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BULROADS. i y.vz l/ie Telescope} To the Edit..:: of the Columbia elescope- i CHARLESTON, 7 b DEC 1836. ! >S/r, —I enclose you a portion of a series of p ipers on rail roads, whit h I intend to have troubled wu. with: but the crowded state of your col ums at this time, forbid so great a tax —you will oblige a subscriber by giving them as early an insertion as may be convenient. To Ike .Wo ckholders of the Charleston, Louis ride -i :d (hiciniiili Hail Hoad. on th l: consrr u c t i o x o f ru l ROADS. It appears to me that the most important consideration hereafter, in the construction of rail roads, every ■ where, will not be howto raise funds for that purpose, but how to prevent the misapplication of them, in con structing roads that never will pay: for after all, the simple question ‘will it pay?’ ought always to be fearless ly put, and candidly answered, be fore the first ground is ever broken in upon. In our case, as in all others simi lar, tiiat desirable result depend s up on these considerations, viz: Is there profital.de business for the road? Can it be cheaply and sub stantially constructed? Can funds be raised. And though last, not least, can it be cheaply, methodically and cn e rge tic all y n ran age d ? 'Two of these questions have been happily answered, one by the lumin ous report of General Hayne, to whose zeal, correct judgement and sound discretion the citizens of this A’tate are largely indebted; the other b> our subscription list, so honora ble to south Ccrolina. As regards the others, I will lay before you faithfully, the result of information, given willingly, by some of the most experienced men to the {North. 'The most expensive mode of con structing rail roads that has yet been tried in America, A which has met with the decided discription ol th >se who carried it into effect, has been by slips, or scantlings of granite, laid lengthways, on a solid foundation, on which scantlings, iron bars were laid, well secured by spikes or bolts tor the cars to run upon. This plan may be said to have to tally failed, for not only does the sol id rock wear away, but having no elasticity, the jarring of the cars, breaks A deranges the spike heads. The iron bars being thus set in mo tion, the destruction is rapid <s• total; requiring immediate and most ex pensive repairs. In addition, the speedy destruction of the locomo tives, and even of the cais them selves, from the severe jolting; the shaking noise and other disagreeable effects upon the passengers, insur mountable, these alone, from suffi cient reasons for abandoning thi plan, whenever timber of fust rate quality can be got Another method is by laving blocks of granite or other stone, a-! cross the track lines, as sleepers, , placing on them cast iron pieces for the car u heel’s to run upon. Tlii plan is liabh'to all the objections of j the former, with this in addition, that the cast iron suddently breaks, en dangering whole lines of cars, and frequently stopping the entire busi ness of the road. Another A’ greatly improved plan has been to substitute rails ol solid wrought iron, and ol great weight, unsupported by wooden rails, laid upon sleepers of timb, r. Some iron rails lately imported by the Susquc hannah and Baltimore road, weigh 58 pounds to the yard in length. The objections to this mode of construction are its great expenses and the decay of the sleeper, in or der to rectify which last objection granite sleepers were tried. 1 hese being subject to tin' very serious tanks of rapidity destroy ing cars \ locomotives, and harassing the pas sengers by jolting ami noise, it has been proposed to insert a piece of wood between the iron rail an I the granite, to produce at <’.i'tic:!\. which might prevent th. j.irri < a i wear and tear, and tlm> obviate a . difficulties. this last mode was dec’a • d to mo by the most < \p ( ri< nee ! l. * most intelligent and the ablest man, met with to the North, to be the best mode of construct ion that his judge hne ita-i-l exp-wience could suggest, am! he has had more than any other, i It Is scan ely necessary to say that the objections to this admiriable plan are, the enormous expense which no rail road company ought to incur at first setting out, and the certain de cay of the wood work, introduced i under the iron rails. A STOCKHOLDER. To I fie Stockholders of the Charles ton, Louisville ami Cincinnati Hail Road. On the Construction of Rail Roads. After looking at many railroads) our own mode of construction, im