The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-04-09
The Great Virginia Line.


The public will be pleased 10 learn that
official information from NJ BELLoT DE MI
x1ERgs to Colonel THOMAS II. ELLIS, an
nounces the acceptance by the French Com
pany of the amended charter of the James
River and Kanawha Canal Company-now
chartered under the name of the Virginia
Canal Company. This amended charter, it
will be remembered, was passed by the Legs-
latures of Virginia and West Virginia at their
late sessions. As the act was perfected only
about the close of these sessions, the French
Company must have acted promptly, there
having been, since, little time TO spare outside
of trip to and fro between this country and
France This promptness, OF course, displays
q lively interest in the enterprise by the Com
pany, and justifles the hope that they intend
to proceed expeditiously with what they pro-
pose to do. The guarantee deposit, however,
is more interesting point in the matter.
Many persons of good judgment have enter
tanned strong doubts ~ 10 the reliability OF
the French proposers TO complete the canal.
The prompt and unqualified acceptance OF the
charter commends them somewhat to the
doubters, and we trust that III good time the
sum- in solid, under the charter will be made to
convert their dlstrust into II conviction that
the Company are not only in earnest, but able
10 do all they propose Such an event VIII
certainly be gratifying in the highest degree 10
the people OF both Nirginias.
Give us an unbroken water line from the
Atlantic TO the Mississippi by the valleys of
the James and kanawha, and the State OF
Virginia must become one of the most flourish
ing and powerful States of the Union. Her
population will increase rapidly, her com
MERGE will be enlarged beyond all expectation,
and her agriculture and manufactures VIII
keep pace with all other Departments of in
dustry and enterprise.
Nothing causes more uneaSiness amongst
those interested in the more northern routes
of transportation between the west ana the
east than the probable completion of this
water line projected by WAsHISGToN, and the
object Of the greatest men OF the State who
have lived in times since their day An inteli-
gent Northern gentleman says that 1t Is the
expected completion of this canal that affords
the strongest argument in behalf OF the Ma
gara Ship Canal. Such IN outlet TO the COM
merce Of the great West is deemed necessary
to compete with this southern line, which has
months the advantage i'll the winter trans
portation over the lake routes.
As with the Erie canal, which built up the
West and created the necessity for the great
lines of railroads which now unite the sea-
board with the Mississippi by that rapid mode
of communication, so the james River and
| Kanawha canal Will force the rapid construc-
ton of rail roads from The Virginia seaboard
! to the same region of unlimited resources and
prosperity.
! The Covington and Ohio railroad will be
/ the first We trust to see both ii and the ca
nal commenced this year. The commissioners
who were TO have met on the 18th of March 10
dispose of the road, we now learn, did not
meet because sufficient time was not given TO
notify all the commissions of West Virgil
MIA. But they will assemble about the first of
Nav, when we feel assured the great work
will be placed in hands altogether able TO con-
struct it. There never was in this country so
large an amount of capital--so many million
aires seeking solid and profitable investments.
This road we know has attracted much attcn-
ton among such men, and the money, there
fore, for its construction will be readily OBJ
tanned No road that is projected at this day
promises such rich rewards 10 those who may
build it.
If it promises rich reward 10 the Stockhold
ers, what may we not expect from it and the
canal for the benefit and prosperity of this
State and this city? The day that even the
railroad is certainly 10 be built, the real
propertv of Riclmoad will be worth twenty
five per cent more than ii was the day before.
If we add TO the road the certainty that the
canal will be built, we would tell every owner
of real estate not to sell his property. He
can hold nothing so valuable here, and we
doubt whether he could do so well with the
ind in lan1
anywhere else in the Union.