The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-17
.. .toRTY-FIRST CONGRESS y. s., y
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

II 4
-, -. wAsHINGToN, u. c., May 8, ls7c.
Albert OrdgQH, Esq, Richmond, Va; :: -
Lear Sir.,-I have 20 l4form you that Che James
river Is In the river and harbor bill tor survey,
with sufficient appropriation to carry 1t out.
t.t Lam, sir, yours truly, I ..iit
' -.. PuILETUS SAWYER.
Chairman Subcommittee Harbors anu blv.rs.
We have reason TO congratulate ourselves on the
success which has thus far attended our ettoIt
and the favorable positi9nin which this great ial-
proyement, so esS. ntal tu tne prosperity OF our
city, now STANDS. But instead OF IeIaxins our ei-
furlS this shoulo Unly stimulate us 10 renewed eX-
ertlons. We should make all necessary provisions
u extend every courtesy, facility, assistance,
10 the officer OF engineers who w1itundoubtcd y
De detailed during the coming summer To make the
required surveys. Where Your committee mt
WIN 80 nucn Sy pathy and assistance ig would he
almost invidlous to eapless obligations To any
tut We deem IL due TO seuatur, tic Hon. j. W.
opSIy ;pinS It we should here recognize bis u.
Whi!c have adrcrted to all that might be pro-
perry embraced IN this report whichjI have as
supea To mdhe, IL Is also, perhaps, desravlc that
should cA press other conclusions to which lie
committee arrived In The course OF their labors,
NO q~csilon can Gt considered. by LIE Council
thiat ls OF more vital portaBce tutae prosperity
OF our city than the Improvement, of The nayiga-
tIon OF James river. - u snt.., 81, "a u ~
, All ctIer questions Of public Improvement or
policy are Insignificant compared With this; Ior
ON this alone turns The. commercial prosperity or
thet eternal staynatlon OF our. city. 1t demands
sideration and 'undiminishrd attention OF every
representative Of the people III this. body nnu
every public spirited citizen In our midst. Che
future of Richmond is undetermined W hilc all
archopcfut or i career Ur prosperity and growing
wealth, We have as yet taken iInmedtats and df-
rect steps 20 secufe such brueicial results. Vast
railroad interests are growing up and encirclfng
oneyerY side aud still We Alt with iolded hands,
allowing them TO give or deprive Us ofwhatefer
II IS \ conceded law Of trade that all freiahts
from the interior seek lhe water ut the nearest
available point. II We lntelligenIy avail our
our grasp. Tue chesapeake and Ohio railroad Is
Gil estabIished fact, the great line OF water COM
municAlion by theJ lines River ana hanawna Gu
IN short time the immense products OF the
West, and our own vast tonnage Of ccal and Iron,
will be transported through our State, seeking the
ocean, Is II rthsir interest TO contribute 10 and
Guild up Richmond? mol AL they seek Is lhc
shortest and cheapest route Iothe ocean. we have
1t IN our power 10 pio vide That; but rest assured
thae the great stream of Trade wlll noE seek US +;
WIFE not turn out of Its way to find u.s. We musG
hsSip ourselves We must open ;and make avail
our control, anu torcc the stream trade iuto1t.
This Is; no Wild alarm. Already the Legislature
oyer Juhction 10 Wet ,poiai. Even; no N there
exists charter, aud surveys have been made, for
2 r. rslrosd % from M kishmoad 70 Newport News.
And why is this! II II oecausenYe can ouIy bring
to our Wharyes yessels drawing eleven feet OF Wn-
Ter, was VIII be wholly Inadequate to carry on
tue Nass ~; ssSamaaLio9 81 nslght; and. eonse-
vaner outlets. There IS no Hmc for delay In these
matters. Unless we Lake such aehnite and early,
policy Of The city In thls, matter fieigms and
tratte VIII seek elsewhere aud beyond us tbat
.neln5 OF connection win The OCEAN which II
Is In Our p0her to furnish. Richmond has In
dacemcnts IN tails mattenwhieh no other city can
have, and which would jusnfy any expenditure
neecssary TO make her, the shipping port OF the
State, for she has within hersciI Che elements of
greatness and prosperity In her ufscturing
power. NORFOLK, West Point, Newport News,
City Point, or Whatever other places may strive
tor the gre,tpflze can never become more than
mere places oil transit and !ranshipment- gre al
sleeves through HhichccUmmeFce may now. But
with Richmond IL Is different. The laws OF trade
demand that raw material shall stop at the first
noint where it can be N anipulatsd and man1fnc.
fred or redue ed In bulk before IL goes further On
iIs way1to the world Instead OF being . mere
nIace oiYtransit, ere long we should begin to alb
soTbI and manufacture portion OF tie vast
YIetehls passing through onr hands pan9 You
ytt,ld find our factories building up, our popua
ti6r Increasing, AND DIR wealth accamulstlns. IL
is theme The sp1ssfblistes or which are SO great
that even the tmaginstton can scarcely aepict
them. s.s5,.,,r.y.s.. II 60
lieye lhat the Federal ldoserninefb VIII gLaIt ihs
aid in this matter will not answer our ptrpo
sn rnin Ain ufssiye and aiIo2 the consuninhionof
fhis ureat Improvement 10 Iess In unceftathtys
white Other great enterprises, that by II may DC
mad, trtbutgry to our prosperity, are raPi9'y stiS
min sttng We shoaid at least express aal Place
rn rfr,Tf the deterIainaff1n OF e1cy 70 carry
out THIS Improvement toih or DfneasS aid, ala y.
adnnf suchs measures as VIII liz Ihtt resnis 1n
mn event The city has pented dun Ing rnt pasL
Gye years about s6u, oosl sixty thousand aotafo