The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-12


lance Is equal to that between Memphis ana
Baltimore. Heavy freights were then carried
from Baltimore to Cincinnati for hfty cents
per one hundred pounds but more than that
was charged for half the distance on way
freights
Now, suppose first-class railroad lie con-
structed mp the Valley OF the SHENANDOAH
from Winchester to Salem, the rails VIII never
be relaid on the Manassas Gap road. linen
here is loss of two million two hundred and
eighty thousand dollars TO the State, and the
people from the Manassas Junction to Stras-
burg will have.no railroad. The next result
will be competition ut Staunton with the Nir-
ginia Central railroad by the valley road.
The Virginia Central has always had strug-
gle for existence. How long do you suppose 1T
would stand the contest2 Next, II comes in
contact with the James River canal ana
next the Virginia and Tennessee railroad.
/ have alluded to the fact that IL would own
the controlling interest in that road. 1t may
be urged that these things would be guarded
| by the charters, and that Virginia would con-
| troll these points My answer Is, that state
! cannot control them The city of Wheeling,
backed by the combined wisdom OF the Legs
lature OF Virginia, undertook to secure the
| benefit of the terminus of the Baltimore ana
4 Ohio railroad ut Wheeling. But what are the
| focts The baltimore and Ohio railroad
crosses the Ohio four miles below the CITY o.
Wheeling, and Is now constructing pTIuRe
across that river. And the people OF wess
| Virginia send their produce into ONO ana
| shin il from beyond the limits OF the state
over the Ohio river, and back again 10 the
\ baltimore and Ohio railroad, ut cheaper rate
than they can ship on the same ROAD IRON TO- mel
own side of the river. The city OF PittsDurg
| undertook to control the Central PennsyiVanla
| road in its western connections, but IL suareu
! the same fate, and, like Wheeling, IL IS u way
station paying more Tor us easter IL,
| Than nersons n hundred miles west OF the CITY
! A great company like the Baltimore ana ONO
railroad would not undertake work OF tnis
kind until it had secured the means OF sllehcih9
competition 49, , VII
pinin Central are all in q helpless condltlon,
and have TO go into the money market TO Dor
row money to put the roads 10 repair, &c
Now, suppose you grant charters TO companies
that are going 10 be powerful competitors ana
decrease the scant earnings of these ROADS III
the future-the construction OF when, In fact
| threa tens their final success. NO pruoeht lh%h
would loan them money. 1hey coulq oLLS
| borrow from those who We're willing TO haZard
| their money, and, for the hazard, charge rum
Gus rates of interest. r,.,,,,.
has nearly ten millions OF dollars Oh SUI piuS :
| capital with an unlimited credit Inc Guy Vi
| Baltimore. possessing great wealth ana thlrG
in nomination in the Union, ana the SGIic VI
Marviand, are deeply interested: inese
southern and southwestern connexions VI us -
the commerce and travel of these sections 10
| baltimore, thereby building up TINS Guy
stimulating her commerce, SNIP oultul h
mnnufactures, increasing the value OF ner
real estate and decreasing the taxation Vi the
rural districts of Maryland
| I'm this subject of social ana enlightened
I ,,rnrress I do not look upon any ScClOn OF
Stale with envy. | am willing that each may
use all the advantages us geographical posi-,
ton entities il to. But where nature has given
! nv own State great natural adVan tages,
would never consent, while L held the Ilsht OF
eminent domain, that these advantages should
! be used by another state Tor It's aSgrahdlZe-
ment. to The impoverishmcnt Of the people of
nv own State. Give Our crippled railroads
chance for few years, with their through
connectio and energetic management, ana
they will become first-class railroads, and our
people will enjoy their benehts III ulNldehuS,
cheap fares and freights.
Blit what is to be the result OF this grasp!ng
policy of Baltimore on the cities of Virginia!
Our geographical position Tor commerce Is not
SURPASSED by any in the United States. Yet
but little has been done to develop or command
that commerce. Our railroads have remained
! unfinished, dCpriVing us OF distant commerce,
so that we could only COMMAND part OF the
products of our own Stale until within short
period With u knowledge OF our Piedmont
connection penetrating The CarollnaS ana
| Georgia in their geographical centres, ana
! Tennessee connections opening TO the south
west cuterprising gentlemen III Liverpool,
+ looking 10 Norfolk as a seaport, are lnqulTing
! for engagements TO receive products i'll the
| south and southwest, and ship them directly
| through Norfolk TO Liverpool. Also, TO ship
directly from Liverpool, through Nortolk, 10
/ Petersburg. Richmond, Lynchburg, and all
points on our Danville and Tennessee con-
nectiCns. This arrangement As 10 extend 10
both passengers and freight. But II those
Baltimore connections are formed through
Virginia. by the aid of Baltimore capital, these
/ connections will all be formed at Baltimore,
and will be fed with the commerce carried Oh
the roads proposed to be made by the COM
panies now asking for the charters under con:
sideration.
Suppose you form these connections, what
inducements can You offer for foreign capltal
T iIa I,r,si in
Virginia cities, or what home capital, beyond
( q small retail business, can you induce TO re
main in the State? Men with capital are not
going to engage i'll large mercantile transac-
! lions Il points where the trade and travel go
around them to more favored places. They
will go to the favored places; and by the aggrc-
CATION of capital the city is bnilt up. They
| reach out their long arms, strengthened with
! money, and bring commerce to them. with
| these connections formed, the tenements and
houses that are now built at the principal
places of business will be sufficient to accomo-
date the small retail business OF the State for
! the next twenty years.
| BY these acts, you strike down the horuCul-
! tural, agricultural, and manufacturing inte-
rests of the State. The increase OF the cities
| encourages horticulture, and thereby increases
! the value of the lands. Fertilizers are in
| creased, railroads are placed on a firm basis,
workshops are multiplied, which soon expand
! into manufac curing establishments. The loom,
and the anvil, and the wheat field, come close
! together, and each man gets the greatest value
for his labor Without present and prospec
tive connections by the completion of the
! Covington and Ohio railroad, not only Will the
wheat of the State find it's way TO the Rich
mond mills, but the wheat Of II portion Of
southern Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ten
! nessee and part of North Carolina, will
! come to these mills, and instead of capacity
| for grinding three thousand six hundred bar
rels per day, which we now have, we will have
| a capacity, and will make ten thousand barrels
per day The magnificent water-power of the
| James will be all occupied. But cripple these
! great thoroughfares by opening new ones to
carry our commerce out of the State TO other
and neighboring ports, and the same sad roar
OF the water of the James will continue 10 be
heard, while the water passes over the falls
nature has formed, unmiXed with the music OF
machinery, guided by the hand of intelligent
industry.
The railroads that will be Immediately and
vitality affected by the granting of the connec-
tions under consideration have cost the State,
in stocks and bonds, fourteen million four
hundred and two thousand dollars the canal
upwards of twelve million dollars. Here are
above twenty-siX millions of The States in
vestments in railroads and canals, all Of which
will be deteTiorated, and much OF IL render
ed valuelGss. The whole original State debt
is only thirty-two million dollars. More
than three fourths of it is imperilled by these
proposed acts. Every TAXPAYER in the State