The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-18

irllll,old lisnaIt!l'lll
Ssvu.n,.pSEspAY Is. DEeEMBER 1ss 1873
s,onrnorss and {. Ailegha railroad.

80 -
Tac prospect OF the early nassag OF ths
BIN continuing the sale ei The James. s !. e
4 canal to the Richmond and Allegheny Ran
! Rad Comnany is very good. We do 40
helieye t,at there Is. any Ike ihood Of ths
,assaye Oh any amendment 70 the bill tn tlss
win seriously embarrass 1t. Nj st OF thoss
shst have been spoken d are immaterlai
and those that are seriously obi aolt'
arc SO very unreasonable that we have pt
! idea the Legislature viii entertain them.
ri is possible that the committee that ba'
the bill in hand may determine to-day y
report il, aud after 1t is reported there Is nt
good reason for surprising that much time :
will be required TO dispose OF the amend q
!. raents that may be offered.
In the history OF public works we never
knew a fact more clearly and induoltaDis
Z established thar, that the James River and
Kanawhs canal hiss not only utterly failed &c z
perform it's service TO The public, but that Il
Is incapable of yielding enough to keeE
itself In repair. Nobody disputes this. Inc
State aud the city OF Richmond have both
abandoned IT, and those who in the past have
been imperiectly accommodated Dy it are 70
be left without means OF communication
with market. and the railroad which the
Allegheny company proposes to build is the
only hope left to them.
Surely this is not a case for doubt, anc
should not be one for unnecessary hesita
ton. For years the richest valley In the
State has suffered because Of the uHreliaoli'
ity OF the canal. The State has lost in reYe.
nue. immensely because Of the Isolation OF
that valley, its want OF communication ana
az way 10 market. It's rich lands have been
kept at depressed value and its people de'
nriyed OF that thrift and Improvement which
wouId come from facilitated communication
with The world. At last they have the means
10 prosperity and wealth offered to them,
and so fur from retarding the consummation
OF the plan by which this great object will
be obtained The legislators OF the State
should be too happy to expedite it as much
rs lies in their power. Is.
The building Of the proposed railroad
will promote the wealth Of the valley, give
new impulse to the commerce and indus
trv OF Richmond, and increase largely the
resources OF the State. We really believe
that this public,wo will in few years
solve the problem OF the public debt by the
increase OF the public revenue.
Between securing such beneticent work
as ibis and lis rejection no wise and public
spirited citizen can hesitate. IL the pend
ing enterprise should fail, the consequence
will be that in short time the canal will
cease to be nayigable, and Virginia in her
hour of greatest embarrassment will be
nearly deprived of income from her richest
and fairest estates.
There can be no doubt in such matter,
and let us say to the members Of the Legis-
lature that every day that is lost in the de-
Law OF the bill confirming the sale Of the ca
nal important interests of the State are
suffering. The instant the contract is COM
pleted there will be new hope in the Valley
OF James river and q new stimulus to the
energy and enterprise Of Richmond. To
saw that the State will not as promptly
derive good from the same cause, in its ef-
fects upon the public hope and the in
creased cheeriulness and activity that will
follow, would be very great mistake. So
we trust that the Legislature. entering into
this view, will pass the bill without need
less delay, and set the ball in motion.