Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-03
SPEECH or Mn ,y.rrs
va fAe S'H suiho'isisg iaaa Of one hundred thou
saHd dollars 10 the Richmond, Ersds, ieksbhrg an.
Potomac Roll Read Compisv.

/ hundred
,aaa dollars 10 the Richmond, Fred, ieksbArg and
| Potomac Roll Read Comptny
MIR Spenker,-I shall an,iein,,e , r,o,;o, ,,h;.h
know 10 in contemplation by several ec,,ie,.n an,
on the OIL now before the House; and that is IL.
| lni'hnue p"S,p 'nement And desire that upon
S questoo' The sense OF the House shall be freely
| espresso am iuly tested. The gentleman from
me CITY ct Richmond, having not only opposed the
| amendments offered by my friend from Norfolk Ro
| 'usn' nat WIN itankness and cNndour declared
hat should they he adoI ted, the hill its, would no
| longer be acceptable TO the Cournnv \ d..,, :,
worse than useless TO o ess them upon the farther
consideration OF the House;-andI deem I, dne 20
| mysei 10 say, INIT althou h these amendments
meet my heartiest APPRECIATION yet, even should
'hey be adopted, and made part OF the bill new
ertheess, coud not consent {, sustain the massage
OF the oill Much as | prize the character and oil
ico' o. 'hsse amendments, should he unwilling To
| 'aN 'he commonwealth with a loan of one hundred
thousand dollars, to secure their success
- olr' must be permitted TO express my astonish
nen' AZ the eour>r pursued 10y the gentleman
ION n'ehmond, IN rsla ION 10 the ruinous com
peuV'n So long INDUCED IN between the upper
me oi Rail Roads, las they ere ,ermetD on
me one side, and the Portsmouth AMI Roanoke
hroSd, on the other SIDE. The Por smou,b
Road Is charged with having commence1 this war
WIN having been the FIRST TO "caSt stone" |
happen To know something about this business
circumstances have, from time to time paceJ nm,
wnerc tull Opportunity afforded of looking
with care and scrutiny, into thic subicct. and r,
prepared, as believe, To show that the Potsmon,L
Il :.
company has not only been az fault but that an
organized combination has been formed between the
Noaus OF the upper route, TO dcnclish, and utterly
ueStroy, the prospects OF the Portsmouth Road Ara
the history OF this whole subject which n,av he
embraced IN nut shell shall proceed to commend
to the aiien, ion and consideration Of the House.
~ rs known, SIR, that the Petersburg road vases
ahisaed and IN partial operation before tho Po,ts
mouth road was incorporated. Its southern ,er,,n,,
| IS B.akely, on the Roanoke river some Z or ImiIc,
Ie'o" mo village at Weldon, IN North Carolina
INC portsmouth, road inierscc's the former, at n
point nearly cQuitiSant from Weldon and Bl,kciv.
ana by ITS original charter, was to have teminafsd
| on the northern SIDE of The river, opposite to Wei
Jon. Bat 5y an act Of the Legislature OF n. Caro-.
INA passed IN 1883, the company authorised to
subscribe twenty hve thousand dollars 10 the Wei
don Bridge, ard TO extend its road TO the basin of
me cana at that village. The privilege was awaited
oi upon the terms offered and the terminus OF the
| Portsmouth road established at Weldon And
here, sr, inlus ce would have been done TO the Pc.
! iersouts company, hut Tor similar act passed NJ
ih- same time. placing II upon an equal FOOTING !,
| IA respects, WIN the former company, upon the
| con ition, that Il should elect to subscribe ,o ,bo
Bridge, and bear its proportion in the enterprise and
expense, consequent upon the construction of that
work. But. sir, what said the Petersburg connn,
ny pid Il avail OF the terms and conditions OF the
ac', as the Portsmouth company had done No
slr' 1t took prompt snd speedy action upon the sub
l,c', IN meeting convened for that purpose TIA,
company mad perfected scheme for A lateral rod
from Bel he.d To wilkins Ferry, which 10 some ey-
I h.
Der Roanoke and the location of the Bakei,, ,.,
minus, from ITS vicinity to H4lifax would. !, was
oeheVed, secure the majority Of the travel. Hence
SIT, me tr'efShurs company refused 10 subscribe TO
me Bridge, and TO direct It's course to Weldon
The Portsmouth company was u;innte,v con,
pe"ed 70 sustain that noble work out of is otvn
limited resources. The private stockholders in tho
p'I'gs' with lew exec ptions sold their stock 10
me Portsmouth road, and the completion Of the
Bridge was effected At a cost approximate IN as
thousand dollars. In The meantime the Wiu,in,
ION ROAD ~as constructed, forming direct connec
| uon with the Portsmouth road a. Weldon, and es.
noIshng a continuous line ofrail road from PORT,
mouth 10 Wilmlns'on, 2lO miles IN length In VS.
not unit TINS connection was established, that the
teters' ufs company discovered its mistake in re.
usns To accent the terms Of the &C, of " Carolina
: which act would have placed II side by side win
the Portsmouth road at Weldon.
