The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-16

- I -A-z1--t1' - AA-ALSoA AAAo AO1 1Os1sifs8
formerly one Of Forney's two daiHes |? II
sums up their whole object and purpose in
nutshell when it declares = @.7.. =s.d
WHAT THE PHILADELPHIA PAPERS SAY. J.
In the event: of the Pennsylvania Com.
pany getting the legislation from Virginia
asked for, Philadelphia win be benefited
largely. As We see it, this latest scheme
will give us an almost airline connection
with Richmond and the rlch Virginia val
leys, and the control of their trade, which
has long been diverted into other channels.
The problem Of. restoring our old comma,-
csal supremacy is being rapidly and satis-
factortly solued. ~ s ]f.il.. 4 -" 80 5zQ
IN A NUTSHELL.
Now, sir, you have it,, the problem of
restoring our old commercial supremacy is
being rapidly and satisfactorily solyed.y
What a beautiful scheme \ What mag
nihcent piece of railroad diplomacy Sir,
the whole and sole design Of that Pennsyi-
Vania Central is to- l..,....... ~
UPROoT OUR DOMESTIC POLICY, y.
subordinate the railroads of our State, and
divert trade from our Southern citIes.--
Iney now have already built, or in pro-
cess OF construction, continuous line
OF railway from Philadelphia to Fredericks.
Durg-they now ask you to let them get to
richmond. Certain parties are now specu-
latlnS In the stock of the Richmond and Pc
tersburg railroad, and if the Pennsylvania
central gets to Richmond they will ulti-
mately get control of that road. The VIII
mlngton and Weldon road is controlled by
outside parties, believed to be in the inter-
Iest OF the Pennsylvania Central. Now,
SIT, with all the roads to Petersburg and
the road from Wilmington to Weldon
under their control, the Petersburg and
weldon railroad, supported only by local
tFaVe'' will be necessarily compelled to ac-
| ceae 70 the terms of the Pennsylvania
Centrai, which would give them
AcoNT1NUoUs LINE TO WILMINGTON, N. O. :
| Inc wilmington and Manchester railroad
mas been purchased under deed of trust
by tne same parties, and they are now
building on the Manchester road to Column
bia. From Columbia they have charter,
granted by the South Carolina Legislature
to build road to Augusta-from Augusta
to- Atlanta there is O gap, which will be
| filled, as in the case of the route from Pc.
tersburg to Weldon. The road from At.
lanta to Chattanooga has been leased by
| certain parties for twenty years, and at the
head Of the lessons stands MIR. j. D. Came
ron, of Pennsylvania, who is, / believe, al
the head Of the Northern Central. Now
Mr.. Speaker, it is easy to see that with thi
foothold they will soon absorb the principa
railroad lines of the South; and then, sir
the consolidated line may well trembl
for its interests, and Virginia look with SO
licitude to her six million donation, a
well as the amount now due her for tn
stock she sold to that line. .s..r.. ..s. t.
INTO THE HOLD OF FOREIGN STEAMERS.
Sir, the Pennsylvania Legislature has in
corporated line of steamers from Phila
delphia to European ports, and in this lin
the Pennsylvania Central owns 100000
in stock. Pennsylvania is rich in mineral
and petroleum, which will do as an auxili
ary cargo, but she must have the cotton Q
the South and the tobacco of the Southwes
in order to maintain and operate success
| fully that line Of steamers hence her anx
iety for this charter from Alexandria t,
Richmond. - H sr,- 80.
WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN SEAPORT?
But, sir, have we no seaport of our owl
towards which to direct our energies, ant
whichis worthy of our protection and fos
tering care? Sir, l believe with Mr.. JEFF
fcrson. that Norfolk ought to be the
"GREAT EMPORIUM OF THE cHEsApEAKE.'
believe with MIR. Madison, that ''it is tc
the true interests of Virginia to foster Nor
folk as the prime object of her policy"
and believe with another distinguished
Virginian, whose reputation is coextensive
with the boundaries Of science, and limited
only by the ATTITUDES and longitudes oi
civilization, that, geographically con.
sidered, the harbors of Norfolk or Hamp.
ton Roads and New York occupy the most
important and commanding positions On
the Atlantic coast of the United States.
They are more convenient to the ocean
than Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston
are, because they are not so far from the
sea-" AS to back country, he says :"Com-
mercially, these two harbors occupy the
most choice neutrality-suspicious. which
give them more natural advantages as the
great outlets for our trade and commerce
than those that are offered by any other
of our seaport towns on the Atlantic
ocean. Norfolk, the superior of
New York in all the natural advantages OF
back country, harbor, sea, and CONNER
cial situation, has slighted internal i'm
prouenaents, and now, as an emporium OF
trade, lags at all immeasurable distance be-
hind New York.
Now, sir, as to depth of water and dis
tance from the sea, Norfolk has advantages
superior to any city in the Union, as this
table will show. Norfolk is 2s miles from
the ocean, and has q feet of water to her
wharves; New York, SO miles, and % feet
of water Boston, 100 miles, and 81 feet of
water; Philadelphia, 100 miles, and % feet
of water; Baltimore, 100 miles, and 16 feet
of water. Now
LET US HELP OURSELVES.
Mr.. Speaker, let us turn our thoughts to
these great natural advantages, and seek to
make them the means of resuscltating the
broken fortunes of our people, and dispell.
ing the clouds that now obscure the star ol
OLE destiny. We cannot build up Norfolk