Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-12-26
LOCAL NEWS

nRrAAYD WASHINGTON. That direct, cheap,
amid and frequent communication between Al
svandria and Washington would materially con-
doce to the increase Of the population and bus
mess prospects OF our city is denied by noue-
tbe great Inconvenience resulting from the want
If such communication has, unfortunately, been
Init too often experienced By those who have
been compelled to travel between the TWO cities
during the late freeze.
Our proximity to the capital Of the country,
though in many respects Instantaneous and
undesirable, now that Washington has grown
10 be such a magnificent and popuious city,
and since it has been decreed that for an indefi-
mite period hereafter the sessions of Congress
will be perennial, will, in the opinion of
those who have well considered the subject,
and who have Informed themselves of the cause
Of the unprecedented growth Of the towns in
this country located in the immediate vicinity
. Of large cities, result in adding many thousands
10 the number of our present inhabitants, and,
consequently, Increase the general prosperity Of
our city, provided cheap and frequent commu-
pcalion can be effected between the two places.
The distance between Washington and Alex
andria is only seven miles, and yet to 90 there
and return consumes nearly half day, and
people-particular our people-in these days
Of hurried materiaism, can i'll afford to lose
three or four business hours There ought to
be- direct connexion between King street and
Pennsylvania Avenue every half hour during
the day, and to base an assertion that such
line would, in slang phraseology, not pay would
exhibit an amount Of ignorance which no rail
road man in America would like to have ascri-
bed to him The mere TACT Of such line being
in operation would OF itself induce sufficient
travel to support it.. Washington is densely
crowded, its newspapers are almost daily urg-
ing upon capitalists, as profitable investments,
the erection Of more houses there; the rents
there are hich, the marketing dear, style-such
asit is-has to be maintained, and large pro-
portion of its population derive their support
from moderate salaries Of our own individual
knowledge we can speak Of half dozen tami-
lies now residing in Washington who would
rent houses in this city and move here to-mor-
row were communication between the two cities
more frequent and regular.
By what means or through what agency the
communication we have thus briefly and I'M
perfectly alluded to,is Of minor importance com
pared with it's Immediate cstablishment-of
course, however, we should prefer that the
money made by it should accrue to the benefit
Of our citizens. Annexed we publish a copy
Of Il bill presented to the Legislature week or
50 ago by James a. English, esq, one Of the
Delegates from this city, with the amendments
offered since its presentation, providing for the
construction of q railroad from Alexandria to
Georgetown, and for erecting a railroad bridge
over the Potomac river upon the piers OF the
Alexandria Canal Aqueduct.
We have but cursorily glanced over the pro-
visions of this bill, land consequently have not de-
voted to it the attention it deserves in fact,
though we'll posted generally in the affairs of the
city-the result of unt!ring energy and diligence
we were unaware, as we're, according to the
information we have just received, nearly all
the business men in the city, that such plan
had been even thought of until We were inform
ed by telegraph Of its reference by the House
Of Delegates to the Committee On Roads. We
must confess that our limited course on civil en-
cheering induces us to class as incompatables
safe railroad bridge and permanently naviga-
bic aqueduct upon the piers Of the Alexandria
Canal Aqueduct.
If our impressions are however erroneous,
and if such railroad as the charter for the one
asked for can be built without detrment to the
efficiency of the Canal and with proper restric-
tons concerning its throug connections, by all
means let US have it, for competition IS the lite
of trade and it may be then that we will have
our half hourly communication with Washing
ton.
4 Bill Relating to the AZecaazyla CanaI
Whereas By an act of the General Assem-
bly, of the State Of Virginia, passed February
sixteenth, eighteen hundred and sxty-slX, the
Board of Public Works were authorized to
unite with the corporate authorities OF the city
of Alexandria, 10 making disposition of the
Alexandria Canal, if the same should be ne
cessary in order to repair and make the said
Canal available; and whereas said Board OF
Public Works did IN pursuance OF SAID author
lty, so unite with said corporate authorities,
and did by their joint vote and the vote OF a
large majority of the Stockholders of the Al
exandria Canal Company, authorize, empower
and direct the President and Directors OF said
Canal Company to lease the said Canal for the
period Of ninety nine years and whereas the
said President and Directors, in pursuance of
said authority, did, on the sixteenth day Of
May, \. D. eighteen hundred and sixty-six,
grant, lease and convey said Canal its aque-
duct locks, banks, land, gates, and buildings
unto the grantees therein named, upon certain
conditions and reservations therein set forth,
under which the Lcssecs have entered into,
possessed aud repaired said canal, locks, aque-
duct and banks; therefore,
Bet enacted blythe General assembly of the