Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-07-04

thy Major Bull, has favored the public,
through the columns ofthe Rhodc-Island
Republican, of the Goth ult. with a very
solemn article (whcthcr poetry or prose
II does not much matter) on some Of the
recent proceedings of the General As
sembIy, which, it seems, have struck him
with horror and dismay. con Friday
last, says the major, WE were present at
the General Assembly, when the trial of
the petition for the Rhode Island &; Con-
necticut rail road was taken up and pas
sed. We have rarely witnessed n more
interesting question before the General
Assembly to the maritime part Of our
State, or one which may involve more Sc
rious consequences to the towns of New
port, Bristol, Warren, and even Provi-
dence"-"Tke strongest motive urged
upon the House was, that if they were
refused this time, the petitioners would
not apply again for the same thing" He
then goes on to criminate Mr.. SIMMONS,
Of Johnston, who advocated the measure,
as acting from motives the most corrupt
and dishonorable, and directly charges
az least five Of the Representatives from
this place with subserviency to Mr.. S.
which would be equally criminal, were
there shadow Of foundation for the con-
duct imputed to them. The truth is, we
believe, that the Major, though great
poet, and believing with his friend, Mr..
Noah, that "alps fair ,rherc offices are in
guestion"-must have nodded not little,
on this solemn occasion. 1t is hardly
possible, we conceive, that this quick
wittcd gentleman should have exercised
his ingenuity to so very little purpose.
and that nothing more plausible than this
clumsy fiction should have been engen.
dered in brain of such extraordinary
fertility, had the excitement Of the de.
bate but kept him from dreaming. But
whether awake, or asleep, it is proper
that the public should be dis-abused o
these imputations, and that the facts o
the case, exactly as they exist, should bt
distinctly stated, and properly under
, stood
1t is very well known, that several ses
sions ago an act of incorporation was OBJ
!, tanned from the General Assembly fol
the purpose of erecting railroad from
Providence 70 Boston, in connexion witt
a company incorporated in Massachu
sets, which passed both Houses by dc
c:ded majorities. The bill for this pur
pose had been most carefully matured b.
two, if not three, Committees Of tn
House, which took infinite pains to adjus
its provisions and secure effectually ever.
right Of the State. Some Of the condi
, tions, however, attached to that charter
being considered tho 'burthcnsome by tn
body Of the petitioners, the subscriptio
to the stock has never been taken ur
and the whole undertaking, it is well un
derstood, so far at least as this State
concerned, is now, and for some time ha
been, completely at a stand. In tn
mean time, two other projects have bee
started by some men Of capital, who wer
willing to risk their money in enterprise
Of this nature: one of railroad fror
Boston to Worcester, and thence direo
to the most eligible point in Connecticu
on Long Island Sound; the other fror
the west line Of Providence, in south
erly direction, through the mhole crtent q
This State, 10 The Papcatuck rirer, to tel
m nate either at the village Of Pawcatucl
or at Stonington point, we do not reco
lect which. The last Of these routes
the one established in the act Of incorpc
ration over which such direful lament'
tons are poured forth by major Bull
When the question of this charter wa
brought up in the House, it was contcnc
ed by the friends of the measure-that
the route described in il were rejected b
the Assembly, the consequence must b
: that the whole Of the transportation prol
d er jor rail roads, from Long Island Soun
:, to the State of Massachusetts,, would il
Il evitably fall into the Worcester route, an
= thus the profits accruing from that sort
transportation, be entirely lost to the cit
;, zens of this State-that railroads of tn