Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-01-28

a vii,
uge company at Weldon, whereby that company agrees
to widen their bridge, as 10 furnish tract fo So an
ne ~ Oh the wagon and carriage track. The experse
much. " " 'e
tn also objected 10 the estimate tina, nothing is said of
cars ana locomotives This estimate not made by
e ee,sburg Companys Engineer and is altog, tae u
usual have never known tie estimate made but 10 one
soay instance, and that is in The report on the FEEDER
.ehsourg ran way. ihe number OF engines and car.
must depend on the quantity OF ,ade which no engineer
can anticipate with certainty II properly forms part of
e current yearly expenses OF the company and mast
come out oil tho profits OF the road think tat
WIS rem OF expense was omitted with great propriety.
owe Mr. Speaker, apology the House Tor having
entered at such length into these dry and edious
nave oecn reluctantly drawn into them by what has
Ien from the gentleman from Petersburg in the course
OIL MS remarks on yesterday, well sense of what
Gwynn. "
propose now. sir, to adverto some of the arguments
e"m,ma IN he memorial Of the Petersburg Rail Road
company 10 the Legislature, and repeated by the ne-
men from Petersburg. They saw tina, the faith of the
S'sfe Is pledged TO foreign capitalists and others that RI
val company viii not be encouraged have ALWAYS con.
sueed II political MAXIM well established that
interest must yield TO public benefit Every corporaon
a Is created by the State has conferred upon il prvi-
reyes anu imunliies that less at war with
private interest and only justified by high public con-
seraons The State binds itself observe all the pro-
VISIONS o the charter; for il fail in this respec oud
be breach Of its faith There is also an ,fect ;
su'h .na' rival corporation shall be granted unless
pSne interest requires it, This imperfect right is found
OH ms supposilon, that the charter was given i'm or.
der to effect public bene another wonh ne, he
Ell Tor The same object because public benefit does no, re-
qulre IT, For instance. the State should not
TO construct rail way 10 from Petersburg TO
Tue Roanoke parallel TO the present company road-r
ne pam reason that the latter every public pnr
pose a Two could But if public interest should require
another The Legislature oeght not 10 hesitate to grant il
u ho' e Legislature some years ago threaten 10 incor-
PUrs'e company TO construct rival bridge between
Mchmohu anu Manchester! aud what was the re ason,
was that one bridge enough that il had failed
20 answer the purpose for which was constructed or
that the charter violated! 1t was because the ,os
was tax nd the
sustained, that the public interest justified the
IN granting Charter 10 rival company unless the tolls
were reduced below the point hich was established bv
the cnar'er why was Trehs Bridge tolerated? il inter-
ierfed most seriously with another yet public was ac.
coinmodated But how sir the capitalists who hold
this Petersburg Rail Road stock compIaips when ,he
Portsmouth and Roanoke Rail Road Company was iucor
Poa'ed hey made no objection, they presented no
rai oil complaint; the presumption therefore is violent
one, that they had thought they had no cause: and LEI
me tell the gentleman from Petersburg that the omission
was a'al. ~ mere was any injury done it ,benit
was when ,he charter was granted. Can the propos.
