Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-12-12

making a saving to the Government Of 33t per
cent in all its transportation Of soldiers, and al
| the same time giving to the railroads, through in.
creased business, liberal compensation.
The railroad connection between Washington
| and Baltimore has been Ia tely much improved by
additional sidengs, and by extensions in this ctv
In order, however, that abundaat supplies may
| always be at the command OF the Departmeui /,
arrangements should be made Tor laying double
track he,wee1 ihIe sly and Annapolis Junction,
lis and along the Brunch roud
Should the navigation Of the Potoma River he
interrupted by blockade, or the seventies OF Win
ter, Il ould become absolutely necessary, Tor the
proner supply OF the troops In the District oil CO.
lumbin and vicinity and OF the inhabitants OF tins
| city, to piovide additional railroad connec iion
between Washington and Baltimore. A respon
| sible company, with a charter from the St1te oI
Maryland, have proposed to do this upon condi.
| iiDn thu the Government will indorse their bonds;
| thev binding themselves to set aside annually a
sufficient sum or their redemption at maturity,
| and thus eventually release the Government from
any liability whatever, and 10 charge for trans.
portaion. rates in no case to exceed four cents a
| tun per mile Tor freight, and three cents per mile
| for passengers During the continuance OF the
war, however, their charge for passengers is not
| TO exceed two cents per mile. The charge for
! the transportation OF passengers between the two
cities is at plesent 81 cents per mile, and for
freight the rates per tun will average from five to
|
Government In cost OF transportation would am.
ply compensate for all liability, and give to the
| citizens Of all the loyal States greatly improved
facilities iorreaching the National Cnpi tai, and n,
much less rates than they are now compelled l.,
pay. TO the citizens Of the Distrlc; il would
I chcapen the cost oi supplies; and prove OF i'm
nense value In every re spect.
4 recommend That a railway be constructed
through this city from the Nnvy-Yafd, by the
Capitol to Georgetown. f'r'ning connections with
] gaaras..s
duct bridge for the purpose OF crossing the river
ai Georgetown. BY u junction ot this proposed
railway with the Grunge and Alexa idria Rail
road not only would the c)nmuIcut m with our
troops in Virginia BE- greatly improved, bu an
easy access be ohtuined to the RiIinlore and
Ohio Railroad near tIarper's Ferry by mems OF
tho Loudon and Hampshire Ralro,d. r. its
| importance US ahprding facilities Tor moving
| troops and supplies In time OF war may he aided
the future benefits II ~oull confer upon the Dis
ttict Of Columbia. The outlay required wb1la
be saved I'M few months by enabling the Gov
ernm"ni to dispense with the expensive ferry aI
Georgetown, aud by greatly decreasing the cost,
wagon transportation Of the army through thi
cy
Tie injuries to railroads. instignted by the Re.
bel authorities OF Ba timore, in order 10 embar
rnss commune alton with the North end West
via Hnrrisburg, and with the East, via Pniidel.
p'Ila, have been repnired by the different com
panies that own them. That PARTON of The Bal
Ferry, which wns so rurhlessly DESTROYED BY III,
Rebels. has not yaI been restored. The great in
teress OF trade require that this ro ID should b,
rc-opened MS speedily as possible BY the company,
,s iSr s .ra,nspoT,s sa o. he igmense Is surplus q
this object the apartment has rendered to the
company sufficient force for its protection dur.
ing the progress oi the work, and will rend.i such
facilities US it may be able to p:ovde, in connec
tion with Its Other important, public duties
Enr thf lupili .i,
tion ut supplies TO Alexandra and To points be
ynnd, il has been found necessary To rebuild Dor
lions o' the Orange and Alcxlndra and ,ha LJu.
don aud Hampshire Railroad and to lay a rack
from the Ruroad Depot to point on the Poto
! mnc River, in this ciiy
Under an appropriation granted for that purpos,
AT the Inst Session OF Congress, a Telegraph,
Bureau wns established, and has been found o
the grcnie1t service in our military operations.
