Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-06

rs,sr "a ope-a;c.. il. :.is Stats IAis Ia: see'c
pa-ado.ical ate. So urch tnt Been saii a!ior ne
sc q, energy and exsrton OH tho part .: ;le Uid do
~ ;uion pur,i,ulerly wien ne know that by iar the
,,..I.st mart of this work has been accomplished
within comparatively short space OF time hut II 10
moi The spirit or energy Of tie PirgnIan' that We
complain Of because once enlisted the energies oi
an ambitious aspiring people are reslsess. II was
the la.eueos OF the Lour-the hgh.tonsd and pseVa'
lent bu. mistaken isas of physca! exertloh and tbs
value of labor, that prevented from putting Our
shoulders 10 the ,cke-that have TO regret and the
present Of the Legislature, which now
tends to choke OF that spirit Of enterprise it had SO
long fed and encouraged.
After 200 miles Of rail road have been built in the
State 500 of which have been effected by Virginia
capital or labor in order to deveope our internal
and external resources, and promote our commerce
and interests generally, the necessary means to COM
plete the connecting links are withheld The people
have invested about S50,OOOUUO, in rail roads and
canals, partly from their private purses and partly
through their public oiicers-most of that immense
cspital is now directly reproductive for want OF
800 OOO 600 more to complete those works. Yet there
are those who cannot understand why our public
improvements do BOT pay
Less than 400 miles of rail road and canal, that
will not cost than $50 600 per mile average
are yet required TO connect the improvements OF
Eastern Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay, with
Western Virginia and the waters Of the Ohio yet
there are those who are SO limited in their practical
views, so preiudiced by party influences. or blinded
by other motives, that the fable OF the dog in the
manger is brough, wildly 10 our recollection and
whilst every one oses no gains by the dilatory
measures which liberal men are forced to accept by
the opposition under the rits old MAXIM that 'half
loaf ia better than no bread"
But if Virginia, with her exhaustless treasures,
will be penny nc,e and pound foolish or misery dole
out her scanty pitances-just enough to keep the
soul aud body OF her Western improvements together,
then the Covington and Ohio road is doomed and
the fate of the Water Line ls sealed-uuless the
State will grant to private enterprise its reasonable
demands or let outside speculation accomplish
that which che failed in At $S0UOOO per year. it will
take over 20 years to complete the Covington and
Ohio rail road and 20 years now, is nonuch better
than forever. There are men, however, in Virginia,
who would bring the trade Of Cincinnati or the
waters Of the Ohio, to Richmond 10 three years,
der liberal encouragement; and unless this can be
done, our hopes of establishing an independent com
merce from the waters Of the Chesapeake, will de.
pend on broken reed
In 1910 there were only $50 miles of rail- road in
the State row, as We before remarked, there are
over 100 miles. But of this number 34a, or 376--
Including the Winchester and Harper's Ferry road
are devoted to the interests Of Baltimore. though
running through this State. They were built by Bal.
al, ,p.og 70 he ifv nj
hat CITY, vet they are instrumental in developing our
North Western resources, and open out an unlimited
market to that region Yet We have to guard the in.
teress of Alexandria. II we could give that city the
advantages II should have, every line built by Bal
,ore through yirginian territory would add strength
and wealth 10 Alexandria and the State generally
Rut wa must be careful that our new routes through
the North. West, are judicousy located in order to
preponderate n favor Of the Potomac, instead Of the
Bay trade. THE, however, s not the case with the
new roads as at present projected. Any one may OBJ
serve, by o mere glance at the map that the A!eIan
dria, Loudoun and Hampshire Rail Road, will be but
another string to the Baltimore and Ohio, siuce they
are connected at Harper's Ferry by the Winchester
road and would therefore give advantages to Balti
more which Alexandria could not we'll affori. This
1
confer no real benefit on either; but would on the
contrary, injuriousy affect both the Baltimore and
Ohio, and the Manassas Gap Rail Roads. a road
from Alexandria to Harpers Ferry would b, con-
summation Of the greatest Importance to that city, but
to pursue it from that point in any direction wou!d
DO the most Improbable folly. This can beaccom.
| plsbed by the Loudoun Branch OF the Manassas Gap
| road Indeed a continuation Of this, The shnsssns
| Can road from Strasburg to the immense cal fields
of the West--oommencing East Of the Chea: river
and from thence to Grafton, ut the junction OF tho
Wheeling and Parkersburg roads, would 10 much
more desirable. 1t would accomplish everyend now
sought for and would give Alexandria fai' chance
for share OF the trade by Harps-s Ferry end at the
same time give her nearly fifty miles the advantage
of Baltimore for the coal OF Frosburg, well the
| immense trade and travel from Parkersturg and
| Wheeling Such contamination would soon enable
Alexandria to bid defiance to the rivalry Of Bati,
more, aud would not only give Virginia the command
of her Northern borders, but would sso give her the
trade ofthe upper we'll as the lower Ohio, and
place her nearer. and In better position towards the
Lakes than Baltimore. Philadelphia, or New York.
Besides the LOO miles Of completed road, there
are 800 miles OF unfinished roads in progress snd pro-
iecsd, making grand total of $3.50, which we may
have in operation within the next five years, if libe
rel policy ia pursued and energetically carried out
There ia also 200 miles Of canal finished leaving about
100 miles yet to finish, which will give us direct and
cheap water line from Norfolk and the best and moot
capaoous harbor in America, to the Ohio and all the
| mighty rivers Of the West
| The numerous lines forming this grand total all
converge or tend towards Norfolk, as a common GEN.
ire. No other city in the Union presents the advan'
tsges which are possessed by Norfolk and its vicinity
| for an immense trade. Here The commerce Of more
| than half the Union must eventually be conoentra'
| ted.
| Though Richmond now holds all the advantages OF
TRANSPORTING avenues and connections Norfolk must
of necessity be her depot and to the prosperity Of
that ci,y, will she owe much of her future grestneHs
She may be the London, but Norfolk is the Liverpool
Alexandria, and even Baltimore may find it prohta
BILE to store their freights on the wharves OF this
"City of the Waters" since such immense and cheap
transports az the Great Eastern could not ascend to
tbess ports. S. II. De b..
LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.
| EXTRA SESSION..
EvEs,ss SEssios-WEDNEsDAY, MARCH 81, 1853
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
to no