The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-23
tyor che pispasch.l

sns Extsnsion Of she sames Aiver
J. In ordar Is ensure the speedy COMPLETION
al fine connection between the Epresehs'
,yester,, terminus Of the James River canal
and the Chesapeake and Ohio .Ta1froea at
Clifton Forge it is proposed that L pc pro-
yided bylaw that the present James hifer
and Kanawha Company be required 10 cen,
sfruct said connection in the mode ndicased
In Lorraine's report. .
And In order to enable said company 10
construct said work the State shall tlansie.
to said company so much OF the emc1en.
convict labor ias may be necessary, free Oh
all charge for wages, board, clothing, guard
ing, or medical attendance i1.l-, .
90 many Of the eonviets as may DC neces,
sary NAV be- employed In dredging ana
otherwise improving the present iine OF the
canal, 80 as to prepare 1t TO aec0mH9ooe1Le
the. heavy transportation wnlch may, 90. pe
thrown ,ou 1t when the ,cennectloA VIII
Clifton Forge shall be completed. -
While, the work on the canal ID IN pro-
gregg the, skilled ilaborers OF tne. penneli-
fiary shall be retained in the inst'talion 10
manufacture clothing, shoes, mats, &c, Iol
the convicts employed on the cahat, anu ~
aid by the. profits Of their labor N t'leii
Tt
~During the progress Of the work OF eX-
tension from Buchanan to Clifton Forge the
finished norton OF the canal, between Rlch-
mond and Buchanan, shall remain under the
control Of the president and directors.
. The unfinished portion OF the line, be-
tween Rnehanan and Clifton Forge. shall
he placed under the control OF an energeuc
and efficient manager, who shall nave the
entire direction of the work; and as sue
cessiye sections of It may be complete they
shaH be turned over to the president ana
BOARD Of Directors or the company. =
The agent to have charge OF the con-
struction Of the work west OF buchanan
shall be appointed by the Governor ana
shall receive competent salary.
Among the advantages OF this plan are
1 n can be carried into effect without
ony DELAY. 1t is subject to no provisions or
contingencies. Itrests entirely in the dis
crefion of the Legislature. The convict
Ioboris subject to the control OF the State,
and being valued Mt S150,O00 per annum,
tho transfer OF it gives to the company q
solid addition to its capital during the nve
years amounting'to S750,000.
9. tt avoids all legal and constitutional
difficuIties which might arise upon the
adoption Of either. Of the other modes OF
extension which have been proposed, ana
II utiIizes the $511,000 heretofore expended
on the work. 70 ~ - ...:,.a
involves the abandonment and partial dc-
struction Of this valuable work, ana Tue
occupation by the railroad OF the line mere
fore appropriated to the canal Bondnola,
4 ers object to this, because that unhnisne9
work is embraced in their mortgage, and
1
debt: and they threaten an appeal to the
couris to enioin such an infringement OF
their rights. t.'i# a,..r;.
This difficulty would be obviated by the
proposed plan, as there would be! no de-
struction or abandonment Of any part OF
the work already done, but ali immediate
occupation OF It, and instead Of diminu:
ton a large increase OF its value, ......
| Grave constitutional doubts exist as to
| the bower of the state, indirectly, through
the agency Of the James River and Ka-
| nawha Company, to 'Fsubscribe to, or be-
come interested in, the stock OF any com.
pany, association, or corporation" (Artlcle
| x, section AZ or "be party to, or become
interested in, any work OF internal improve
ment, or engage in carrying on any such
work otherwise than in the expenditure oil
grants to the State Of land Or other pro-
Derty," (Article X, section 15,) when the
| Constitution, IN the sections above quoted,
clearly prohibits it from doing so directly.
;, The proposition to employ the convict Ia
Dor on the James River and KanaWha Canal
| extension does not, in any proper sense,
| come in conflict with these constitutions
inhibitions. While the James River cana
no1ninaHy belongs to!a company, the State,
by virtue Of its ownership of $40, 100000 Of
the stock, Of which about S7,0O0,000 is pre-
ferred stock, is substantially the company
In working for the company the convicts
are, in fact, working for the State, just as
much as if they. were working in the peni.
Tertiary, or on the capitol-grounds, or in
the granite auarries belonging to the State.
Every DAVIS labor done by the convicts on
the extension enures to the benefit OF the
| State, and the labor3s So employed Is more
profitable to the State than if applied in any
other way, because it has not only a direct
| effect in creating new work. but a conse.
ouential effect in reyiving and rendering
1 valuable an Investment OF SO, 400, 900, which
is now dead and improbable.
8, The addition OF an annual contribution
. of over S15O,00O OF labor, equal to so much
| in cash. and amounting in five years tt
$3.50, 1000, or more, to the actual value of tht
property Of the company Ito say nothing o.
| its consequential effect on the value Of tht
! completed portion OF the lne) would GER
tainly greatly increase the credit Of thu
:: company and tend to allay the apprehension
of its creditors. They could not fail to per
ceive that the expenditure of so large ar
amount in augmenting the value OF thei
security, and in giving IN assurance OF the
speedy completion OF the deficient link II
the great line OF communication, which
would add four-fold to its value, woult
be eminently satisfactory to the creditors
The bondholders might we'll consent Il
withhold all demand for interest during the
five years which would intervene before
completion Of the work, because the marke
value of first mortgage bonds, now selling
at $45, and second mortgage bonds at about
1 500 to S22, would steadily rise in value tx
an amount, during the five years, nearly, i
not altogether, equal to the entire interes
during those five years. II the creditor!
were to suspend their claims for intereS
! during the five years that whole amount
/ equal to S75, 900 per annum, or an aggregate
| during the five years OF 1915, 000-could b.
expended in aid of the convict labor; ant
the creditors, whose claims now amount tt
! about Sl,250,O00, would have added to thu
lsecurity1 which they now hold for theil
debts a further security Of $750,000, plui
1915, 0eO-equal to s1,125,O0o. In othel
words, the new security would be almost
equal to the whole amount Of the debt. !. j.,
Tn the company, with its present crippled
resources and unfinished work, can effect
ain arrangement with their creditors SO as t.
raise money enough to, construct the pro
Iiected railroad from Buchanan to Clifton
Forge, a tortiori, could they raise !, an equa
amount Of money to, finish the canal wher