Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-03-12

ample barrel of flour may be forwarded by canal
Wiz finished from Jefferson City, ST. Pauls, Dubuque,
Omaha City or st. Louis to Richmond or Norfolk, with
breaking bulk, and, Of course, without charge OF
traashpment. This is for the James River Canal in
superable superiority.
resides the Author OF nature has vouchsaed TO adj
vantages which He has denied to Others. He has filed
the whole country along the line of the James River and
Kaawha Canal with minerals with iron, bitumnous and
carmel coal manganese cement and lime while along the
rowe of the Erie Canal there no mineral deposit
of salt and little gypsum Had the country within the
scope of the Erie Canal mineral deposit like ours the
Erie Canal even with It's enlarged dimensions, would
scarce be adequate for the tonnage offering for transport
Thatrade of New York would be immensely greater even
than it now is. Would the James River and Kama
wha Canal hold in this respecta decided superiority over
the Erie Canal?
Again. the cheapest route of all is Taking Gin
cnnat for the point the Ohio river we have the au
hority of Mr. McApne the most distinguished Engineer
of New York, that ton of trade be put down cheap
in Cincinnati from the capes of Virginia, by the Nir
gina water line f completely than it can be from New
| York by her best lines of transit
1.-THE cost OF transport of a ton (he says from New
York by the Erie Canal and Lake Erie to Toledo, and
the Ohio Canal to Cincinnati, is s. S2'
prom the capcs of Virginia TO Richmond, thence by
the James River Canal and Kanawha and Ohio Rivers to
Cincinnati, S442" Difference in favor Of the Virginia
wac' line, $40 per tona difference sufficient to con
troll the heavy trade, for it is as well settled as the sh
]
binary times the heavy trade.
The terminus of the canal too strikes the Ohio river
low down as to avoid the bars and shoals, and low
depth of water to which all the rival lines touching the
| Ohio river are exposed.
Nor is this ALL We have vet more invincibe advan-
tage N point of climate The Erie canal is INSTRUCTED
by ice five months in the year. IS worthless during tina
entire period while would feel the icy rosis OF win
ter an average, not than ten days in year-
SO the James River and Kanawha Canal would be opera
ting nearly the entire year. while the Erie would be help
less and useless nearly half its time The products OF the
/ West seeking outlet to the Atlantic markets, would
scarcely brook this tedious delay and the consequent
risk if line offered that would like the James Rv-
Canal furnish at ali times ready and cheap transit
to the seaboard Every ton Of surplus production within
the iarthes scope OF the Virginia Canal would hasten to
the terminus of canal Tor transportation Eastward
The saving OF interest and risk would Of itself attract TO
the Virginia water line large tonnage which, but Tor
the superorN of our climate could lay no claim to,
and could have did the Erie canal stand III this
respect equal footing with the James river canal
say them that, with the superior advantages we pos
sess the James river canal has to support IT, at least
extensive back country the Erie canal With its pc
cuar superortes, reigousy believe it has one even
more available
And now, sir to make the application Of this reason
! Ing, andto establish the great conclusion FOR which
strive, Deg TO submit tits inquiry If the James River
Canal has large and productive back country as the
Eie Caul; back country as fully adequate TO supply
and sustain the Erie Canal why shall not the one be
the full equal OF the other? If the Erie Canal gathers
up annually q tonnage of three million and half OF
tons why shall not the James River Canal under IA
voring circumstances take its three millions and ahalf
OF tons 100? If the New York Canal has made the ci-
~ of New York the great centre OF American trade and
exchanges aud Is fast making her the great centre OF
the trade and exchanges of the whole commercial world
why may not the Virginia canal DO for US what strictly
similar has done Tor New York, Is not the cause
the same, and if the of the cause be equal must
the results ensue however prodgious and mi
raculous?
