The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1870-01-20
NUMBER IS.
HON. JOHN n. PHELPS AND TiA
CAPITAL.

Pending The sabati,1tol lSr the Rouse
Bill ia the Senate, on moiIonlto sstiEs
out c'orks6urg nnd iqssrt CHARLESTON,
Mr.. padlpg, Sid
Mr, President This questiSh hSS
been more prolific of sposch-tskiHN
mouey.spanding and deep excited iSSls
ling EoI the last four or fyo yearS, thsh
every and all others lhal have been b.
fore tho LegislalurO oE this State. ID
deed il has entered into about eveEl
other question whether Of local or bed,
oral character that has been before era
body since It's irst agitation. II hGe
entered into oil our appointments Gh1
elections in the Lcgiglaturs from YhS
United States S.nntOr dcwn 10 the page.
II has been slsalthily oSffisa Into ihS
sacred precincts ofeVcry branch Of les.
islation until lie poWor a0d ina1oGes has
been seen and felt, aud may new be triA
Ced on almost every page Of our hISlutA
books, So great has been The influence
Of this subject, so long i;s agitation, and
so the expenditures OF large Gums n
money from year TO year. The ma6tlb
Of our people have become prodlgiou0lt
worried with II, and have dsmRpdsd 10
permanent settlement,
This bringsus TO tho question, WhatS
thall wsaOoats the Capitaltor lie bs5t
Interests Of our State? And, now, psFe
hNpS. not less tLon q scoroc Of metnbefl
ol tho Legislature are ready 10 say. Il
they have not already done so, Eve
have the bCsI site FOR ill'' And your
speaker, perhaps. is not the least Of that
number, Bat shall now Try to show
you some reasons Why | think 80. For
tho best interests Of tho State, The Capi.
tal should be located ia the interior end
os near central as the commercial and
manufacturing interests ofthsS S,Ate will
udmit, aud il possible, on pGgigubl6
river that will afford transportation %
and from tho Capital tbs year round, and
where II is surrounded with all the fac
cilitics demanded BY The manufacturing
and commercial interests. Aud, Ig6
further, and say II should bo located, if
possible. ih the We9llhiest mineral dfgs
Irict 10 the Stale. Now, after astcein&
to all these pre- requisites 10 location,
um prepared TO say, without The fear OF
stccesslnl contr adisLion. that OhaflsslofN
10 The connty Of Kaaawha, possesses all
these great advantages to much. Create
et degree, Than ony other place 10 tho
State Of West Virginia, Nov, Ma,
President Is Chhrleslon cenltalg Much
nearer tho ceater thans tnt ulhef point
rec6igiing- feap66i niifAbFf ofsgol6sA
For Ii 700 lake the map oi our M
draw aline from The PennsglyaDia STATE
Hue 10 the Kentucky line, you VIII nod
Charleston directly on that line, and
draw Onolherlinc across th01 Slate Als
right angles TO the 6rst, and you win
find Charleston beautifully seated With.
10 less than forty miles of this common
center. Isshe Situated on d tiavigablee
riverl Yes sir, not only the best but
the only one within Tho bounds Of onf
State, and o river TOO. whose Wklera
drain the maj rity oi the territory ofshe
OF The State, a river. cir, uponswhose
bosom Rlats without Interruption
daily lins Of steamers from Browne
town to G4llipolis. as we'll as a somi.
weekly line from Cincinnati 10 0haIlesi
ION. And. sir, you may add to this .
lorge number Of mighty tow boats that
are either carrying or logging tliair pom
derous load. Of black diamonds with
which the valley Of the GfcatKanawha
iyer, 10 al her hills, abound, Addsir,
to Ill these facts, few additional fg-
ures. Ia 1863 when The coal mining
business on the Kanawha was II iis In
cipioacy. two Companies alone shippede
out Of that river le28438Q bushslS.-A.
Then a Id to this seven or eight salt fur-o
paces. psch hAviug.a capacity Of from
l6O 10 e25 bstreIs, per day, and you may
form some lttlO conception ofsthe vast
RESOURCES Of this great valley. And, sim
il you look at this location With refer:
encs to o great Internal Improvement
ceuler, and consult history Oh the sub.
isc,, you will end that scientific civil
engineering, has pointed ths enterpFissi
Ing capitalist to this great natural thor.
oughtare Iea1iog from all points on tbe
Chesapeake Bay to The great MiSsissiPa
ri Valley; aud though We have been
locked Up for ths last half century BY q
Jealous Legislature, yet, now, through
The fortunes OF war, and A libetat lsgiss
lalion upon the part Of our glorious lil.
Tic State. this great thOroashfAte eis AZ
last about 10 be opened, upon !hieA
when completed, the Emperor Of China
will sheke commercial hands With the
crcwaed heads Of al Europe. The
whole uatiou lo.day, 10 looking forward
10 our grsa. euterpii,e; aud the day is
no,.fsr distant, when the cohmeFee Of