proved by expedience, seems the best adapted to our means, our conn- > try and our materials. Great errors have been commit ted every where; and how could it be otherwise, in new and untried ioperatijns of so extensive a kind? i licse have been n it only such as I have already stated but in the size of rhe wooden rails; the size of the iron; hhe mode of laying down the sleep ers; or have proceeded from the van ity or carelessness of those entrus ted with trie superintendence of the various works. On one rail way the absolute necessity of hastening the completion ol the road, and thus kee ping alive the hopes of the stockhol ders pernaps also with a view of aid from the legidature of the State, ithe directors were induced to use ■green timber ol all kinds cut-out of phe woods. The whole of this part i fell into immediate dccav, incurring I an enormous i icrease ol expenditure of the most thriftless kind—daily and peace-meal repairs. In Maryland the fir-t six miles of the Baltimore and Ono Rail Road, were executed on tne most solid &, lasting principle that coni I be de mised; that is with granite as first de scribed. I'he viaducts were finish led with an elegance that did great Jtonor to the taste of the director;-, but the expense of al! this was at the late of seventy two thousand, eight hundred dollars per mile! i’he fail ure of their funds compelled thi company to retrench, and on other parts of the road the expmice was reduced gradualh, until it came! down to about nine thousand dol lars per mile, at which rate about sixty miles were completed. i akinji it for granted that timber rails with iron bars, are best suited to our country, it is fortunate that what we shall be comp llml to do. we can do better than our neighbors for our timber is, I believe, equal to if not better than any in (he world. IV’c have the best kind ol pine in thej lower and middle country, and from i his side of our own mountain*, down the whole of the French Broad, and >ro ably much farther, we have lo cust enough to finish the entire road ! Locust which never ioh! We have! m the low country again Live ()ak> tor sleepers, and * y press, which ought to be used for every thing. But the most sei ions attention ought to be paid to the quality of what we do u*e. Sound all heart wood/w --ftelly straight tn the gru n, ought alone to be ch >sen and no other. Twisted timber not onlv decass spetd ly, but does not hold the spike*. Ihe size of tin' rails is of great importance, (i inches l>\ 6 i* used on one very extensive road. It is a bad size, having too much ■ surface and too little depth shi 7 or even Sduhbed olfat top to :> I 2. is perhaaps the best form and size. these appcarently trivial thing* are of more importance than is gen erally imagined. Manx miles of rail road travelled over last summer were repairing at gn at expmice lor aunt ol attention; first, to the quality of the timber; secondly, t ie mi mer of laying it down; thirdly, to the, simple circumstances of the i". >ro pcr form of the heads of the spikes. I i some cast s the iron bars had drooped ml and were Iving along sale of the woo fen rails, oceaTmed by one oi the ca i*« - alluded to. In the very spike* with whir h the iron bar* are fastened diwn, this radical error may be discovered on many roads. The sockets for the spike heads being all of one size It form, the heads of the spikes ought to have’been made by machinery to fit exactly; where they do not lit? they are soon worn out; the iron bars are set in moiin under the cars-thev get bent up and finally occasion great’ danger to the passengers. The I spikes ought therefore to be impor t'-d to suit the rail road iron, and al the same time. A. STOCKHOLDER. From ihe Southern Hanner. MORE NICK BIDDLEISM. Our late Columbus papers give information that the United States Bank has purchased the stock and| jbecome the manager of the Insur-i lance Bank of Columbus! A char ’ter, granted by the i.egisla ure of i Georgia for the conv nience and, (benefit of the citizens of this State,; has been transfei red to a local insti tution of a distant state, a great por tion of whose stockholders are sub jects of the aati-repubiican goveru ■ ments of England and Fraiv e. 'I he consideration money for this trans fer, over and above the par value of the stock, we under-tand to be one hundred, thousand dollars. Branch es have already been ordered to be established at Savannah, Macon Augusta, and it is probable if the scheme works well, that they will be exteudeu to every point where any - bank now exists m Georgia. Here wiii be a glorious monopo.y. 