The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-03
:, $50, 1,nrrovements-Richmond.

that the Manassas Sfap Toau coitheS'9 WIN
the Orange and Alexandria road, and that It's
southern terminus is Harrisonbnrg, though
considerable part of Its line Is yet incomplete
The Winchester and Potomac railroad strikes
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad Mt Harper's
Ferry, and the link above alluded TO Is eigh-
teen miles in extent.
The bill which elected the debate was II
Senate bill, and passed that body nearly
unanimously, 1t was assailed first Ill the ho"''
nv Mr.. RoBiSsoS, from Alexandria WIZ W."
replied 10 by Mr.. WooDaoN, oil hochihsh"'i'
Mr.. ExGLIsH of Alexandria, moved 10 "ii''"'
the bill so rs 10 require the T'coUs'' ">''o" "',
continent of the Manassas Gap ROAD peloie
mic extension should BE- commenced ihiS
,,,o,i,r ,vos defeated and the bill was brought
-, tho ones ton of its passage when II very
,e,cthv and animated debate ensued'
~ his debate the old issues and arguments
~ o,ber DAYS were 50 completely reproduce"
, that hut for some metamorphoses that we t'n'
NOT shut our eyes 10, we might be deiuueu i"'o
The impression that we had gone oaeh W
ne,dod anterior 10 the war. The war OF s'c-
lions was renewed, with, however Sollc" nat
different results. Alexandria led on WIN 'n'
orc,ment that the proposed connection
was the introduction OF the Baltimore anu
. Ohio railroad into the NalieS VI
rinia-that this was the entering We
/ only. and that il would end III CONTINUING '",'
+ ro,d ouvva rd to the Virginia and tennessee l'i'
road NJ Salem. The alleged consequence
If ,be diversion Of trade ana traNel from 'ie
Virginia cities, and the serious INJURY oi VIZ
pinia railroads in which the State hcid large
! nronerty. were elaborated Other debaters-
including Messrs GRATTAS and EVANS, OF TINS
CITY, followed il up. The House was warned
against these consequences 1T inns paFtic"l'i
time when the State owed forty millions OF
dollars and every means she haa shouio u
protected and employed 10 the best advantage
Ii was contended that the larger part OF the
forty millions had been expended III q system
! of Improvement designed TO estabilsh COM
r,arce for the Stationery little of ii for the
mere development Of agriculture Inc James
| River canal, which caused more than 'hlIoo
the debt, was referred to as an illustration Inc
farmers along that river had that stream
which, without the canal, was ample lor theif
! purposes of transportation 10 market: pot II
was intended 10 connect the Ohio with the sea-
| and build mp great commerce LOT tue oia"
! II rested with the Legislature TO say Whether
this system founded by WAsHISGToS ana MAR
SHALL, should be discarded, and the State ) IN
yestment of millions be thrown away win
regard TO the bill itself il was contended that
the refusal to accept the amendment recon
structing the Manassas Gap road before this
connection should be commenced, proved that
il was not to be made for the benefit OF the
| Manassas Gap road or the State and II that
! connection was made before the Manassas ROAD
/ was reconstructed, ii would never be reonll'
and the valley be left entirely for Baltimore.
On the other side it was contended that
| Alexandria had no right 10 complain that the
connection would bring in the Baltimore ROAD
and carry everything 10 that city; Tor the
route by Alexandria was n shorter one, by
! thirty miles, TO Baltimore than that 10y Haf-
per's Ferry; and that route was now con-
nected NJ Washington with the Baltimore ana
Ohio railroad by road from Alexandria,
crossing the Potomac: and moreover, through
a bill now on the table il was proposed 10 tap
the Danville road AT Danville by road IRON
Lvachburg, and thus To strengthen the lhilu-
cnce of Baltimore through Alexandria, adverse
/ to our State works and commerce The policy OF
!! Virginia in making interests everywhere SUP
ordinate to those Of a few cities was condemned
rs narrow and MISUNDERSTANDING the CROWN
! and development of the State. Pursuing such n
| policy, had she made the improvements heceS-
sarv for its consumma ton and IN" accommo-
dation of the different parts OF me stare, Ill
good time all would have submitted But the
/ State had failed TO do this, AND now, when she
! had no means of carrying on the plan any tur'
Their, il would be the grossrst injustice" to deny
/ 10 those citizens cut OF from market the
| privilege of making roads with their own
means TO secure for themselves that outlet 10
market which the State could not give them.
Mr. Speaker BALDWIN, i'll the course of his
remarks, glanced 1t the history of the Inter
nal Improvement system, and mentioned me
fact that Baltimore had, some twenty years
since offered 10 build railroad from the
Potomac to the Tennessee line, and pay the
State half n dollar each for every passenger
who travelled over it. He deplored the refusal
of that proposition, and the disastrous result OF
| a heavy debt which encountered the state. Mr..
| GARRETT alluding to this, deprecated the sur
| render now of the privileges then sought at
such price not only for nothing but, IN
! addition, furnishing the roads ready built 10
| the hands OF the Baltimore corporation. He
| urged the selling out Of the entire State pro
| perry in public works, and the surrender of
no privileges INJURIOUS TO them at this time.
| Messrs Scorr of Charlotte, and CLARKE, of
| Pittsylvania, declared themselves Ill favor OF
granting charters for roads TO anybody who
would build them, and letting everybody go
| 10 market wherever they pleased
| The bill was passed by 81 most decided vote ::
| 81 10 81.
| We have referred to this event thus partlcu-
larly because We may consider il as decisive
| and because il is well that our people should
understand the state OF things. There Is evil
IDENTIFY u change III the sentiment OF the Legs
lature, if not the public. And we apprehend
railroad charters will hereafter b. more freely
granted than formerly.
In the course of the debate, the city Of Rich
mond was assailed, AS has been the wont Of adj
yocates of railroad charters for years past She
has been the point Of attack for rallying the
secIions-a sort of whctstone upon which the
sectional gladators were ever whetting their
knives for the conflict.
And what has she monopolised' Only one
road that comes 10 this city was peculiarly
her's--the Danville. The others, save the
Central, are passenger roads; and the Central
was begun only as a neighborhood road 1t
went TO Louisa Courthouse, and Richmond
rriS nhIIrp