The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-17
Ra,,roai or Canal /?

3 urdertake TO complete the canal 70 Cnl.oh
Forge rained an advantage in iegisla1se
strategy ON Thursday by the recomml'ille,''
:, ,hesr hin. which had been prematuIe'y
and IN a manner not desired py theli on.
cd as a substitute for the bill 70 constr ~. :
railway 10 Clifton Forge. The reco1n,a'.saA
=, ,ho nil, for the lease carried the railway
s:,r,.;,b;t The friends Of this bill hKing
this proceeding procured motion TO re-
consider the vote, and a long debate ensuee''
N which the merits of the two proposltions
wore discussed in lively manner. Gov
ernor SMITH, the leading patron OF the propo.
e;tion to lease the canal, frankly declared
that ne and those acting with him had no
desire TO send the railroad bill to the spe-
c;a, committee along with their bill. Ihey
only wanted to perfect their own bill a
privilege always accorded in legislative pro-
ceedincs to the friends Of measure.
The vote was reconsidered, the two bills
senarated. the bill for leasing and extending
the canal to Clifton Forge recommntea,
and the railway bill made the order OF the
dav for Thursday neXt-a very fair and Just
disposal Of the matter.
It will be remembered that when the
friends Of the railway proposed to I'LL up
the gap between Buchanan and Chiffon
Forge with railroad the proposition was
actively opposed by the friends of the canal,
including the president Of the James River
and Kanawha Company. We Joined that
opposition very earnestly. twas then de-
clared that the adoption Of the railway con-
!. nectiop would be death to the canal. The
. fight was earnest and vigorous. Victory
leaned to the railway, and the struggle end
ed in compromise, by which the canal
took the railroad upon its back, unsuited as
it was to the undertaking, both from the
dissimilarity Of the enterprise, from the
work it had in charge, and from the condl-
ton OF its finances
We had at that time considered 1t I'M
portanr that the gap from Buchanan to Cliff
ton Forge should be filled up, or that there
should be connection with the through
railway to the Ohio at Clifton Forge. The
canal interest having acquiesced in the ex-
pediency Of splicing out the water-line with
the railway we yielded, as there was nothing
else to do. The acquiescence was reluctant,
we suppose, to canal-men generally.
The present winter the canal project was
reproduced in the House for further indul-
gence and for aid from convict labor. 1t
had at the beginning no competition. But
it did not present much that was encour-
aging. There was no evidence OF much
popular sympathy with it. The towns
seemed to take no stock in it. Richmond
would not give vote upon helping it, and
the report OF the sale Of hundred thou
sand, dollars Of the canal company's bonds
was not fully understood, and has now been
developed into sale that imparts precious
little strength towards the railroad work.
The proposition for a lease for twenty
years and completing the water-line to Cliff
ton Forge did not appear until the railway
bill had passed the Senate and was pending
in the House. That proposition was greatly
commended by the responsibility Of the
names and character of the proposed lessees.
The proposed lease Immediately took po-
sition as competitor to the railway link to
Clifton Forge. The debate has been full Of
energy and cleverness, and has resulted, if
not in showing the entire practicability Of
the scheme for the lease, at least in exposing
weakness in the railroad project not pre-
viously felt or perceived. The name Of c.
r. MASON is a tower OF strength. He has
been long a contractor, and never was
known to fail in fulfilling his promise. He
has always shown a wonderful amount Of
forecast and energy, and has achieved eX-
ploits in skill and promptness that have
made his name famous for both fidelity and
administrative ability: He bridged the
Rapidan for SToNEWALL JACKSON in two
hours and eleven minutes, while the en-
gineers were drawing their pictures" 2
The bill for the lease has been recommit-
ted for very important amendments, which
have been foreshadowed by Governor
SMITH. The railroad bill has been post:
poned until Thursday next, by which time
the bill for leasing the canal will be report
ed and brought up for renewed discussion.
The question is important. The lease
promises certain and prompt completion
OF the wster-line to the Chesapeake and
Ohio railway at the foot Of the Alleghanies.,
II there be any merit in the canal, it will be
greatly better of by being completed to the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad than by stop
ping at Buchanan and being compelled to re-
ceiye freights from the West through the
railway link that involves two breaks Of
bulk and precludes the canal from any i'm
mediate intercourse with the through line
to the West. 1t is not probable that
any considerable amount Of Transports
ton will be thrown upon the canal by this
connection and through this intermediate
link that will have little sympathy with
either the canal or the Chesapeake and Ohio
line, and will practically receive little from
either. By all odds it would be better for
the canal il It's line was taken right up to
Clifton Forge, where it could take care OF
its own interests and make itself felt. 4: i
The scheme of the lease hazards little to
the State or the company, while its success
viii greatly improve the property in the
canal. q go
However, we are not oyer-ruch commit
ted In expectation in this matter. 1t seems
70 us that, to some degree unwittingly, the;
parties to this discussion are bringing on
rapidly the question that may swallow up
the pending schemes, and that question is:
"Canal or Railway y ?-i. e., Shall we COM
plete the Waser.line or build railroad upon
~srsH