bruce, Esq, in the Senate of Virginia, the internal
Improvement policy of the State:
SPEECH OF CHARLES BRUCE, ESQ,
IN THE SENATE OF VIRGINIA,
Om tie Internal improvement Policy Of ne State
Dslicercd february IL, lo1S
Mr.. PREsIDENr-When | consider the number
and character Of the railroad bills reported 10 tns oe
nate by the Committee of Roads and lnterna. NaVl'
CATION, infer that il has been the oeeot OF tha com
m:tee to unite and 70 harnonize the demands sno
the interests of the several eections OF the stare
The bills authorizing appropriations 10 the iorh
river road and the Petersburg and NoroK roan; re-
present, suppose, sir the wants OF ume"atei' iue
bills In aid of the roads branching oil from Aiexan
dria, represent the wants of the Red Land District,
part Of the Valley, and Of the ctyo AiexanuIia
itsslf and am forced to the conclusion that IN rue
Judgment Of the committee, the wants anu 'he hopes
OF the South side faithfully presented IN me ON
Richmond and Danve railroad IT, cir, the Senators
composing the Committee of Roads haa considered
more carefully the last have mentioned u tney had
studied more thoroughly the geography vi lnae eh
tended district stretching from james rlVer 10 tue
North Carolina line, they might, think, nave sug
gested scheme which would have maae us on the
Sou,h.sde, feel much deeper interest I'D the other
bills which have received their favorable oonsidera.
ton They might, think, sir, have Drought forward
a bill which would have made US much more mar
mouious family here. and caused many slragghng
South.sders to wheel into the ranks.
stand bere an the representative of constituency
who will not say want nothing, but VINO desire no!
the aid of the State, il it ia oDly 10 % ootaineu
through coalition, which, il successful VIII nave
taken the first step towards sinking the oIeo Vi TIC
Commonwealth beyond the hope Of resumption.
NV action on these bills will not be glidea WIN
a view to town or a section, but trust that sha
be capable of oomprehending the true INTERESTS VI
the whole State, and it ia the earnest WISH oi ny
heart that the remaining means ana ehsrs'ee vi VIZ
oinis instead Of being wasted on d low raii roa'f
that promise nothing, shall be concentrated upon
great work which holds Quito US the promise Oh uh
bounded wealth and power IN ihe future.
take it for granted, cir, that III me present nuan
c;sl condition of the State, every member OF this
hodv ia earnestly desroua TO direct our legislation 10
manner that will afford the greatest ultimate relief
m the tsx PAYERS. If We hereafter shall make sp
nronrstops, or what is nearly the same, subscrip
tions to half dozen works, instead OF one, an
bound to infer that Senators have fairly concluded
that this course 10 the best LOT 'he iu'e'ee' VI '
Commonwealth.
wisb now to enquire in what way the State may
be- repaid for the increased debt which the passage
,hese hills will entail upon her, and exclude for TIT
present, the Covington and ONO hsii ROAD Dill
which II 10 my purpose to consider last.
When l endeavor sir, to ascertain the modes II
which the State may be compensated for her ouila!
in her roads, forced to the conclnsioh thsl te.
NAV be embraced under two heads. Her ROADS ma,
either, from superabundant receps' % enaIu nc. ~
nav dividends upon the stock held in them by I'M
Stste. or, without paying dividends, they may so in
40 the wealth and prosperity OF the stare as
GREATLY enlarge the basis OF taxation. VIII hst Gu
ouire whether there is any ground Tor hopius Una
the investment of the State, already maae OF 70 o.
made hereafter, will prove re'nuuei ~ 'n' 'o'
Of dividends. .r. u.,,, ,,o, ,ho e.o
Without going further, mignt reiy upon lhe lac
,bet IN No country where competing lines of railway
orc tolerated taking England and many OF the STATES
s ,h;s Union as examples. do railway stocks yield
hid of the ordinary profits Of capital The great
est lines of this country the lines that have accom-
nI;sbed the most stupendous results have yielded no
thing 70 stockholders. exclude several OF the grea
roads Of the West, that have been built, not by pri
yate or BY State capital, but by Inc bounty OF I'M
EsSaraI Goyernment or by the donation of the public
lands that should have been held sacred fund th'
nronertv OF the States Take an example the Bait
more and Ohio Road, which by building up flourish
ing and opulent city at the head OF the chesapeake
has enabled the State OF Mayiaa.o pass through .a'
safely but with ever ncreasiGs prosperity, and We
have the Testimony Of the Senator OF Ohio county ant
of the city of Wheeling, that with single exception
that work, which has produced such wonderful re
suits, has paid nothing to- lis slockholders. II W.
world connecting the Hudson with that chain OF lake.
which stretches almost across the American Cont
nept. we 6nd that the exhibit ia no better.