'Rhe enormous capital of the U. States Bank, its extensive connection* thi tile Union, and its high , credit, wid give it advantages with which the other institutions of the f’tatc < amioi successiuily • <?ompcte; and we may soon expect to sec this ma iijioiii monopoly eiider cr tshing (he smader corporations, or make the n suhservi;ml to its views. Li every point ol view, we look upon this ti aiijaction as an outrage upon the people of the State, to wna n i hey • a.t.iot, in just ce to tie m *(’h es, io their independent charac ter or pecuniary interests, quieth submit. 1 nothing worse, it i> es tabhdimg a pr. cedent, which may hereafter be acted upon to work the destruction o. ou. republii an gov rnment. e all know that wealth is pow er. Now let us suppose that the government ol England >r Fiance, or oi ans other foreign country, wish to a quire an infl.ieuce m thi* U. S , 1 to enable it to propagate any of itsj principles—ail it need do, is to semi an agent here with mom-\ Io buy up! our bank charters, and the whole tremendous influence of these cor porations can be contracted ami brought to bear upon th.- desk ed ob ject. Vho does not see that al- most any purpose might be accom plished in dir* way? But if existi g bank charters could not easily be obtained, bribe* to individuals might -in given, who would appb to our L gislatores and probaldy receive new cha:t?rs, not im their own use, but for the use of their employers we would be behind the curtain; ami thus the same desire be grati tied; But have any of our citizens a right, ad; r obtaining a bank charter upon th;- usual representations ol the necessity yvmch exist* for it in the community where they live, and to -enable themtoinvesi their money in away to beiiclil tuemselve* and t heir ' follow i itiz ns. then to abandon the object for which they sought it, and betray the confidence oi the f.egis’a tme by selling it* benclm* io a set ol men whose interests ami feeling* are different train our own? This; at least, is a question tha should be ' carefully exami ied. ii such a right doe* exist, it would be well for fu ture I.cgialature* to learn wi* mm from experience; and abolish it here after in al. act* ol The Bank ol the I .S. was an in •'titut.on so generally regarded a* dangerous to the liberties of the pe >- pie, that the overwhelming voice of puiilic opinion was raised against i , and in it* nationa. capacity it was put down. But th olfered bonus of lour millions of do’lar* to the Slate of Pennsylvania, was too tempting a bait not to be nibbled at by her Le gislature. The contest between money and republicanism was soon termina ted. All powerful money goined the victory—ami Pennsylvania per petuated the power of the corrupting monster, as far as her legislutio i could extend. The Bank is now I working its w.y into other States, where, if unchecked, its influence wiii be even greater ami its effets more baleful, than they were under its former charterer. Whenever it suits her policy, she will be able to destroy commercial confidence and credit from one end of the Union to the other she can gready enlarge the circulation ol the paper curren cy, produce over trading in every | department of business, and then J contract her discounts, and snecu . late upon the distress and pecu miry f'l sa rifices she has occasioned. The | scenes of panic and individual bank ruptcy which it created, when seek . ing to exort a re-charter from (’oa . gress, wilt be long rmn mibered, and . should be held as a good reaso i for .! resirabiLig the fearfid strides towards ; increased power which it is now ma king. Political. A ( Uh I ALN LFCrrURI'L From the Phil'ia. Gazelle I (F/u/ paper. “31r. Wi-p, we perup’ve, h is conmieneec his long a,d ll uulent talks in Congress. Ao •me cousuines more of Die people’s nine and money to pm pose, tha > tins gentleman. I he cacoi t ies loquendi is forever upon him, and h‘ will prase ymi by tne hour, with no sense of the infliction. We learn tint he considers h mself a successful imil nor of J iim Randolph. He stands alone in this minion. Me ot Roanoke was tearse, vigorous mu classical in his language, and uiiered few t phrases wlvn h did urn tell. V] i. VV ise, on the i'-hi laiy, is hi adeni onl\ in empiy declam •- tl i, in ihe sesqitipedalia verba. We • an-not c.w much orators ol ih.s sor are bepraised I by p-ar iz-tos —we have md pendeme to wnh Id Ir >m them our -iiil'iagi s. I’herc is too mu n io W ashiug-ou on the fl » o ol Caiigr-'ss; and ihe reason .s, ihai < v r> other iegi-lator, proud of a v isi extent of Hon sv v linage, is n.fl>< Ung hi.ns II upon In* fel low ticli qai.