Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-03-04

roads connect her to Central and Southern
states. of which she is the natural mart BY
her geographical position, just rs New York is
for the Northern States and New Orleans for
some States of the South. Why then, con-
tinuc to submit to the cxigencies of New York:
Why direct products 10 that port. with conSi
derable expenses for transit, landing, storage,
and transporting from one ship TO another =
The distance from the growing districts to New
York is not less than $50 miles To the cx-
ncnscs of the transit must be added the fees for
brokerage commission etc. What is the good
Of a costly and distant medium, which can be
actually spared. Would it not be more com
modions and advantageous to bring all the mer
cbandize TO Norfolk and establish direct COM
municationS by sea Will, Europe, and especial
IL with France:
These ideas propounded by few practical
men. have gained ground very rapidly, numcr-
Gus pamphlets have been published meetings
held in many important towns. and those mani
Gcstations in spite of the efforts of New York
to repress them, have met with general response.
4 few months ago the principal manufacturers
and the Presidents of the railroads Of the Cen
tral and Southern States convened ut Bristol,
Va. on the boundaries of Tennessee and Ken
turkv, in order to send TO Europe delegate
with the special charge Of making some agree
mcnt with the ship builders and the chambrts
,ie commerce. Mr. Ballard Preston, former
Secretary for the Navy under President Taylor,
wa, entrusted with that mission After visit
ing England. Mr.. Ballard Preston examined the
hnrhorS Of the French coast; he was struck
with the position OF st Nazarc. situated at the
mouth of the Loire, sheltered from all danger,
and connected with all the railroads of Europe
by means Of the Orleans railway which sur
rounds her dock with 4 belt of rails. and puts
her III direct communication with all the central
places of consumption and production. He
thought 81 Nazairc fulfilled all the dcsideratd
for connecting point 10 transatlantic line
between the centre of France and the centre Of
the United States such line, merely for trade,
would be of great service to both countries By
feeding their manufactures with exchanged
goods, whilst it would do no harm to the pos
tai lines already established since the latter
mostly intended for mails and passengers.
Proposals made for that purpose to the Or
leans Company have been accepted, and fol-
lowed by Il proposed contract for the forna-
ton Of company whose object would be the cs-
tablishmcnt Of 4 service Of steamers between
Norfolk and st. Nazairc. The project was rat
/ flied by the Virginia Legislature; the question
is then, pretty well advanced. But it is re-
qui>ite to obtain subsidy from the Federal
Government, and such is the aim Of the propo-
stion which is shortly to be laid before Con-
grcSs.
We hope they will succeed, though we don't
think it will happen without a hard struggle.
When compared to the subsidies granted 10
New York, the one asked for by the Cen
trail and Southern States on behalf Of Nor
folk is rather unimportant, $4,000 for
each trip. Moreover, though the project
ed line cncroachcs on the monopoly Of New
York, still. it will not deal any serious
blow on the prosperity Of that town The
business Of New York is specially with Eng
land. and it is specially English funds that are
subscribed for the undertakings Of Northern.
crS Whatever may be done, New York will
still remain the port Of Great britain but till
now all these fayorS have been appropriated to
New York. and that town will hardly consent
TO divide. even in small proportion, the adj
yantagcs which she has exclusively enjoyed. -
1t will be ncccSsasy for the representatives of
the Centre and South to display good deal of
urgency and firm will to obtain the passage
of the bill
We do not intend to dwell OH all the advan-
ta.cS which would result to France from the eS-
tabli>hing of the new line. 1t will be sufficient
To show them sllIninarily First Of all the
length Of the passage between the two coun-
tries would be shorter by thirty-six hours;
Newfoundland bank fogS, so bancful to naviga-
ton, world be avoided, and the ships would
not have TO overcome the difficulties which
never fail 10 occur at the entrance of the British
channel. As soon aS arrived nj 81. Nazairc
the goods brought from America would be put
on rails surrounding the dock, and could, with
out hdR,boriement, or damage thcreirom, be
forwarded TO all places Of consumption-the
cottons, namely, to our fabrics Of the Rhonc
and Loire, to Switzerland, Muhoti>c and Ger
many.
The necessity for the products Of the Central
and Southern States, to pass through New
York, ovcrchargcs them, as we have shown
with no trfing expenses. BY sending Them
hcncciorth, through Norfolk, saving would
ensue equally profitable TO growers and con-
snmcrs That is, the Central and Southern
States would derive higher prices for their
goods. and still the French manufacturers would
get them at a cheaper rate than before.
But beside Nose commercial benefits. there
would be for France moral interest whose
importance ought not to be overlooked. OF
all the States Of the Union, those of the centre
and South most sympathsc with our ideas and
manners. They form, so to speak. by their
traditions, the French part Of the United States
just as the Northern States cmbody the English
part of them Therefore, we have but to gain
by establishing direct relations with the contre
and South, and We ought earnestly to wish for
the success Of a project intended to make Nor
folk the mart Of the French trade with America
In this article we have but stated the ques-
ton; we will resume and consider it when it
comes before Congress