IL vas nov too late TO effect so desirable an oh
lJeCI Inc PETERSBURG company had refused the c.
hen Oh req 10 ~ anu Ike disappointed child cried
e Tor u, when no longer within ITS grasp
The te1rs OF the Richmond and Petersburc AMI
Z hchWond and Fredericksburg companies wcr.
'hnSeu win those OF Petersburg for It's irreclaim,
s ole loss and unenvilble condition But tbei- -,
pa'hies were soon converted into revenge -nnd
,hat revenge was directed against the Portsmouth
company, not ~ a spirit OF far and honorable emu
alton cut IN combination Of efforts and interests
!" o,eaA u down. This, SIR, was the origin OF this
, 'Salry-a Tra!ry winch has been alike subyers,ve
OF the interests of individuals and Of the Common,
wealth. and the subsequent effects OF which were so
y clearly explained by my friend from Norfolk Bo
n rough. ~
. The House must perceive from this s,o,.,,,r,
It Mr. Speaker, that the Portsmouth company conf
e nave n1d no interest in reduction of fare on ne
C loai IL h!d 'he vantage ground, and cou not be
dlspossesSed. II had secured, hy its h,nnv I,c,
ton, majority of the travel, and under such c,r
cumstances, the policy OF reducing the charges FIR
taNeI would have been both No. judicious and suic,.
ga Inc upper line, cut off by It's sct from a
connection at Weldon, and excited by lea loussv n,
5 the success Of the Portsmouth comnsny dster,1;n
ed as It's only hope and remedy to commence. and
prosecute, a war OF determination.
but' SIR, the Portsmouth company has, on for
mer OCCASION gwen evidence Ut is desire 10 end this
prohtless struggle. And repeat here 10 dov tbnt
VIII pledge myself 20 with the gentleman from
ehmond IN any measures he may choose TO adon,
and apply 10 that object.
/ The gentleman from Richmond has advanced
another doctrine 10 which cannot assent He COO
tends that these amendments, It adopted. woud h.
uhconsululiOua that they would invade the char
'e1eu rights OF the company. | maintain that this
company is applying for a loan, and thst We haze
/ TIE right 10 supulate the terms upon which tb,t
\ loan snail be granted. When the Portsmouth com.
pnny applied for a loan, the terms upon which !,
was obtained, changed the aspect of rs charter, by
/ bringing u under The general rail road law The
I same acton was taken with the Petersburg comma |
/ ny The Winchester company and others VeriIy /
SIR. It this be the doctrine Of this Richmond Frrde [
/ ricksburg ard Potomac Ri Road conr,nv =, ,s,nr
| "die OF an abstraction"
/ ieE remarks, Mr. Speaker, upon the merits os
| The bill The gentleman from Richmond unon
information derived from the report Of the comranv
represents the condition OF this richmond and Fr,5
ericksburg rail road as lOurshing Every INN, J..
gong on well and s~immngly. Sir II ihi, he The
case, Why knock at the door Of an empty Treasury
Tor hepl Why call on the COMMONWEALTH III
the state Of the company IS 30 prosperous. why
come here for aid am referred to the report made
70 the Board oi Public Works, but prefer no, 10
rely on IL. \ certain French Cardinal has said -
THAT language wos given To man the better IN co,.
cea his thoughts" The reports Of these cono,nic.
arc sometimes gwen the better 10 conceal their real
condi ION. psfitr upon subjects Of this character
appealing 20 the comnon teusc Of the nublic and
u the opinions Of stock jbjsrs and Others interest,
ed m nsccraining ard cclring the truth. And what
do they tell Us Why. SIR. that the stock Of inns
company, which cost one hundred doiInrs per shine
is not now worth forty dollars per share I am
bound, therefore, 70 come 70 uslon urfavofs.
Die 10 the prosper Of this road. II look 10 the
report 20 which an referred, 10 changes not NV
opinion. ! there read that the dcb-s due bv lie
complny amount 90 five hundred and flty.6ye tbou.
sint dollars, while is capital stock is one milan 1
Aid The loan now askcI iur, nnd Inc debt gil lac
increased 20 SIX hundred and hty FIVE thou and dol
lars md TIC interest consequent upon that det will
he more thIn cne hundred dollars day. This J.
speaks for itself
Mr. SEEKER, 10 s1y nothing Of the state Of the =
Treasury at tlIs time, docs seem 10 me- Tint the
Circumstances under which this oln is asked for are
not such os 20 war nf the granting of b.. / am
prep1fedi nt Opef % uc, 70 20 as Tar ~ any one