-s, and '.'■oi'i.ig ad capStn iim sentences in o tne gallery „ ur n.miole opinion he sal try of he Speaker of .lie House if iiepresen ilives ought o be iiigh' r Ilian ill.h of ihe Pi'‘.','dcin ; ior be is onl i>ed to end re like .1 laiget ail ihe fires of contemlmti dispu aiils, wi hout the ixis-ebiliiy of esc inc. vlf Wise is tne lead and front of tii.se wtang ets ; au(i being tccusiorned lo speak oui mind ireely, we • amiot bm lament that has begun Ills sp aK.ng cu.ijpaign aga n.— L- 1 -my <>ne rememh. r how the t iisiness oi Congress wis crow 1 dtn 1 s las soliog uno wo or threw closing <1 iys of ihe session, and limned inrough wimuit form o- uul-r, and how much was em.r< |y neglected, and wt shall be Coincided w.'.li m our condemnati.m of the long speeches, uselessly made from winch such unfortunate lesuhs ensue.’’ THE SCHEMES OF THE WHIGS. 1 rom the Richmond L'nquirer. The. W asiiingion Telegraph lecture* the Phil idelphla loq • mer on .shewing its cirnt* — m<( begs Htn hold up its head. The Inqui r-i is more honest than its colie >gur.. I'w rns s at once of the war n intends to wage ai'amsi Mr Van Buren. Such lm», is tile le-ign of lie I'elegraph, I'lo it'll i ..fleets to disguise n, md wrap itself up under certain prudish con tmgencies No print is more determined upon aar to (he knife, tiian the Telegr.ph.— It Began WI h rallying opposition to Ihe Presi dent left, uoon to)yr>u id that lie was an Usurper ! ai d now 11 is idle lor H to affect any res. rvaliotr. or assume any di-gmse it is too I ■., a I a slave 10 l ire lamp which guides i’.s pith, nm lo whey I lie wishes ot ns presiding genius. J oe ambition of Mi. (.’aliioun n ver sleeps. I'lie l elegraph will ih< reiore wage war ai'amsi Mr V m Bar n 10 rue knife. Bui we have sil’"' ' fit "mt from o’herqur lers 10 sh 'W lie rut iLss and d ermmwd spirit of the Op • ••'ilion Who savs tn Washing nm < «»rre>pmid -ai ol ; c B >lnm > e P ririol ? ■‘l promised <0 Imni-hyou wiin an abst act of the admirable speech r. Wi-e delivered v -6 id.iy .mt t«» my surprise I found it -pread out iu ex »msi» in the columns of the j nion if 1 nti lh_!« mer Uns morumg ” (Cui and dry, of course ! \"d a’l th-»• inis ai ihe hi. kli >n were pr vtously and d lib-r oely du sigm d m !•!•• ci'»se !) —’ ll camiot l ol to be >n .ircep ib e presen' !•< y ur re id rs ; and I doom n 1 you will give 1 !■• mem, or ale >si mmv <ii nee » xtra< t», and 11 is, therefore, tin u ••• s-arv lor me to uri'e out noirs. I wish, however. I could cumrv •<» )<m soni" notion f die m inner d >li« ' m a* tc speaker in some of Ins tn i<- striking pa--»ag s, <<r of Ute en- Uiusia-ltc -1 it with whe n tie ormdaaim d lua. the battle j i,t f<> ignt was mil decisive Let ins words rmg tn ev< ry patriot’s ear, and rouse us to ren wed exer 1 m iefeme of our R piuliciii and ceiisiiiu.loual l:ber : y. *‘L) featr d, bm noi conquered—• neck' dby tin Pretori m b md*, but no; arrest d tn lite r on wa d miF' n, U»e Patriot A my is not disco ir agt d or d'* av<d; *un en but noi s ruck d.wn the pug of IflE COUNTRY I still flyj.sg !’ Believe mi, Mr Editor, these arts the v.nanimuus sentiments of all clas- ses of Ihe Opposition in Congress. The days of the coming dynasty are numbersd.'' “The unanimous sentiments of all classes of opposition m Congtess’’! What is that sen* nment ? “To beat down the adtntnis’ra’ion” • f Mr Vi . B ren. just as “th? enl genius of this country” avowed m Dec, 1800, that he would beat down Mr. J fFmson’s .dmmisira* Hon. Tiiat s inc serin en’ is here exj res s' d. but in differen w rds : “The days of the coming dvn >sty are numbered”—that is to say, let Mr. V. B even discharge his duly ; lei his administration be as pure as Mr J* fi’i rsoii’s, he must be beaten down— hat one ot the aspi rants may take bis place al the end of four ears’ \noiher of the Whig presses (the B dtimorb Chronicle) expresses the same sen tnr'nt : “Ttyvre is one feature in the laie speech of Mr Wise, which is worthy of entire admiration. 11 is tiie (mid md c >nfi Jmi’ Ime n which he ■bieaks -4' the result of the next struggle for the be assumed by ihe Whigs every where rn public end priv de. Taev now feel that ’he destinies of ihe country are in their hands.— L t them noi lose that c.onviciiuu—ihe most important element < I success—through ill-tim ed and m j asiiff ilde despondency Le’ all croaker-' a'd foieuoders .»