Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-03-04
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THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH, ,, 1881
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.

lIe James River and Blue RlLDc Turn
PIKE Company: d, Amending an act authorship the
construction OF a turnpike from Joseph Grants to
frces mountain, III Botetourt; 3, Amending the act
StabIshns inspections of tobacco and flour at Scots
vile, Albemarle; 6, Amending the act concerninr
the Fire companies within this Commonwealth; 7
Amending the act to prevent the killing of Deer
within certain periods.
The House then resumed the consideration of the
several reports from the Committee OF Propositions
and Grievances in respect 10 Maye's bridrc.
Ihls case stands thus: numerous petitions from the
south side of James River, praying for new bridge
from Richmond to Manchester benp referred IN rho
Committee of Propositions and Grievancss wore ro
ported reasonable by that Committee and a hill
brought IN, authorisiDg the erection of new br,dre
After this, Mrs Mayo came forward with memorial
setting forth the complaints made AGAINST the rate Of
tolls at Mayo bridge and to obviute the demand fur
new bridge, proposed to surrender her charter as
lar as the tolls were concerned, and authorised the
Legislature or the Board of Public Works, to reduce
the rates as they might deem reasonable. Mr. Il. c.
Mayo, the proprietor of Frens bridge ma de SINH.
lar proposal IN regard to that bridge These memo
rails being referred to the Committee Of Propostons
and Grievances, that Committee reported the memo
rails reasonable declining however, to accedc o the
propositions so far the Board of Public Works was
concerned and preterring to submit the revision OF
tolls to the Legislature.
On Tuesday, the subject being called up, MIR Ri
theroord moved to reverse the report of the Com
mittec in regard to MIR Mayo's memorial and to re-
Ject t-and in support of the motion, Mr. Rutherford
addressed the House at length
SUBJECT CClTg resumed, MIR DurfOOt
addressed the House able manner in favor of
new bridge and against the memorial of Mrs and slr
Mayo.
Mr. Leigh addressed the House at length against
granting the bridge and liz favor of the propos-
ton of the memoralists.
Mr. Booker succeeded in support of the petitioners
for new bridge, and against the prayer of the me-
morialsts
ron side it argued, that the proprletors of
Mayos bridge by their long monopoly had been am
ply compensated for the rlsque and expenditure in
erecting it--that the of tolls was enormous and
oppressive, tNlr Burtoot read statement from the
House of Gray q Pankey showing that they paid
more than $500 tolls per annum, more than sufficient
TO pay the interest on the sum necessary to erect a
new brldge) operating most seriously upon all the
country to the south of James River, trading with
Richmond-that competition necessary TO keep
the bridges in repair that the Public shall not be
deprived at any time, of the facility of passing the
rivef-that the question of principle had been decd
ed fifteen years ago, when E w. Trent was granted
the privilege OF erecting new bridge In regard to
the proposition of the memorlasts, now surrender
the tolls to the Legislature, it argued, that it
entitled to no favor, being adopted only at the
last moIaenL-that e adopted 1t would have the eff
feet of tying up the hands of future legislatures from
conceding the privilege of erecting bridges if the
public convenience demanded it.
On the other hand, 1t argued that the complaint
Of the people the south of the River was not d.
rccted agains. the monopoly, but the tOkkS-that if
these reduced to 4 reasonable rate, the Public
would be lstied, and the Of complaint re-
noved-that 1t was not pretended that Mayo's
bridge not sufficient to accommodate all the Gus
tom of the country, and that hence there was no ne
cessily for new brdge-that to grant new bridge
would be to the propretors OF the old bridge,
without benefting the country, which would receive
all asked by the reduction of the tolls offered by the
memorIalists MIR Leigh enlarged upon the merits
of Col. Mayo's enterprise in erecting the bridge
the injustice of depriving his family of the fruits with
out any public necessy-and the disastrous influence
Of doing upon enterprise. These the prln-
cipal arguments
Much more discussion took place upon the merits
of the question: and upon the effect which would be
Produced restricting future legislatures by acccd-
ing to the propositions of Mrs and Mr. Mayo, in
which Mr. GholSon, Mr. Watkins 5Ir Brodnax, Dir
Booker, Mr. Burfoot, MIR Miller of Powhatan, Mr.
Eppes, Chairman of the Committee, and Mr. MORRIS
took part, when
The question was put Mr. Rutherfoords motion
TO amend and decided in the negative, by the toow
ing vote
AYEs.-Messrs. Gim"r, r w. Wood, Perrell,
Clay, Hayburton Wa klns, Burfoot, Wilson,
Wright, Bryce Claiborne, Carskadun, Seymour
Dyer, Semple, Lucas, Il. Pollard, J. G.. Pollard
Street, Hudgns, Knox, Preston, Cohoon McLaugh-
lin, Blackwell, II r. Anderson, Adams, Wtcher
Baxter, II. Miller, Venable, SHIELD, F. E. Rives,
Moore, Eppes, Rutherfoord-ll
NoEs.-AIcssrs. Banks (Speaker,) Bayy, Drum
mond, s NJ Garland Kcnney, McCuc, Davis of
Gholson, Shell, SpurocE, W. NJ Rves, Taylor,
Broadus Gibson, BrodnaX, Jones, james, Marshall,
Payne, c. Powell, Holland, J. NJ Mason, Castleman,
w. Wood King, Perrin, Hail. Green, Easley, Dunn,
Morris, DAWSON, G. Williams, Leigh, Atkinson,
Gallaher, Hooe Ewing, Hays, Lawson, II Powell,
w. r Il. Mason, Caldwell, Polndexter Newman,
Goode, Watts BiDgsey, Vawter, OFerrall, J.
Garland, Upsher, Jacob, Parriott, Davis of Orange,
Einer, Swanson Zinn. Tyler, NJ Mahon, Lewis, Al
exander Kilgore, P. Williams Gatewood, Goodwin,
Hamilton Moncurc, Crump, Mccoy, McCulloch
Keller, Newton, Jackson, Crockett, Maxwell, Nc
Narland-gO.
The resolutions ofthe Committee as TO the memo>-
rlals of Mrs and AIr Mayo then adopted by the
House THE effect of which is, rejection Of the
prayer for bridge, and acceptance ofthe COM
promise, rendered by the proPctorJ Of the existing
bridges
On motion of Mr Burfoot, the resolutions were
then referred to Select Committee, to report a bill
revising the tolls The Committee consists Of AIessre
Burfoot. Leigh, Rutherford Booker, Miller ofPow-
haan, GbolsoD, Eppcs, Brodnax and Morris.
Mr.. Eppes then called up the cngrossed bill sub
scribiur & 100000 to the Petersburg Raj; WAY from
The fund of internal Improvement.
The bill was supported by Messrs. Eppcs Gholson
Bnd Shell, and opposed by Mr.. Maxwell Before
question was taken, the House adjourned.
Republican conventions Of the people in Maine and Connes