ed subscription Of the State for the Portsmouth sock
be any violation OF faith? humbly conceive not n
the State had made its subscription first there might
DE shadow OF reason Tor the idea. But how stands
me case! These capitalists subscribed their money
hs and alter repeated solicitations and one refusal the
state yielded TO their entreaes, and took the o.fbs
Having wrung this reluctant boon from the State the
company wishes to close the OF its bounty
another company having equal claims saw the least of
bythreatening with charge of breach of sih Who are
these foreign capitalists, wtomhe Directors of the Pc
soug hal' ROAD Company are so anxious protect, BY
an examination othe books oftbe company returned 10 he
Auditor il will be found that the capital rom beyond the
limits oil The State, originally bed amounted TO but
hue more than $50 O00 the, other 800 900 is money
S1owen' or STOCK sold on most advantageous terms to
Northern stock -jobbers
Who, sir, il may be asked, has commenced this rivalry
the source oil so much bitter complaint OIL the mart &C Tho
gentleman from Petersburg! lie maintains that his town
had the trade originally; and it did, in part Did lis
citizens, however, do any thing TO deserve il lid H. do
any thing 10 improve roads? did they spend dollar
TO facilitate an intercourse between us do not speak
ahc language OF complaint; she perhaps could do nothing
Ike
lis warehouse, flowed in unnatural channeI and was
soon directed into but little less SOL the James
Nef Inc ruin issr, that all oil your southern counties
oordering on the Roanoke and its branches have
TO Norfolk as their natural market Trade naturally
Vates In that direction, and in that direction must go
so soon az you have cheap and easy outlet from te fl
o!hat place. In 1876 charter was obtained
Ing company, with the view of improving and re,nJer
ing nsvigable the Roanoke and its branches In 1917
the charter was perfected. The company commenced
its operations, and finally, after grea, labour and ex
Pense, completed the work. Ali of the advantages
anticipated, were not however, realized 6rst in con
sequence OF some impe'fecton in The Dismal Swamp
Canal Produce was stopped at eldon in its passage In
1872 however, the ID s. Canal opened for vessels Of
apre"y large size Norfolk began TO revive the rank
grass which had Iaan,led her was rodden under
The foot oil commercial industry and she had lust
give signs Of returning life and animation after no
sleep oil iethargy and Orpor when new discovery Is
brought TO light Petersburg sezes upon This ne,v
uoh company sincorporated the ard Of The State fs m
yoked and obtained the commerce Of Norfolk ia inter,
copied. She in her turn obtains charter for similar
purpose She too, nvokes the aid oil The State and shall
sue w. IcrcVe IL! NO. says The gentleman iIom
burg, we will have rivals Is this the LANGUAGE or
truth and justice, or is il derson?
The idea has been enforced this House that the
Stale by making This appropriation, would put stop TO pri
vale enterprise Here, sir, is company with great and
patriotic object in view, alter The unparalleled eyer
lions, by tie heaviest contributions which have eyer
known any people voluntarily impose on themselves
have ultimately succeeded in bringing themselves within
the limits which the State has prescribed 10 lie bonfv and
munhcencc, and we are grayey told, that il they are moi
withheld, private enterprise will be repressed Sir
tabsh The doctrine that rival improvement not TO he
encouraged, and you will reprcss individual en,e rnrzo
most ehcctuay. There could under this view b, but
that the Petersburg Improvement nleferes most
with the James River To confirm this fact need bnt
appeal TO The gentlemen from Campbell They sec and
feel it, too in the diminished trade Of the town Of Lynch
burg. Whenevera new improvements made, il Is Obliged
10 interfere with Other. This is true with every
branch OF human industry The turnpike The
road, the canal the turnpike and l,sy the rail
way tie canal Whenever individuals undertake an i'm.
povement, they must run this risk. The State cannot
guarantee profits They speculate the chances of their
road leading TO the best market having the most favorable
location aud accommodating the largest interests The
Petersburg Raj Road Company made this cacuis ion
and II they aIe mistaken, theirs must be lie io.s il Ger.
iainy should not fall the public. They thought Pc.
tersburg the best ke Tor the cotton aud tobacco of
tie Roanoke counties, they anticipated The travel aud RI
dlcued the idea OF railroad Though the Dismal swami
TO P0sn ouh. ln hne sir, they have done all men
ought 10 10 IN Republic, speeulated disabilities; ind
f they ail te public ought not TO atone for their ant Of
fears ia the I'd Of the State granted Norfolk may ruin
his town. Sr, the gentleman himself could scarcely re-.
got Ibis than should; but does lie perceive that
this admission forms Of the strongest arguments
against him. Why will ruin Pcersbug because ffade
will take tie route Norfolk Why 20 10 Norfolk, ts
Il a. ...G.. a.. IL.