( defeat be avoided. L t thsm entry their p e«h tious to the ranks oi mir opponen s. Let not on-; of them be allowed to casi over ihe fervid glor o* of such a c .use as mirs, the icy < hdliiess of des pair. Nothing Imf h*lle-sness or despair ean pr< vem our er.tire success tn the next contest.” These in :> thus shows us by their construe lion of Mr. Wcse’s speech, what he and the higs design to effect—War, unrcleming war, against the next \dmmis:ralion. Can mere be any doubt of 11? Hear whit another of their mouth pieces at VV islungton s'iys. The following is an extract from a long md • I mo rale lei er (no do ibi of Mr. B oak*, the Edi tor of tlie N. Y. Express,) published 11; that paper of the 11th inst: Washington, Dec 12, 1836. ‘•.Ur. l r an Buren's Administration The Op posit ion. “Before ibis, a majority of the members of the Electoral Colleges for the choice of Pre sident of the United States, have given their votes for Martin Van Buren. By the Consti tution of the (Ju.-tt d Si ites, and by the votes of tin 1 people, he has been pronounced <>|i*ct- d the Chief Mag's rate of the nation. What ever, thme'ore, may be l\n' priv lie feelings of the tens of thous.mds of tm-ru an citizens opposed to Mr. Van Buren, the firs duty pro opted bv that op loscion coinai nds us to submit to \\>e public wdl, wh cn has placed tins man ovet us. i lin is the Imu of eve ry man’s public dmy. either t » bn < omtii v <>r h o r ilets. “U;> n this -p >t the VV ogs of Hie U. S.— (I -*pe ik from an inima e kn >w|jpdge of the opmi-m- <>f tee best m ormed n-1 most distin guish d 'neo ol t.!u Or’posilo u in W ishiugton) ltavt determined •<> raise the st odaid both •>1 th ir submi <tion t<» me new \d<tiimsira’ion, .nd thru opp ■sition t<» r. Thus early, a d even before tr V B iren enters upon the > in e< of !ii> . »tli e, w |i the honest e etni< s i>f~ the present \d iii'oatia im array t hems’ j ves aga i.s the lune There i- no otheralterna '. title hfl them ! liik same uncompromising in stieity ti Mr. Van urln n w, and UPON THE SAME VRINC PEE THAT HE HAS EVER BEEN PP BED ! ‘ Upon this ground I intend to fortify ; myself.” And then he goes on to assign as an a'gtr mem /nr 'llls reckless proceeding, that VJr V- Buien had trejm “rleetfd only as the nomina ted successor of 'ire Prn-i ‘.••m ol ihe U. S. 'Villle th 'I P. eSidenl was o. office,” —as if that caul had no! been siitip & pr< n ilgated riming the conic.i ; and a- if the verdict of the Peo ple had not been then promt meed against it. In a Word, rm min ran mistake the signs of ' the l>mrs.~-The plan is, immediate and un ■ compromising opposition to me Admmistraon of Alt. V a Buren war to the kntf- . (here jis to be no waiting for developements—no i judging of the tree by i's liuits, as M• Ci .tv ford de.-lar d, aid his friends a ted. it the lease of Mr. Admas. We call ihe alb niton lof the People to Un se indications. B.i wild ' quails at the 'hr.-ats of the Whigs? W’no ernes I for their “bold and confi lent tom ?” IVno seriously believes iliat “the destinies <>l 'he country are in their hands?” I hey have employed every sti of weap n I'iiey ad dressed ev'u y sori of prejudice. They larperi upon every -pecies of slang—and they wore decisively mglortou-ly beaten. Ihe pt-npfe of this conrrv listened to their cam. and pronounce ! decisively acamst them S' '<mg as our cause continues uof'ght and j S , an enlightened people wif -land by i If VJr. Van ll.ireu d >es Ins dn'V and he administers the <»overmr>ei.t on jis and ci.ns.ilu'ional principles, be is safe. lie may d ly .11 ihe slang of all the sl ing-whaegers id 'he Press— er tin- wildest d uuric.al'ons of tnluri Hed ma ims. I'm y only sei ve io expose the designs of his opponent. Nothmg can save him from their relentless vengeance —or d'pnve turn ol ms friends, but Ins abmidomnem wf the true p'l'niplrs of the Republican Party.— Observe diem, ami he is safe. The People will support h'm Observe them, and Im may defy all the vengeance and lite menaces u( htg enemies. MR. WISE. This gentleman who mak«*s such a stir in Congress by his cons, mi effervescence, wa, a pupil >f eccentric John Randolph and is con. S'rntly endeavoring to r-xote the same inter est for mm-elf which followed him, by a par] allel course of conduct. Where eccentricity is designed, now. ve., t t rarety succeeds in its olqect—aid we believe Mi Wise, by his unceasing talk has excited more of r< dh ule tian respect, fits attack on itm Piesident du ring dm present session have been praised in some party papers, but we cannot help con«