Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-12

NAVIGATION. weather on Monday
night and yesterday, continued very cold the
thermometer ranging between loo and IA.
The River above this city and for some dis
lance below was frozen over, and with the e1-
ception Of the track made by the Mail steam
er 10 Aqua Creek. navigation has closed,
vessels being unable to arrive or depart.
New Mu>IC.-Wc have receives from Mr..
b. +. Dennis, No. 5 Exchange Block. King
street, Moonlight Thoughts" ballad, de-
dictated TO Miss Lizzie Child. 10y B. F. Dennis
Mother Dear. 0. Pray for Me-" written and
composed by J. i. Woodbury.. and dedicated
to his Mother; "Concordia Mazurka," by +.
h. Prohl; Charming Lizzie Clay" by \.
III. Morris: 1.-The Children's Festival" col
lection of Modern Dances, composed for the
Piano. by A. Lr Carpenter, and Buds
from the Opera by }. Blumtal.
WASHINGTON CITY.-The Union has ST.
res Of articles on the City of Washington,
in which it admits that Washington can
never be commercial place, and thus COM
ments on the subiect-On which comments
our readers will make their own reflections:
We have said that Washington can never
be commercial city, but this is not because
she il destitute Unnatural advantages in that
behalf The reverse is true She has a long
line Of water front, every foot of which, il has
been clearly demonstrated by tho surveys of
the ablcst engineers in the service of the gov
eminent, could, at moderate cost, be rendered
available for shipping purposes. But what
care has been taken to prevent its being 80
used. From a point little below George
town the canal skirts the river bank ms far
down as 18th street. leaving insufficient space
between it and the channel for wharfage
Thence to the west end of south street pub
lie reservations occupy the entire space
From that point 10 the west end of south y
street, an open space or highway. owned by
the government. has been carefully interposcd
between the squares set apart for private use
and the water And from there down to and
around '.Greenleafs Point" the whole front
has been reserved for the War Department.
Thus it appears that thecity has been practi-
cally denied the Use of the noble Potomac Tor
commercial purposes. cXceptto small extent
between the Observatory grounds and George
town-small enough, indeed, to hc almost
covered on the map 10y the nail OF 4 mans
thumb.
Gen Washington. however. Was well aware
that a population as large as would be at
tracted to the seat of Government must have
some facilities for trade, and. in laying out
the city, he made such provision therefor as
he thought suitable Referring once more to
the map, we find that the lots on the Eastern
Branch. east of Greenleafs Point extend to
the main channel Of that stream. These
were devoted to commerce, and here Il con-
siderable amount of business was expected to
be done. Here was intended to be the prin-
cipal terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal, and General ashington himself made
investments here in anticipation of large re-
turns. Lots mmediate Y upon the Branch
We're regarded as very valuable. command
ing, sixty years ago, several times more than
the very hest of them are now offered To the
government for. rs the site of a jail and peni-
tentiary What has produced this result
Is 1t not the uiNv.:o. r-am that point m AL
exandria of the canal trade by Congress! and
from what possible motive but the apprehen-
sion that the commercial operations of the
city might become 20 extensive "a seriously
to interfere with the purpose the government
had in view in selecting it for It's metropolis
Surely there was no necessity. otherwise, for
50 large an expenditure from the national
treasury for the constructing of the aqueduct
at Georgetown 10 take the canal across the
I - Il - For Ghn
had already the broad Potomac, which afford
ed her every required facility. 1t is reason
able. then. 10 conclude that Congress, IN ITS
wisdom, intended still further 10 limit the
business capabilities of Washington and 10
intimate to its inhabitants that they should
look to other sources Of prosperity as the
means of building up their city. And these
happily exist to larger extent than at any
other point in the land
ALEXANDRIA AND WAsHINCToS RAILROAD.
The number Of passengers transportedo"er
This road from December 2lst 1857 to Deem
Der Dist ISIS. the time of its late annual
meeting. was 72.l49. This being the first
year of the roads operations and the compa-
nv having hal many difficulties to encounter.
a. we'll as ,he rivalry of two boats on the rlv-
er. the result may he regarded ~ highly IA
vorahle. Officers of the company:
james 5. French, President.
Rich VI. Smith, Turner Dixon, Walter
Lenox. *Charles f.. Stuart. T. I. Hill. d.
rcctors. job Corson. Treasurer and Super
VUy. Sent.
,H~t..i "a, TN. lato annual meeting.
DISSOLUTION-Thc partnership heretofore
existing between the undersigned under the
firm maine of 4. \. BREWlS & CO., l. thi. day
L. u.,rtnul nnu snnt ILn I'M .iun.. III liz.