The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-23
Guemitta State Joarnal.
Few Plain Facts - Comm odore
Maury'B Views.

D"tih6 buo uiSCusSOu WHICH mas Utou-
occupied tho House of Delegates for some
time back, and which has arrested the at
tention Of the public, on account of its
bearings, every aspect of the subject has
been carefully surveyed, and they all tend
to the same conclusion. With but few
a1herents in the outset, it has strengthened
BY age, until it is now supported by anum-
erous and irresistible phalanx of friends.
Thus our people and representatives
alike, are beginning to realize the impor-
tance of throwing aside the continental
garments Of the olden time, and assuming
the dress of the new era. The former have
been worn long enough, and have ceased to
fit the expanding body and limbs of the
growing infant. When the bill now be-
fore the Senate shall have received the
endorsement of that body, it will consti-
tute the beginning of new epoch in the
history of Virginia
The time which will be consumed in the
interval will be caused, we are persuaded,
by no feeling of hostility to its present pro-
visions, but with view to protecting still
more carefully, if necessary, the interests
of the public. Like the foot of the 'Hea-
then Chnee," the State of Virginia has
been almost squeezed to death by the pat
ent COMPRISING apparatus of the old
school political economists. But she is
still in her youta, and by at once releasing
her from those barriers that have SO long
checked the expansive forces of nature,
she may yet grow into magnificent and
symmetrical proportions.
But, coming down to realities, we would
like to inquire Of the opponents of the bill
which is about to pass, if they are aware
of the fact that the towns-if towns they
may be called-of Tappahannock and Ur-
banna, on the Rappahannock river. were
laid out contemporaneously with the city
Of Philadelphia The latter numbers its
population by hundreds Of thousands,
while the former remind us of Goldsmiths
"Deserted Village" Yet our Virginia
cities are situated in climate that is as
salubrious, upon surface and soil that
are as fertile and diversified as any upon
the face of the earth, and beneath which
lie substrata of mineral wealth, unsur-
passed by any in the world. But not
withstanding her great superiority in
natural resources, some Of her sister States
have been advancing with antelope strides,
while Old Virginia has been indulging in
the gait Of the terrapin.
anomaly? AS our able cotemporary said
the other day our people read Burke too
much, and talked about Greece and Rome
too much, while they ought TO have been
constructing internal improvements. Ac-
tually before the final vote upon the bill
was taken, member took a dive into
Roman antiquities, and invoked the spirit
of Caesar, Numa aud others, to prove that
the Richmond, fredericksburg and Poto-
mac railroad was humane aud righteous
establishment. But to return-are the in
terests Of the great bulk Of the Virginia
people to be sacrificed in order to protect
those Of few private stockholders :?
Those who are most interested in this
matter are our farmers. Under the allure
ments of a city life and the Influence of
the lobby, can eur representatives be
frightened from their propriety and in
duced to forget their constituents?
In Commodore Maury's Physical Survey
Of Virginia we find the following:
"The average tariff in 1852 and 1863 on
thirteen of the principal railways in New
York, having an aggregate length of 2,063
miles, was 2.s6 cents per ton per mile; ditto
of eighteen in Pennsylvania, with an aggre-
| gate length of 26,6l.7 miles, aud at cost of
| $685., ,672, ,545.l7, was 3.7 cents-aay general
average of railroad freight, 8 cents the ton the
mile"
After referring to the circumstances
which tend to increase or diminish the ex-
penses of railroad transportation, he adds !:
"Taking these various conditions into con-
sderation, the actual cost of hauling freight
over railways may be supposed to vary
| from 5 to 20 mills, and to average about
1876" How do these figures compare
| with those which have been set down of
our Virginia railroads? But in the face
of all this, when these wealthy corpora
tions ask the privilege of being permitted
to eater Virginia and inaugurate the same
| policy here, by which Northern cities have
been converted into immense thorough
fares, and the interior districts into one vast
suburb, some people say "no you shan't
do it"
In another place be also says: "Why
then, may it be asked, have New York,
Philadelphia and Baltimore, each in po-
sition less favored by nature, so far sur
| passed Norfolk 10 their commercial sue
cess? The answer is, because they at an
early day built railways and canals to con-
meet them with the West. The rapid
growth of the West in population, wealth
and power is due, it is said, chiefly to these
improvements" We will soon be linked to
this great reservoir of wealth. There are