Eight hundr. and fifty scyen miles of te ogranhi,
line have been already built and put in orera lion
with nn Efficient corps oil oper tors, and n lnrg,
| extension is now in process Ut construc ton.
i ConqrrsS,n, It's late session, made an apprnpria
| tion tor the reconstruction Of the Long Bridg,
across the Potomac, which, 10 its then dIlapidated
! condition. was ulsaie Tor military purposes. The
work which has been carried on without inter
ruDtion 10 trade or travel is rapidly approaching
cnmple'ioD. and, when finished. will be snbsan
| tial structure.
On the first Of tho present month Lieut. Gen
Winfield Scott voluntarily renquished his higl
command as Genera -in.chiei OF the Americar
army. lie had faithfully and gnllanlly servet
his country iur upward oi half n cen Jury, and tn
.iory oi ms achievements hus given ADDITIONAL lus
| ter to the brightest pnges oi our national annnls
! The affections oi crate ul people followed hin
| into his refinement The President immedinrei,
conferred ih' cnlnmini Ji tho army u)on The Off
Ger next IN rank. Fortunately Tor The country
MnJ.'Gen. Mcclellan hnd proved himself equl
Ia every stun Iirn in Which lis great talents had
been calleI into eXerri.e His brilliant achieve.
mon's in Western virginia. the unliring enerr,
and consummate ability he has displayed in III,
organization and discipline OF an enur, " new
army, have Justly won Tor him The confidence au.
| applause ni the troops aud 0t the nation.
| Extraordinary .nbIr, ctergy. anl talent have
been required oi the va5nu' Bureau. of this Da-
pnrlment 10 provide lor the wants oi our Immense
nrmv.. While errors may have been occn .ibn H. '
committed by suborlinnts AMI while extrav,,.
CANT prices have undoubtedly IN sons cases con
| troed by haste and the pressure oi rapid events
been puid Tor supplies, l. il with g'eat gralicl
iion lhni refer Io1he economical alministrali N
of nislrs displayed ~ the various branches oftha
clothed, and lod but had To ba suddenly prnvi.
/ dcd with means OF iransp,rtauln In an ex'-nt
! heretofore unparalleled While | believe that
there is no army IN the world better prDSii,d tor
in every respect thnn our Regulars ani Volun.
| tecrs, candidy think that no force SO large and
81 well equippei, was ever put in the fad in 81
short space OF time al so small an expense,
| While 1t is my intention to preserves the strict
o economy AMI accoun liability, think the las,
dollar should be expended and the last mnr
should be n med TO bring this unh rebellion 70
| n speedy aud permanent close.
| The geographical posi- ion OF the metropolis
| the nation, menac.d by the Rebels and required
To be defended by thousands OF our troops iniu g,
me to suggest tor consideration the propriety ant
expediency OF a reconstruction oi the bnun1arisi
o the states OF Delaware, Mary land. and vi ginia
| Wisdom and true statrsmanship would diclut,
that the seat of the National Government Tor al
time 10 come should be placed beyond reasonaul.
danger OF seizure by enemies within, as we'll a,
from captu re bv foes from without BY agree
ment between the States named, such as was el
fecled for similar purposes by Michigan and Ohio
| and by Missouri and Iowa, their boundaries coulC
be so changed as render the Capital more remote
ihan at present from tho influence OF State Gov
ernmen,s which have arayed themselves in re
hellion against ihe, Federal authority. 20 lhi,
end, the liml is of Virginia might be altered a.
| to make her boundaries consist Oi the Blue Riige
un the East and Pennsy vania on the North, leav.
| ing those on Tho South and West as at present.
| BY this arrangement two counties of MARYLAND
! (Alleghany and Washington) would be transferred
TO the jurisdiction OF Virginia. All that portion
OF Virginia which lies between the Blue Ridge
and Chesapeake Bay could then be added to May
land while that purlion of the peninsula between
the waters oi the Chesapeake and thu Atlantic
now jointly held by MARYLAND and Virginia
could be incorporated into the State OF Delaware
A reference TO the map will show that these ARE
great national boundaries, which for all time tC
come would serve to mark the imits Of these