Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-08


INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT OF VIRGINIA.
1t is very evident that friends Of the Spectator
had just escaped from violent rencontre with the
TaAgatherer when they penned the following article
which appears IN ti,lr is.ue of the 23d Dec. Poor
fellows-we we'll imagine their cad plight, when.
with empty pockets, such as belong to the fraternity
of editors, nova days they escaped from the strour
grip OF friend PECK, minus their coat tails-and slam
ming the door OF thar sanctum in his face indi.ad
with indignant pen this ans,hems against in;erua!
improvements in general, and taxes in particular.
"ISTERSAL 1MPRovEMEyrs.-From the number u!
resolutions of inquiry offered in the Legislature on
the subject of appropriations to internal improve.
ments, wonld inipr that the State treasury wus
full Of money, and that he people were not burdsneG
by taxes. In addition to the appropriations for the
great works now n rogress, money is asked for any
Boston Station" ard from Abraham Enoch's tc
Elijah Whstchs," and other equally important i'm
provements. The Governor recommends appro.
pration of S2,5O0,0OO, to be apportoned follows
Covington and Ohio Railroad, 81 100000; Railroad
between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, $25OGOO
Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, S2OO0OO; York
River Railroad, S20O,OOO clearing of James and
Appomato1 rivers, $l5D0O other works, S2OoDUO.
We are grahed to believe that these numerous
schemes will defeat each other, and that no apprc
priations will be made to any of them."
We arc sure that nothing but the excitement ot e
recent escape from imminent peril could have driven
our patriotic and public spirited neighborshe organ
of the ma sority in this great cOupty-into So unbe.
coming position, hostile ~ tho true interests ~
our people Are they aware that they and the peo.
pie they represent live upon the very line of that
noble, national work. to the carrying on Of which
Governor Wise proposes 10 devote $780, 900 oi tho
S. sou, 900 which he recommends the Legislature :c
expend for improvement in the next two wears Are
they aware thnt it already reaches from the waters
of the Chesapeake Bay to within stones throw Of
Covinston-that between CoviDgiou and the Ohio
river ID only 22O mllespropnsei 70 hs constructed
by tbs State Of virginia-and tbs, when that gsf
is filled, one end OF the railroad will rest on the
shores of the Atlantic while tho oths. vii!
communicate not only with the whole net work ot
Western and Lake Rail Roads, but with 5000 miles
Of steamboat navigation through the most fertile va
leys of the esrth-rich beyond measure. in count
less variety Of productions, and teen!ng with pOpu
ati0n already great but increasing annually Dy thou
sands Are they aware that this is the shortest POS.
sbe route between the waters OF the Atlantic and
| the Mississippi valey-cOmneDded, too, by climate
grades and curves above al! others Do they krow
that the annual receipts of the Baltimore and Ohio
Rail Road, the inferior of this route, in every respsc
are now from four to seven millions OF dO!!n.s per
! annum-whs the receipts of our road bG: little ~
ceed half milon-snd that this difference ofrecepts
is solely owing TO the fact, that the former road has
reached the Ohio, while ours has not-ihai oar line
was completed, the balance of receipts would nerita
bly, be largely in its faver and against its rival DO
they remember that this line passes through The cen
tire of the mineral water region Of virginathe finest
and most various in The world, and through the heart
| of the coal, the salt the timbers q! IL: k9nhwhG
valley; enough. of theraeIves, to give ample bIsi
ness TO half dozen railroads, and to ill onr S'ata
with wealth Do they know that the CoYlngton ard
Ohio railroad is hardly important to the State, and
10 the world as continuation Of the Virginia Central
railroad to the Ohio, as il ia when considered 4.
feeder to that importantnd languishing work, tie
James river and ksnawha canal, and eure pioneer
of the water ae 20 the Ohio; by which, i! completed
freight be taken from any point OF the Mrss.iv
valley through the heart of Virginia to New orh,
| cheaper than by any other rOutel Finally md
above all, have they forgotten, or have they never
read that mastery letter of Governor Wise in *!ich
he demonstrates that without raising the rate OF tax
alton one cent beyond its present mark. Virginia can
borrow in ten ye8rs in nstelmens of &, $685. co., the
sum of S25 0OnODO for h9r improvements pay the IN
teres annually and raise sinking fund sufficient 10
| pay it of ne it falls duet
| Our representatives in the Legislature would cut "A
handsome figure in following the lead OF their organ.
and deprecsting all appropriations for improvement
purposes. We feel called upon to Save them from go
fatal Misrepresentation OF their constituents, ny sp
prising them in tine that the above quo!ed eutorlsi
does not contain the deliberate sentnent OF our ~
teligent neighbors, but was ~rung from them by
duress and stress of weather and is wholly atrlbuia-
BILE to Capt. Peck's seyere and untimey dui. We
hops the Captain WILL hereafter time MS cells better
or if be does not that friends will rather put him
| off by the reputable expedient OF declaring them
selves in stnte of suspension which all gentlemen,
and much more editors have An unquestonabe right,
in bese times TO do, rather than peril again the best
| interests of the country :-Otherwise, we must b.
pu, TO the disagreeable necessity Of calling upon the
pubic to leave them pursue alone their mad career
and come forward to the support Of more pubic
spirited and patriotic psper-such as our beloved
"Vindicator."
SALE OF CIRCASSIAN GIkLS.-The London
Post thus speaks in recent number, Of the traffic IN
Circassisn girls in Turkey:
"Perceving that when the Russians shall have re-
occupied the Caucasus, this traffic in white slaves
will Be over the Circassian dealers have redoubed
their efforts, ever since the commencement OF the
peace conferences, to introduce into Turkey the
greatest possible number Of women while the oppor
unty of doing so lasted They have been so success
full that never, perhaps, at any former period, was
white fssh so cheap as it is at this moment There
OBLIGED to throw away their goods, owing TO thse eI
Of the euppy which in many hs sssn
times good middllng' Circassian girl was thought
very cheap at fl0O, but at the present moment the
same description Of goods may be had for Is
SAILING OF THE PERSIA.
New YORK, Jan. G.-The steamship Persia sailed
at noon to-day for Liverpool, with $1,000 600 in spec
Gle.