The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-02-13
THE CANAL DISCUSSION.
GEN. ECHOLS' SPEECH.

\
| From the Richmond Commercial
| Gen. Echols considered the question Sec
ond in importance only to that Of the Public
Debt, but he felt it his duty to oppose the
| bill. 1t was with extreme pain and reluc-
lance that he raised his voice against any
measure that Richmond members thought
would conduce to the prosperity OF their
| city, for none of her own people felt more
| interest and admiration than ne in a city
| which in peace and war, in prosperity and
| in adversely had comported itself SO nobly,
1 and which he hoped at no distant day 20 see
great commercial and manufacturing cen
tire.
| The opponents of the bill were often
| charged with being Influenced by local pref
udices, and oblivious of the interests of the city
| and State, but speaking for himself he could
| say he was free from such influences, while,
as the Representative of one of the largest
| and richest counties of the State, he endeav-
ored to represent the interest of that county
and of the entire State by opposing the
measure.
The bill proposed not a sale, but an alb
solute grant of the States interest in one
Of her greatest improvements. What was
it which we proposed to give away absolute.
ly and forever. A work organized in 1854
in which the State had always felt the deep
est interest, and for which she had appro-
priated largely; whether her interest in dol
lars and cents was valuable he would con-
slider hereafter. Should we give away the
entire control?
lie spoke Of the Importance and wealth
and products OF the country traversed by
the canal, and said that the Dock revenue
was last year, despite disastrous floods,
$31, 900 and had averaged $4,000 net per
and absolute prostration OF business. We
proposed an absolute surrender and gift OF
the Basin, the most valuable property in
Richmond.
We proposed to transfer the water power,
which we had all our lives heard should make
Richmond second Manchester, and passing
over to foreign corporation water rent
averaging over ST., 1000 nett per annum and
il the canal were filled up and destroyed,
that water power would yield an annual
revenue of 100000
We proposed to transfer the water power
here, and for miles above Richmond, and at
Lynchburg, and all along the lire, beyond
the control of the city and State, absolutely
and forever, to private corporation also
the right of way, which had cost the canal
$750,000. The tow path alone had cost mill
lions-was it OF no value to the railroad
company? Estimating it at the small sum
of $4,000 per mile the two hundred miles
from Buchanan to Richmond, we were CIV
ing away in the tow, path property worth
two millions.
This was not all. The Clifton Forge rail-
road, chartered few years since, and to
which the State had contributed its credit
and its money, and emptied its penitentiary
to bui!d-was half finished, and required
only $4,000 for its completion, This road
was also to be handed over to these gentle
m ZEN, and they given, moreover, the exclu-
sive privilege OF road in that section for 25
or 80 years.
What did Virginia receive in return p
Nothing but chaff. One phase of the dis
cussion-the bitter dcnunciation, the con-
temptuous depreciation of the canal-sur-
prised him. For thirty years he had heard
gentlemen talk otherwise. Now it was a
dead body, to (which the State vas chained.
When did this light first dawn Or the minds
OF gentlemen. who few months since sang
a different tune?
He read from a memorial Of the Rock
bridge Supervisors and the Lexington Coun-
Gil, in 1877, a protest against abandoning an
improvement which ha1 cost $l2, 100000 !;
which conduced so much to the welfare OF
the country and cities along its line, and
which could by convict labor be placed in
more thorough repair than ever, for such an
abandonment would be destructive to the
interests Of the people of the James River
Valley and of the entire State who were
deeply interested in preserving this great ar
terry of communication.
Mr.. Lady, OF Rockbridge, explained that
the same bodies to-day unanimously favored
the railroad, the flood having changed their
opinions.
Gen. Echols replied that unfortunately for
those gentlemen their statements were made
after the great flood.
He read from the report of President
johnson, Of the canal, made not 60 days ago,
that there was ''unquestionable evidence OF
value in the evident eagerness OF private in
dividuals and corporations to obtain owner
ship and control of it,
This dead body; this effete corporation,
was in demand. The report was the most
unanswerable argument against the bill !;
and he only hoped that every member would
read it carefully. The report further as
serted that there was reason to believe that
nearly al. the leading bondholders had been
approached by would be spoilers and specu-
lators who were anxious to obtain the adj
dresses of all the bondholders. Gentlemen
seemed very anxious to get bold OF this dead
body.
The report also alluded to organiza-
tions formed and forming against the Com
pany, and yet the property could hardly be
given away. and the State would be under
everlasting obligations to the gentlemen
who were charitable enough to relieve us Of
it.
The report mentioned speculative deal
ings on the part of persons. not exclusively