Rnt why 90 abroad for examples, when they arr
Furnished abundanty in our own State and what arr
the facts are compelled 10 acknowledge Z" oo"
neotion with our own roads .,
or the lines that have been authorized within tht
Last eight years. there are four that may be said TO bt
complete and in full operaonlther whole engthDth'
Dauyle, the South.Side, the Tennessee and the hoa
noke Valley Roads 49,
bseu expressed to the contrary will not pay dividend
for wears to come and it would not surprise mo
they we're indefinitely postponed by the necessary
which will sOon occur for the contraction OF iarg
debt in order that about sixtyi miles OF that roa'
nav bs laid with heavier rail. hold Roou des
of its stock and feel assured that my investment WI
continue TO he proftless one
And what ahall say, sir of the Sou'h-sde and Ten
nessse Roads With their applications to us to com
promise their liabilities 10 the State el resi LII GU
memories with the unpleasant. impression made upoi
us by their inability 10 meet their just obligation
sf vivid il would bs an insult to tile common sens'
Of this body TO cay that they offer ANY prospect o
dividends within any period OF time now 70 Do 'ore
seen. ..,
The Roanoke Valley Road is in my own dletriot
and il far from being in prosperous condition. ln
less it shall be revived by the scheme 10 which caet
the attention of the Senate few months ago, it mus
be consigned to irretrievabe bankruptcy.
j believe that have done no injustice to these
works; and may we not fairly conclude that the mos
promising OF the local fOdUb Di fICe'Hid "oIc WI
atructed 1t is fair conclusion that previous Legis
lsures have fret authorized local roads OF minor i'm
portanca, and left the most meritoroHs to be con
sidered last 7
Now sir, the friends of the bills reported by the
committee are prepared to furnish Inc with data by
which NAV be assured that their roads will, If com
pleted pour larger contributions into the State treasu
ry and be- more successful than the finished roads,
will at least pause moment before voting against ap
preparations to them venture to cay that no suet
proof will be forthcoming, not even plausible argu
mept baaad upon probabilities
After full consideration, cannot help concluding
that il would he the contamination Of folly 10 look ia
the roHds Of the State for relief to our finances I'D the
form ofdivideuds, aud am unwilling 10 see The Com
monwealth induced by 10 desperate hope to involve
hersslf more deeply in debt.
desire to enquire, in the second place, whether
the roads for the aid ofwhch the committee have re.
ported biIIs promise to increase the wealth and
prosperity Of Virginia as to greatly enlarge her basis
Of taxation, for If they will neither pay dividends nor
benefit the State in the form which have lust men
toned am bound to conclude that thers is no Just
reason why should add TO that burden Of taxation
which already presses like lead upon the energies OF
our people. The analogy furnished by our finished
roads may aid me in Calculating this point.
While the rapid settlement of the South and West
ia undoubtedly TO be attributed in measure to the
construction of railroads. they have not materially
increased the production OF own State; they have
built mp no town, sDd hardly single village. l care
not how gentlemen may cry out agsinat towns aud
Cities as being sores upon the body poliSc, for they
are nevertheless, unfang indices of the wealth and
prosperity Of q country. Now, sir, f there ia any
village Of considerable dimensions in Virginia which
oweR its existence to the construction of railroad,
know not where il is. If any manufacturing or In.
dustral interest hss sprung up under the influence Of
our roads am yet TO hear of it, In my Judgment.
they have reduced what the cost of transporting
products to market, at The expense Of increased
taxes; have added to the prosperity of two or three
cities, and to the same extent injured the country
villages, but utterly deny that they have added
greatly to the wealth of our State.
! sm not to be driven from my position by the re
port Of the Auditor showing that by the assessment
of 1856. there has been an advance in the value OF
our lands to the amount Of 600 Of. That assess
nent was made at time when high prices prevailed
rom al unnatural expansion Of our currency, and in
addition too, when the precious metals had just un
lergone a great depreciation in value. There is
hardly any product less hnctnatinS in value than
wheat and We yet find that, without scarcity in
he world il ia sailing TODAY in Richmond at 81 81