The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-04-06
AGENCY I'M NORFOLK.

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AGENCY IN NOR FoLk.
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soai attention to its dlstnbution the COLLECTION" 81
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ee U. q. Government SOunufy'
xdvanlaoes Of RiaAnand ossT eps7y "asT fos"s ~
TIC gnstsd Nas<s'
fhs MAyos of Riohnond has called meeting
NJ the citszens this evening, at o'clock, at the
CIV Hall, 70 msmorisiizs Secretary Floyd OF the
War Department 10 make Richmond the site Of
the z. S. osvsrnment Foundry. Every citizen Of
Rschaosd should be In attendance, for never be-
fore did more important subject demand the &C.
tion Of this community. meeting Of the City
Council has been called at same place and hour,
to consider the same subject.
We speak without exsggoration, when we say
that there 10 not single point 10 the United
statse either North or South, which presents such
a cosbinstiou of advantages for the location Of
such an establishment, a. the city OF Richmond
The great requisites for National Foundry are
.Taox. Coat, wkras Powss and FAoiLirlss OF TRANS
roRfArIoS, of receiving and delivery, and Of LAsos.
We need not declare how completely Richmond
embraces all these advantages, a. 10 well known
to the present. Secretary Of War, who is native
Of Virginia, and has lived long enough here to as
certain the fact by his own personal observation
Tina quality Of the James River iron and Of the coal
exactly spitsa TO the purpose,of which there 10 an
insxhaustible supply twelve miles distant, 10 un-
derstood By the U. 8. Government a. well as here
A large proportion of cannon for the navy and ar
49, zIa hara s.nf from
Partially for Virginia, but because our iron aud
shops turn out the best cannon in the country,
snd probably 10 the world. The neighborhood OF
the Tredegar Works, an Iron establishm emit not Sc
cond TO any In the Union, and which has lately
proved ito great capacity by constructing the ma
chinsry of two immense steam frigstes, would be
Q suitable site for the National Foundry 1t would
be spon the very margin of the canal, and com
manding an amount Of water power not equalled
hy any town in the United States. The canal
would bring to its very doors the Iron and coal
and carry from the spot, when they are made, to
the adjoining river, or to any other point, the
works manufactured for the Government. If any
other town 10 selected, James river iron and coal
would have to be used, aud the cost and labor
increased In transporting them from this point,
where 1t could be conveniently had TO distant and
less advantageous locations. It happens most for.
tunaseIy at this time that the city of Richmond
owns Q site, suitable, In every respect, for the
purpose, adjacent to the canal, which she would,
beyond ell doubt, ehesrfuily give to the United
States for that purpose in the same liberal spirit
10 which Virginia gave away the Northwestern
territory. Here 10 piece Of ground which the
United States could not purchase elsewhere for a
million of dollars, and which, with all its sdvan-
tagss could not be obtained at any other point at
NIT l.. III
Virginia gave the Northwest, and her great men,
from Washington to the present day, for the be-
nent Of the common Union.
Now, In addition to these advantages of the best
iron. coal and water power, is the fact that We
have an unusual number of iron foundries In this
city One of these, adjoining the proposed site of
the Foundry, 10 among the largest iron establish
mspts In the United States. We have here the
Trsdegsr Rolling Mills and Engine Mandatory.
Armory Iron Foundry and Rolling Mill; Samson
Pas's Iron Foundry aud Engine Mandatory;
Talbot Brothers Shockoe Foundry aud Engine
Mandatory; Ettinger Edmond's Iron Foundry
and Engine and Car Factory; Bowers Iron Foundry
and Stove Works; snyder's Foundry and Stove
Works tbs Old Dominion Nail Foundry, aclich nosr
ssnds forth annually 10 other parts Of the Union more
mails usas, Taginia imported twenty years ago for
the entire STATE; Rhsm's Eagle Foundry and Engine
Works; Hunters Iron and Steel Works, besides
various minor iron works, employing large num- |
Der Of Foandry men. We mention this to show the |
important fact that there exists in the city Of |
Richmond, at the very doors of the proposed |!
Foundry, large amount of fixed reliable, and |
permanently located mechanical force, growing up
with Iron interests, and which, In the event OF
any emergency requiring extra labor, would pre- |
eluds the possibility of dependence upon aid from
abroad. and thereby give certainty and perma
nsucs to the operations Of the government. Ano
Their consideration 10 the fact that United States
Foundry here would not be exposed to the fire. |
quent strikes which take place in other riotous /
and disordsriy parts of the Union, but which !
are unknown in this latitude. This ia point |
whore the government can always rely upon |
labor at uniform prices, aud not subject |
to those sudden expansions and contraotions
in the labor market which take place else where
Hence the Secretaries Of War and Navy might |
always have reliable data upon which to base |
their estimates to Congress upon what would be the
actual cost Of furnishing their departments with |
any required amount of ordnance. At present, in |
all their estimates, they have to take into consid
GRAFTON the probability Of change In the price of
labor, leaving an unsettled labor margin of some
times from atty to 9 hundred per cent. Besides.
Roiu8 ~ inmouietb FtSiulty VI tue ATul0Fy Oh
Virginia.-the garrison of her Public Guard,-the
Flag Of Virginia would afford efficient protection
to the Gated States Foundry, and one which it
couid not End ut any other point. Still another
advantage 10 the interior position of Richmond,
rendering the foundry perfectly secure from the
ineursions OF an enemy, at the same moment that
II has communication by the James River and Ka-
nawha Canal with all its sources Of supply, and
railroad we'll water avenues to transport its
ordnance to any and every part of the United
States. We need say nothing of the remarkable
salubrity Of Richmond proved by statistics to be
the hsalthisst city the Atlantic Seaboard. Jast
think over these various and wonderful yantages
ssd ask what point In the United States embraces
them ell, Or even approaches thems The acknow.
Lodged superiority Of our iron and coal, tested as
they have been In the service of the government,
and producing the best ordnance Ia the United
etatss, would BE- enough of themselves to decide
the qusstion but when we add to them the other
advantages enumerated above, We have combiua.
tion in behalf Of Richmond that 10 perfectly un.
equalled and Irresistible.
We take It for granted that, before making a so.
lection, the ssctsry of War will appoint military
commissioners TO examine the various sites recon-.
msndsd for the United States Foundry. All we |
ask 10 inquiry and examipation. Personally, Gov |
Floyd knows all about these fac Is, but he will no
desbt fesi II his duty to appoint military Com |
mission to Examine, and that 10 all that Richmond
asks. Let the government send reliable officers of
the army, TO examine with their own eyes, and do |
what 10 best for the country, and Richmond asks |
no more.
We take 1t for granted that the City Council and
citissns Of Richmond will set upon the subject
with ~ energy bsftsing the Importance of the
occasion, and that the representative of this dis
trict In Congress will give 1t his undivided stten