The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-02-19
THE DISpATCH II.


To-day, our citizens are esHea "P"" w
vhether or no this city VIII n'ase eo
subscription to the extension OF 'oe "o"avAo '"''
..n,,..av.n miles Of road proposed 20 he
,.-,, ,,sks the Roanoke Valley Railroad fftv
....,.., So that, II tho very worst prediction OF
,.m,e. Of the proposition should bc realized
-t. that transportation will not be drawn by the
valley Railroad, even thus extended, from the Ra
I.ssh and 6aston RailroAd-stil, We shail have
thi. ffty mi'es Of Railroad through a highly fer.
Tile country, adording large and net0 trade &c
this city. We know that much Of the tobacco OF
that section comes here In spite OF the difficulties
OF trsns shipment and portage on the present
rorte bat none Of Its reciprocal trade comes here
- O., none OF that trade 10 articles for home con
sumption, which 10 so important 80 city, and
which helps 90 much 10 increase its wealth and
population. Build the short road, and We shall
not only have the tobacco Of this wide and fruit
sal country. bat other predictions which go else
where and in return, the supplying Of its large
demands for home consumption. Build 1t, and We
shsil do more than this-a new trade will be open
cd With Central North Carolina, which never ira,
dsd here. and we shall divide with Baltimore q
part of the valuable commerce of both Central and
Western North Carolina. A continuous Railroad
communication must exert its bens icial influence
10 behalf Of this city all along the line of that
com nnnicat.on.
This little Road, efeeting this unbrosen counec-
lion with the North Carolina Road, will be in some
sort q substitute for the Danvile and Greensbo.
rough extension, which the North Carolina Legisla
tare has rejected by such an overwhelming msjori,
~ Jha; legislature made poor return for the re.
eultarly unseifsh act of our Legislature 10 which
the proposition TO build branch of the DanylIe
p,S
ed, and a road from the latter place to the Raleigh
and CASTOR Railroad, at Ridgway was not only n
cerporased but nearly all the money furnished by
che State to bui'a 1t Virginia rejects rosd that
ia TO be tributary to Virginia Road (the Danvle)
aud she builds one to go into North Carolina to
benefit ;: North Carolina Road She at last so
far Improved her policy as TO authorize her citi-
sens to build the road she had rejected; ard now
Sboss who live upon, and some distance hey ond
this road, ask to "heip them" to build it. We
cannot see how city, hoping for prosperity and
Advancement as Richmond does, could reject their
ovsrtures. Is there city North of Mason and
Dixon that would
Among other arguments against the appeal to-
day, 10 a sympathy for Petersburg and the best
joke OF the season Is the claiming for her the
trade that goes over the Roa noke Valley Railroad
into Which Norfolk put $40 900 and Rtcrsburg uot
cent, 1t is needless to recite how Petersburg
tsl praise to her energy has crossed the path of
Norfolk on the south-headipg her with the first
Railroad, save the little Chesterfield coal mines
horse track, built in this State, how with this
road she pierced the Roanoke Valley, from which,
through the Dismal Swamp, as was the settled
opinion, Norfolk WAS to draw all the trade 1t is
unnecessary TO rscur again very particularly to
the manner ir which she has extended her Rail-
roai pica} in no To
how, by cutting down freights, the of the
James River Canal have been disastrously reduced
b., &c. Is there more ridiculous idea than this
new one abont legitimate trade; The routes to
this city are crossed and sought to be drained eve
~ where. Many years ago, before the Danville
Road was proposed, q Road was chartered from
Norfolk mp the Roanoke Valley, to Danvile; the
surveys were made andrhe company organized
But Norfolk would do nothing for it. Very little
money was raised by its friends, and the charter
expired. Then it was that the Danville road
was incorporated, and Richmond wisely helped
to build it. No other cause has done much
for her recent prosperity as the tribute she has
received from that Furnishing Improvement. Rat
Richmond, the ever constant supporter Of the
cause Of Improvement, has been the recipient OF
no peculiar iayors. Those who have mustered in
or deserted the ranks of the Improvement party
as their interests dictated, have succeeded
times in securing even more partial dispensation
at the hands Of the Legislature. Legitimate trade
indeed
But the reader should recollect that the act uu.
der which is proposed to build the Gainesville
and keyevilie extension Of the Roanoke Valley
Railroad, authorizes oEe of three termini a, the
company may select, viz: Keysville vr the juno.
ton Of the Danvie and Sor.h Roads, or some
int on tha Sou i5a
be decided by the subscribers to the eetenston Now
If We fail, delay subscr irtiou, we will not
be able TO control the question of terminus, and
Petersburg, which 10 moving earnestly on the sub
ject, will take it into her own hands She will
thcp have two routes to the same place and the
road that is TO be built from Gainesville as COM
oiled by her, will run for some fifty miles psr-
aliei with the DanviIle Road, and doubtless carry
on much trade that is now wagoned to that road
The cost OF the road We have shown, canpot
exceed stOc.cO0. Richmond, We sure, as a cor.
poration will not be asked for another dollar over
100000. fshe should he, she has perfect con.
troll If the subject, and may refuse or not. as
she thinks proper.
The tax for this Sloo,oo0 will be q mere ba ga
tslle, and the city will, as a stockholder of the
panville Road, Ito which this little road Is feed.
er,) get 1t back in due time, if we leave out CT
question the advantages to her in increasing her
trade. Her stock in the Danville Road will turu
out wise investment, and should not be account.
I'd ~ dtbt.
But what of taxation Show us a city without
heavy taxes, and we will show you city without
prosperty-a place that s finished. No city can
prosper without the aid of those enterprises which
cost money, and which incur those debts which
must be shared by posterity, along with the ad.
ysntsges We are thus enabled 10 beQueath TO them
Leave cut the debt Of Richmond for water ca.
paving, &c, and her internal improvement Mt debt ia
not equal to that CT any other city in Virginia in
proportion to her wealth and resources We
must struggle with cur rivals. Northern and
couthern, by incurring debt TO open the costly
channels CT communication which control trade
IN these times. They must be made by corpor..
tions and states-they are too vast for priyats
means Look at the Southern c;ies-what an ex.
ample they are setting us! We take Memphis a.
sample, Is We have no time to prolopg this ar
ticle. That city has no public works for GAS or
water; she has no pavements, and yet her debt /,
upwards OF $2,o0o,0o0. And for what, Tsr rail.
foAos. Ihe consequence is, that Memphis is i'm.
proving more rapidly than any other Southern
cry. Her trade and population are wonderfully
increasing, aud so are her buildings. She has
stores renting for $4,000 to "a COO, and her real
'o'"s ""~'ukty nigh Land near thst
city cells for $500 an acre, while land not fur,bar
from this city than that from Memphis. wopId
bring no more than $500.
elTsxation is nothing. so long as you have some.
thing to be taxed for. Ii you tax yourself to q.
cure . trade, aud the trade comes, you gladly nav
the tax. II your rents doubled what need
yoa care If your taxes are also doubled, There
10 no greater bug-besr than taxation in Cities
In all great cities they are necessarily enormous
Give the citizens but wise measures-extsnd ju.
diciously and theoretically the means of their
ooumerce-aDd they will pay the taxes Theg
oil be able to pay them.
Lei nxssxke to}au for The Hiis p.s--ihs I'm, yood