| Sir, repeat the question. 1t is worthy of being
thousand times renewed put it to all those in this
House who think OF abandoning this the first improve
mcnt otNirsnia put it TO all those in this hall especial
w. who engaged in patriotic effort for the CONNER
cia independence of Virginia and who are striving by
special legislation, to gain for her direct foreign trade,
If the Erie Canal with better back country than has
the James River Canal and with inferior advantages in
other respects, has achieved much for New York
has brought her commerce. prosperity wealth and great
ness-why may not the James River and Kanawha Ca
nal with superior gifts, with more central location,
shorter distance and cheaper transport effect the
results for old Virginia And it IN the future destiny of
canal there be the promise of this much of greatness
! and glory should we abandon il
But | have another and a striking illustration Of my
position submit 1t is computed that there annual
| " seeking exit through the Atlantic ports 25,OOO,OOO
of tons Of western produts WORTH have already est-
mated 81 S5O,OOO,uOO Now, ! crave to know who i
best entitled TO liberal share Of this vast traffic? New
York Massachusetts, PENNSYLVANIA aud Maryland all
striving for the rich and glitterng prize-each has
share OF t-but who il entitled rghtuly the greatest
portion of l.; Our State, beyond all question.
She sir if she only knew Der gifts and had cultivated
| them, she wosld be luKuriatng in the lions share.
Sir such result is but corollary from the previous
argument. If We have the advantages over New York,
which clam-shorter distance cheaper transport,
central position and better climate besides equal back
couutrv-it follows mpregnable consequence, that
TO Virginia belongs Of right the largest portion of this
almost incompatible trade.
But if we viii follow the course of trade as it now is
wlou, any Virginia throughline to the Ohio not one
mist of doubt ai obscure the queston-and, by few
significant examples propose to make ne solution pa
/ piblv yain. ! used them a certain other occasion
but Ii y opposite now and in the present
ion, wi! well bear repetition.
few years since - hog'heads Of obacco, raised in
/ Putnam and kanaahl counties came 10 the Richmond
/ market. How came hey thither? They down he
kauawha to the Ohio thence up the Ohio several hun
dred miles 70 Wheeli0g-thcy would 90 only TO Par
kcrsbrg thence $50 miles across, by heavy grades, 10
Baltimore thence 200 miles down the Chesapeake 10
Hampton Roads thence 800 miles up James river to the
warehouses of Richmond Had the James river canal
been DO operation would these - hogsheads Of tobacco
have ever taken this roundabout transit TO market? and
were in operation the Ohio would il not attract
itself every hoghcad Of Western tobacco within its
possible reach?
On the 25th July 1854, 80 hogsheads Of bacon were
forwarded from Hebron, the centre Of Ohio for
Richmond. They went North 10 the Lakes thence by
the iakehore and Erie railroad TO New lOrk and thence
by and the James river to Richmond. They did not
as Informed by a merchant Of this city, reach Rich
mohd until September the 4h; and the cost of transport
/ tation S431.
Now, sir if the James River and Kinawha Canal had
been completed these 30 hogshead OF bacon would have
reached Richmond ia a little more than third OF the
time in oue-tenth of the time, aud at third OF the
I AID -aYlf hpf hood of
freght- below the cCure OF Ohio, the Virginia Canal
completed Ohio, take any other transit to the
! Eastern markets,
On the 10Th Of JrF, 5l 60 casks ofliquor ship
ped per steamer from Cincinnati up the OHIO rlver TO
! Wheeling bound 70. Richmond The water up the riv-
er low that could not proceed; the
casks were transferred to scow, and by that convey
auce reached Wheeling. They reached Richmond, as
| the Richmond merchant informed me, on the llth OF
September, having been J3 days on the way. by the
James River and Aauawha Canal the shipment would
haze reached Richmond in less thana week. and ut one
fourth Of The expense Who believes that cak Of Ii
Quor al any pou GA the Chic yer OF any other cask,
or hoghead bale If the james River Canal we're COM
peted would take any other route TO the Eastern mar
| ketsy
Aud various commodities are now received in Rich
mond from ST. Louis by way OF Baltimore aud n. York.
Is this the natural of Western trade, and would 1t
endure an hour after the extension to the Ohio OF the
James River and Kanawha Canal? II is 30 unnatural,
that whenever the James River and Kanawha Canal shall
be extended to the Western waters New ork, herself,
cut off from the Wesby The freezing ~ OF her great wa
ter line u large portion Of the year. will be found trans
hitting her merchandise to the Western States by our
| canal aud its connections.
These eyamI Leu conclusive 10 show that tho nat'r-
al course transit for large portion OF western pro-
ducts is through the territory of Virginia. to her clues
aud that of the % 900 900 of tons OF Western surplus
seeking transit Eastward our State is entitled nat
urtlv murh largest with her water