Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-26

la,o q, DOCKS Of New fofa thar al iis :a,,oaIs
sorth Of il &c tie Rio G.alda, poar into inc e'Iee ~
which they respectively terminate S!r' 'hn' t' ~,
has Effected revolution n,gused by any "nieh Inc
history OF the world affords. dvertrg the .inI' %
half,his Union from the great highways WIN ~
mighty God has placed there for ts accolniiioun''on
II llas reversed, as il seems, great Ia" VI %
in causing the current Of the Mississippi a'iu o'o'
rivers to flow up stream; and il has DONE anu 70 nov
silently and quietly doing more to weaken 'hs onIoi.
than all subjects which have beeu agated I'D OF our OF
Congress- by rendering elk of the free States CONNER
cally independent of the Soue which were before ue
pendent the Southern States for all they oought ahS
Sold and would, when the hour OF d'snuiou c1hies'
have sided with the South. PhladePnl1 sau palI,'
more, witnessing the great resuls OF THIS Ere lanai
and knowing that the products Of that great ana ne1
haustible region would soon increase Deyohu inc
capacity of the Erie Canal to transport u 10 market
without regard TO cost, start their ROADS 10 ms oho
river.
tap the Ohio river. When her railroad reaches that
river she finds that her position is too near us mead
springs and that there is but little chance lot ner 10
command much of the Western trade AiIer an
experiment Of five years, she finds her expenditures
unproductive. She then seeks to penetrate Iarther
into the great West by the extension Of her Central
road around the Panhandle of Virginia, to Cochocton
and Zanesville to connect at those points WIN 20
lumbus, the centre OF the trade of Ohio. Fihalhg
that this circuitous route aound the Panhandle can
not successfully compete with the Cleveland and
Lake Shore Railroad, terminating at Buffalo, she
comes and esks permission to cross the Panhandle ana
bridge the Ohio at Steubenvile. This right enc was
denied at three successive sessions Of the
Of Virginia. but in spite of your REFUSAL IN dehance
of law and in violation Of the sovereignty OF the state
she has constructed this road and is now proceeding
to bridge the Ohio. This is of vital Importance TO
her il she is TO participate in the trade OF the great
West hence her anxiety and determination at all
hazards to cross the Panhandle. Baltimore also
starts her road to the Ohio and asks permission Of
Pennsylvania 10 pass through the territory OF
that State. with view Of reaching the ONO oy
direct road to Wheeling This permission ID refused by
Pennsylvania. Baltimore offers millions OF dollars
to that State to it, but still the right OF way ID
withheld. She comes to Virginia aud a1ka per
mission to construct her road through her ter
rirory to the Ohio, and pledges herself to give
Wheeling, the proposed Western terminus, the
substantial benefits of such connection. So an1'
ious Is she to procure this right of way, that
she proposes to give Virginia, for all time 81
cents for each passenger che carries over her road
This TO crafty our North Western brethren, We gave
without any consideration Baltimore at an expense OF
$50 1000 0O0 completes her road. She ALEC finds Wheel
ing too high up She then falls below to Ben ooo ID
order to form connection with the gainesville road
Not low enough yet she, at an expense OF OO0
more falls down 10 Psrkersburg-mo than OO miles
below WheeiDg-snd not satished with this, che
comes here with the most monstrous proposition,
which ia to enable her not to tap the ONO, al the
point at which our Covngton and Ohio roads laps 1T
but sir, more ridiculous proposition even, than
that to tap your Covington road, and that at the
point where your Point Pleasant and andotte roads
meet thus asking you, in effect, to arres this trade
of the Ohio and when you have collected it, hand il
over to her. And this proportion absurd as II is finds
friends here. Sir, hope this House will. without
hesitation, crush this poisonous reptie which mas
thrown ii.elf across the track of Virginia progress
and which seeks, by Its embrace to corrupt and draw
off the lite blood from whole system.
Sir have attempted, in my feeble way, pass in ra
Did review before this House, synoptcsl sketch of
ibs yasrness and the importance OF this Western trade
have shown that it has been diverted from it's legit
mate and natural channel by artificial onee, more con
venientiy located for its accommodation. IL IL
known 10 ALL that the Erie Canal which is closed Elk
months by ice, cannot now transport all the products
of the West to market. For the last four years. mil
lions of bushels of grain have been kept from mar
et for want of facilities for ts transportation. Ii s
alao kno xn to all who have any knowledge OF that
Western world that not one hundedh part nf its pro-
ductve capacity has been deveoped that twenty
five years ago it made nothing for eIport-that If lite
trade has grown to ts present magnitude in twenty.
five years. starting then without population, without
any internal improvements, what must it be in the
next twenty. years with population now OF over SO.
ven millions. and over six thousand miles OF railroads
and canals Soon, their railroads will be finished,
and the labor which has been devoted to their con.
struclon will BIZ devoted to the cultivation of ts in
exhaustible soil How, them sir, is this increased pro-
ducts to reach the consumer. The Erie Canal, have
shown you, is inadequate for the present demands tor
Sir, additional facilities must be af
forded, and it has pleased the Almighty Ruler o. the
Universe to grant Virginia every facility for its &C.
