Daily National Intelligencer

WASHINGTON, ROCKVILLE AND WILLIAMSPORT TURNPIKE ROAD.

The readers of this paper, in the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, have seen, that, on the first Tuesday in next month, books are to be opened, at Davis's Hotel, in the city of Washington, for receiving subscriptions to the stock of two companies, incorporated by a late act of the Legislature of Maryland, for making a turnpike road direct from Washington to Rockville, and a like road from Rockville to Williamsport, on the Conococheague, thus connecting Washington and Williamsport. We hope every citizen of the District, or of the country lying on the track of the proposed roads, who has money which he can invest in this undertaking, will apply at least a portion of it to an object, than which none can be more important to our growth and prosperity, by facilitating, as it will, the transportation of the bulky products of agriculture to our market, and deepening the channel of intercourse with the western interior.

It can only be necessary, to secure to it the favorable regard of the citizens of Washington particularly, to call their attention to this object. To endeavor to illustrate its utility, its intimate connection with our progress to that commercial importance which is within our reach, by argument, would be a needless waste of ink and paper. There can be no intellect so obtuse as not to comprehend that every thing which tends to shorten the line of communication, and, at the same time, lessen the cost of transportation between a city and the fertile country in the interior, which demands foreign goods in exchange for bread stuffs and other products for exportation, has a direct tendency to enlarge its trade, and, of course, to extend its population, and augment the value of its property in a corresponding degree. It is, then, the manifest interest of every person in this city, in Georgetown, or in Montgomery, Frederick or Washington counties, in Maryland, who owns a square foot of soil in either, to promote the construction of the proposed roads.

Next to the improvement of the navigation of the Potomac, which is in progress, perhaps that now presented is the most important of the public works demanding our attention. And, as our thanks are justly due to the Legislature of Maryland for placing it within our power, so shall we richly deserve to see the prize borne away by others, if we fail to avail ourselves of this opportunity of obtaining a participation in a most valuable trade into the interior.

Were the companies, incorporated by the act of Maryland, restricted in their operations, to the making a direct road from the line of the District to Rockville even this object would be of great importance to us. The road to Fredericktown, to the whole back country, to the Ohio and the Mississippi, will be shortened by it full five miles, and perhaps more, in actual length, and much more as to the time required to travel it. It is our interest, too clear to be mistaken, to leave no effort untried which promises to bring us nearer to the mountains, and to reconcile those from far beyond them, who have business at the seat of government, to the length of their journey, by making it as little tedious and rugged as we can. The beneficent effects of the Bridge which crosses the Potomac, and the improvement of the road from Baltimore, upon the minds of those who are called hither from the north and from the south, on public duty, are sufficiently obvious, since those improvements, to stimulate us to further exertions of a like nature.

Whether it will be a profitable speculation to invest money in this stock, we know not; but it probably will—and there is the certain satisfaction, that the stock must improve with every day. But, it seems to us, it is not necessary to enquire too critically, whether more money may be made in this employment of funds, or by turning it to other purposes. There is a higher consideration, than that of one or two per cent. more or less on the amount which any individual may be able to subscribe, which ought to influence monied men. The object is one of that importance to us, that, if the money necessary to effect it could not be otherwise raised, a direct tax on the city of Washington, to the amount of the whole proposed expence of the road from the city to Rockville, could it be laid and collected, would be justified by the object, and ought to be cheerfully paid.

Having thus introduced the subject to our readers, we shall take occasion, hereafter, to exhibit such facts as appeared to us to make the road from Rockville to Williamsport an object of almost, if not quite, as much importance to us, as the road hence to Rockville.