The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-04-21

,,ents. VIRGINIA was almost singular IN her
m yvnverinr aeyotion to State Rights and her
Interchangeable opposition to appropriations 10
improvements within the States out Oh the
Federal Treasury. The majority IN congress
divided the money amongst their localities,
and rejected MI propositions to vote sums 10
Virginia and those co operating with her. AS
striking points of comparison-while nunureds
of thousands were voted to the Improvement
of the Hudson river TO Albany, not dollar
was ever appropriated to the improvement Oh
the James TO Richmond: yet they are bo'h
tidal. and the James has the advantage Ill
claim to appropriation of being some 'h'f'y
miles the shorter of the two. Virginia was
sincere, and made sacrifices, rs the world said
very foolishly, for her principles Even MIR.
c,Luory at last was for making concessions,
and improying those rivers which watered III
their course three States, as being entitled 10
the dignity Of appropriations from the fede-
raj Government. He, with more poetry than
truth. STYLED such conduits " inland seas
Well, these atters are of little consequence
now-and TO talk of them is possibly like old
FAIsrArr's dreams of green fields when about
to die. The measure of the power of the
Federal Government over this subject now is
rolling in the Congress can be carried. Every
thing is improved out of the Federal hsc save
the morals of the men who put their hands
into it, No little creek is too contemplate 10
be itemised in the appropriation bill-no road,
no old field school, too obscure Tor their dne
sections of public lands in the general divi-
sion amongst the prevailing party of the re-
sources of the Government; and these are
now so great that they seem rs ineXhaustihle
as the unscrupuousness and greed OF the SELF
appropriations
The .appropriation bill for works of i'm
proyement has just been reported to Congress
Its aggregate is more than three millions of
dollars. Running over the subjects hastily, we
find that of the whole sum there is only one
single item to any State included in the late
Confederacy-viZ for improving the mouth OF
the Mississippi river, $4,000. Maryland gets
about $50 900; Kentucky, nothing. The Hud-
son river-the old leech-gets $4,000. Inc
whole lake country is dotted with appropria-
tons From the Genessee river TO Green pay,
in Wisconsin, they are laVshly distributed
All the little New England States get their
bowls of soup, save Rhode Island, who has SO
much water that she wants no improvements,
and can't make ont u case, very much 10 her
distress. Among the terrG iacognH@ are the
following: Manitowoc, Wis, $4,000; Keno
sha Wis, so, 4ol Al and harbor at AnXbeeS-
scies Mich, SIS, oil. Burlington, Vt, seems
10 have breakwater, which gets S21,612. 1t
would be we'll if the Treasury had breakwa-
ter against the Invasion Of these political cor
sairs.
We have the consolation of supposing that
these improvements will do great deal OF
good to somebody, and the additional satlsiac-
ton of knowing that we are not represented
in the body making the appropriation, ana
that while we have our part 10 pay, we get
not 4 dollar of it ourselves. The world will
give us the credit of being the most unselfiSh
people on the face of the earth