The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-20

tae heen done. it 10 inperattyely necesss
. uas vs ncrrpsnnniing depth should ee gwen
s :. 49,. noints. thus rendering necessary
~ esther ,mproyenent Of the cnannei 90
- 's - fnrn;sh continuous depth OF WaeeI
49,, the yyharyes ct Richmond to City foln..
'TasseIs now arriving in the James river
e,on, foreign ports bound for Ricnmona az
non nelled to discharge cargo at City foint
until their draught of water IS reaucsu W
III 70 10 feet before they can ascend tue
r;yer To Richmond. This entails heavy ex.
nense. and causes delay aud embarrassment
n both captain and consignee. vessels, on
the other hand, loading for foreign posts eau
only shin a portion Of cargo at Rtchmono,
and must (if over .ses tons) drop. down to
CITY Point to complete loading. rms Is ex.
| pensiye to shippers, and takes the Ioading OF
their property away from that personal sn.
peryision which Is SO desirable on the part OF
| the shippers. -
The exports contributing much more TO
| the real wealth Of the country, aud theie,
| fore of much greater Importance, are sun
| more seriously affected by the present. oo'
| structiops to free and safe navigation OF tne
James river, and the general commerce %
the country is thereby embarrassed. eom.
paratiyely limited section feels the erect OF
the imperfect navigation oil the river upon
imports destined for this port, WHICH mignt,
without great Inconvenience, De receiseu
through other ports. But such IS hot tne
case with regard to articles OF pecuiiar pro ,.
duct or manufacture for which Richmond is
and m,,st he n special and almost exclusive
market and direct outlet, as -four for the
BRAZILIAN market and tobacco for the Euro
pean markets.
The injury to commerce BY existing 90.
structions to free navigation OF the james
river is not, however, confined to Richmond,
or even the State of Virginia, but affects the
commerce of the entire country. The eX-
tent to which the injury reaches it is impos.
sible to state; but it is we'll known that
every impediment to cheap and rapid trans.
i portation tends to diminish the products OF
| q country, US they are increased always by
increased facilities of moving them TO points
where they are needed for consumption.
The area of country at this time tributary
4 to the commerce of Richmond has been
!, greatly enlarged BY the extension of inland
Communication with the West and South
west, and is likely to he extended on vast
, scale when the western connections now 10
!, progress shall have been completed.
In considering, therefore, the benefit ike
u IL to accrue to the commerce OF the country
n from prosecuting the Improvement OF James
river it is proper to take much WIDER ana
!; more national view than is presented by the
, present limited commerce Of Richmond, ana
to look to those more remote sections which
are now seeking an avenue TO the markets OF
!, the world by the most direct route to the
! seaboard. .-. .v.
The fostering care of the General Govern
ment is now directed TO the subject (espe'
claly with reference to the completion oil
the james River and Kanawha canaD, and
the statesmen of the country are, with
anxious solcitude, turning their attention to
the pressing demands of our immense and
rapidly-increasing inland population, whose
labor is now unproductive to themselves
and valueless 10 the world in consequence
of their inability to have their products
transported to the seaboard, where markets
await them.
The, successful improvement of James
river will at least furnish an additional out.
let for this vast commerce, and induce 1t, or
q portion of it, to seek it as the readlest ave-
nue. to the seaboard, aud thence to markets
at home or abroad.
In national point Of view, therefore
consider it very important that the improve.
mcnt of James river should be prosecuted
to a successful termination, in order to rem.
der practically available what has already
been done by furnishing continuous depth
of water for vessels drawing Is to IA feet.
am, sir, very respectfully, yours,
CHARLES 5. MILLS, Collector
Major VI. P. CraighiN, United States Engi