Sir, in what respect are the advan
tages of Virginia superior 10 all others, to attract the
trade Of the West2 They, cir are apparent to every
rejecting mind.
What, cir, are the relative advantages of Guyan.
iotte over Buffalo, At Buffalo you naturally com
mand the trade CT but one side of the lakes All
The rivers in that region et2pfY into the Ohio
Her trade is then confined to one side Of the lake
al the reault Of her natural position. At Guyan.
dotte you are connected with more than ten thou
sand miles Of steamboat navigation, iraversng the
nst grain producing portion OF The globe nineteen
wentieths Of which is tor market. 1t cannot, from liz
nature, stand the shipment through the warm climate
Of the South. 1t ia this natural impeachment which
has thrown this trade the Erie Canal for transpor.
taton.
This canal is so far North that il is rendered useless
ak months Of the year. Virginia occupies the mid.
die po-ilion having none Of these objections or OBJ.
stsces 10 encounter and this is enough without any
other advantage. But, sir, there il another advan
tage which alone would decide what direction THE
Western trade wonid ia;ie That IL, that through
Virginia is the nearest way TO The Atlantic Tor nine
TEEN. twen,ierhs of the Western trade. 1t can be
brought TO Norfolk, the beat harbor on the Atlantic,
for less than it reach the ocean in anyother ways
Sir, why should any man doubt that this trade can
BIZ brought through Virginia, after viewing all Der
for it's accommodation, cannot Imagine.
SIR this generation, already has seen it diverted from
lie natural course and made to how through artificial
channels because those channels Afforded superior at
fractions for it, The attractions which Virginia pre-.
sens are inconparaby better, because there ID lit.
tie or no detention and the rates will be cheaper than
on the Erie Canal. Sir, Virginia will command it by
a law irrevocabe as law OF nature. That law is,
that trade will take the cheapest and best way TO
market.
But, cir | have heard it said, that if the West we're
10 devote ts resources 10 the production of cereal
crops, that they would be produced in such sbun
dance that their value would fall below the cost oil
arrived at by minds which have nvestgae ed this sub.
ject but slRhty. and which have looked not beyond
the limits of their own State for consumers.
Sir, that West has glorious destiny written for its
1t is and il will continue TO be- the
great granery from which drawn, annually, food for
the starving millions of the Old World. Europe and
Asia have, years ago, reached their utmost produc.
tive capacity of the necessariea OF life They have
OF si1 hundred millions; the.r natural in
crease must By fed alone from the sore houses OF our
Western State that increase is ten millions, yearly.
who must look alone TO The products Of me great
West for support and sustenance. Sir. those pro.
ducts are not alone in demand in Europe and Aria,
but in every part OF the world There il moi se8
hat is not visited by vessels treighted with them.
nor port into which they do not entire.
Now air. propose more ulrectly 10 duuTo IJeoll
to the consideration of the bill before the House.
have attempted to show the importance to Virginia o:
this Western trade. Think have shown that Virginia
can, without doubt, command 1T that our system OF
improvements were located for its accommodation,
and all have to fear. s the influence Of Baltimore
aud her power to wrest it from u, II we give the
-ights of way asked for by bis bill, and others Of
similar nature now before the House.
Sir, the gentleman from Winchester takes this posi-
ion that we have no right to refuse individuals
permission to construct, with their own cans their
own improvements on their own land. To this
proposition l object, and descent most emphati.
,ally. The power to grant this permission is
vesied in this body; the discretion Is here
Then the discretionary power to grant, carries
necessarily the power to refuse. IT, in the opinion of
his body it be eIpedient to grant charter, then 1t is
,ranted II ineIpedent i: ia refused. Who cir, has
questioned the power Of this House thus TO act
But the gentleman argues that you have no right TO
interfere with private rights To this position all
must be drawn who agree with that gentleman. II
hen, this BIZ true where does your Legislature get
he right to construct any roadl They all Interfere
With private rights You take o mana land with or
without his permission provided you give him just