1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



767 



ticular cases, into a condemnation ol" his general 

 principles. 



There is a mistaken notion gaining ground in 

 our legislatures — that it is right to charter every 

 company which applies. This is a suicidal policy. 

 Rail roads are hot-house plants — they can no 

 more exist withouta certain degree of protection, 

 than tropical plants can grow without a shelter 

 from our hosts. 



After a rail road is chartered, the state is 

 pledged, (and if not, it should be pledged,) to pro- 

 tect that road from competition to a certain ex- 

 tent. If the wants of the community manifestly 

 require another work, then it is proper to charter 

 it. J would not have this principle carried so far 

 as to prevent us from keeping pace with the im- 

 provements of the age. But we should weigh 

 the matter well. We should be perfectly satisfied 

 that the work already existing is unfit to accom- 

 plish the end intended, before we allow another to 

 be made which will injure the first. 



Every rail road is an invention, so far that one 

 was never tried before, under the same circum- 

 stances. We cannot say of a rail road, as of a 

 wheat machine, that, because it has operated well 

 it one place, it will do equally well in another. It 

 is by no means a lair deduction, that because a 

 rail road from Boston to Providence has succeeded, 

 one from Wilmington to Halifax will succeed. 

 Every road, therefore, is a new application of the 

 principle, and consequently an invention. We 

 should pursue the same policy in these inventions 

 as in others, viz: protect the inventors from com- 

 petition for a limited number of years. 



I will suggest a scheme, which 1 acknowledge 

 to be perfectly Utopian. I merely use it as the 

 best means of making clear the idea I wish to 

 convey; and perhaps some one of better judge- 

 ment and greater experience, will be induced°to 

 devise some plan of the sort. Suppo 



have a certain number of disinterested men 

 of greal intelligence and sound judgement, chosen 

 from all parts of the. state, io compose a board o 

 interna! improvement. This board should meet 

 annually, and all applications for charters should 

 be laid before them. The legislature should gran! 

 all applications approved by them, and 

 only those recommended. 



The board must devise a genera! system of all 

 the works in astate which seem to them expedient. 

 This system would of course be subject to con- 

 stant modification. The proceedings should be 

 published from time to time, to stimulate ca| 

 to embark in the works recommended. When a 

 company applies for a charter, the board should 

 have some little regard to its effect on the entire 

 system, but should consider particularly \. 

 it weakens a company already chartered. There 

 should be v^vy strong reasons to induce the board 

 to refuse a charter which does not injure any ex- 

 isting work. Every charter granted, unless it is 

 for a work embraced in lal scheme of the 



board, would make it necessary to chim 

 whole system. We cannot 1'oa-v, the public. This 

 board could only direct public attention to I 

 schemes. They should direct, nol attempt to con- 

 trol absolutely, public opinion. If they cannot gel 

 the works made they have recommended, they 

 should grant charters 



near as possible to their plan. They mast hold 

 one principle as inviolable— the interest of every '■ 



work chartered must be consulted, before granting 

 a new charter. 1 would not lei a turnpike deprive 

 usol the chance of having a rail road; but I would 

 not chatter one rail road to destroy another. 



Tins would be an excellent scheme if we could 

 only find men fit lor the office. But where will we 

 find men who would lay aside self interest, and 

 thiuk only for the public good? 



The effect of such a plan, were it practicable, 

 would be to attract capital from ail parts of the 

 union. Bail roads would spring up, as if by ma- 

 gic, wherever the wants of the community re- 

 quired them. Our hardy sons would no longer 

 have to seek wealth and prosperity in the wilds of 

 the west. We should have a theatre of action at 

 home sufficient to employ all our enterprise. 



1 most earnestly hope that some of your corres- 

 pondents may be urged by these hints, to do what 

 / pretend not to be able to do — to give the world 

 some feasible plan for promoting these ends. 



P. Q. 



For the Farmers' I'cgioter. 

 COMMERCIAL REPORT. 



A prosperous state of trade prevails generally 

 in all parts of the world — and no portion of it is 

 deriving greater advantages, or accumulating 

 wealth more rapidly, than the southern portions 

 ol* the. United States. There 's no article of do- 

 mestic produce or manufacture, that does not com- 

 mand a good price — but the great staple, cotton, 

 surpasses all others in extent and value. 



The total imports of cotton in Europe in 1835, 

 were 1,531,500 bales, of which 1,032,600 were 

 from the United States. Great Britain received 

 1,091,200 bales, of which 763,200 were from the 

 United States. France 324,400, of which 225,500 

 \. ere from ihe United States. 



The total consumption of Europe was 1,453,200 

 bales, of which 1,036,850 bales were hum the 

 United >Smtcs. The annual increase of consump- 

 tion in Europe during the last, five years varied 

 from 25,000 to 85,000 bales, in 1&35, it was 

 about 75,000 bales. The increased import from 

 ist Indies is consi lerable, and an unusually 

 Led from thence during the 

 ; year. A contrariety of o; inions still pre- 

 vails as to the extent of the crop grown in the 

 United States in 1835. Estimates vary (Wan 

 1,300,000 to 1,350,000 hales. The supplies in 

 the great southern and western markets which had 

 been withheld, are now increasing fast, and will soon 

 reach, if not exceed, those at similar dates in 

 Prices, however, have materially advanced. The 

 ; rates in Petersburg are 10 to IS cents. 



Tobacco continues in at all prices 



1 i : anufactur ■■/■•■ have extended 



their operations, and stemming qualities are par- 

 after, 'idie European markets 

 exhibil no favorable aspect, except for stemmed, 

 which is scarce, in con. of the small quan- 



tity shipped hist year. 



'Flour continues steady al 



ies will no doubt be soon received from the 

 interior of New York u ia, where it 



ked up by the ice for some months. 



The expected increase of bank capital in this 

 state will not be obtained this year. The legisla- 

 ture not having had time, during a session of three 



