Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-01-16
HeatsIattbe Correspondence.
RICHMOND. J.su.Ry n. Is4s

The Report OF the Commitse 10 the case Of
the contested election frem the County Of Bath.
has been under consideration for the last two days
rho contestant, Cameron, Wing, do no. doubt,
siil obtain the seat.
The Bill 10 relation TO Sheriff. Commissions,
which has been ordered ts its engrossment, does
no, alter the prrsen, law, which allows per cent
on the original execution. Is per cont upon the
frs, esoo and per cent. the residus.) unless .
Dsi,~ssy Bond b tsAsa and fonsasd. ia which
sssss. ths Sheriff u emitted 70 ons-haif Only Of
,hst amount Of commission. Ifsn execution issues
on tho Delivery Bond. the usual commission Is per
ety. 10 allowed on such execution.
Nothing further is disclosed a. to the Senatorial
Eleetioa. The Whixs will insist upon an election.
whether success OF defeat awaits them.
The Convention Bill hes no, yet been called up.
The principle upe. which Representation in the
Convention shah be based. will, OF course, DO ct
tempted to be ssttie4.
The Judiciary Bill. ersbiishing t~o in,ermedi-
ate Appellate Courts Of Chaocery, one tor the East.
ern and enc for tho Western District. and abolish-
ing the GeosrL Court. has been reported. as also,
the Jvry Blk.
I, 10 still uncertain Whist will be the result of the
application Of the Rail Road Company. So far
the most violent opposition 10 from the city Of
Wheeling, although Il 10 the earnes, advocate Of
the right Of way. X shst city shall be the terminus.
I proposed. in former letter, to present my
views upon the subject II the rsses Of the Comps.
ny, when should DO enabled TO make full and
satisfactory examination Of tho subject. have
done so. ana respectfully invite tho part Of your
readers, = consideration Of ny views.
may remark, BY the way. that, while have At
tho adoption Of unifor system Of rates should be
imposed. as condition upon which the right Of
way should be granted, my FIRST impressions, hur-
redly formed In the midst Of tie active canvass of
the Spring inclined mo to think that some prov.
sion should be made 90 to modify the present sli-
ding scale ss to prevent the evil consequences sp-
pretended from the introduction Of Western pro
duce into tho Bsltimose market. with little or no
greater cost Of transportation than 10 imposed upon
the produce Of tho central regions, through which
tho Road passes. including the Valley. snnoun-
ced it, then. ass FIRE, impression to be carefully
weighed ., the proper ,ime.
Whils / have regarded the subject, with an anx-
ious coneern for the prosperity Of the Agricultural
interest Of my County, with which my own inter.
es,s are identified, have. at the same time, been
less solictous for the preservation Of the faith
Of tho State by the ful6lmen, of all tho pledges to
which its legislation, In tho spirit and the letter,
have committed it. In my judgment the two OBJ
jscts arc consistent, and do not hesitate 20 de-
clare my full convic,isn that both will be maintain
ed BY az unconditional srsn, Of the right Of way.
As to the obheAsion upon the State, furnished
you with some extracts, from the Memorial Of the
Company, which you published, end which. con.
clusively, - 4 think and have heistofore stated,
establish this Proposi,ion-thst the charter should
be renewed as II stood in 1927 when il was grant.
ed with no restrictions or conditions, which would
be either tsntamount to . denial Of the right Of
way, or which would seriously embsrass the opera
tions Of the Road when completed In other words.
tho failure to complete the road, within the desig-
mated me. not justify the State in withholding.
argument can impress tina, proposition upon fair
judging and sensible men, moro distinctly. than its
mere statement. Irefer you to those extracts.
A uniform system Of rates can not exist. The
Road would not be continued, under such re.
striction or If continued Its benefits would be very
material, diminished to the distant regions on its
limo. There 10. then. no consistency in an sdmis-
sion Of the right Of way unesa it is designed that
it shall render little or no benefit to the country
through which it will psss) and the restriction pro
posed. Il proceed 10 consider this branch Of the
subject.
Why Was thi. sliding scale adsp,eia Evident.
~ Cor the purpose of bringing to the Road the lar
gest possible amount of trade. which tho country,
through which Il passes, could sford-in other
words, to extend ss widely Is possible the benefits
of the work TO tho population Of that county
Ths, this object Is fair and good one, will no,
be denied. for. while it benefits the Road it equally
benefits the ceanlry. The Road cannot thrive
without making tho country thrive lso.--hence
tho Road lives upon the trade Of the country, and
both must increase or decline together. Now, with.
out q Gliding scale Of tolls; that is, scale of tolls
diminishing in tho rates per utie ~ tho number Of
miles incresses-the benefits Of the Road will be
confined to within Q short distance of tho mari et
II which i, Terminates for IL the rates per mile pe-
main tho same Tor any number Of miles, great or
small, distance 10 soon reached from the market
sufficient to make the cost Of usnsportssion too
high to permis proeceto 60 to tho market. IT..
for instance. barrel Of -four. in sny given state of
he market. will bear pay SO for its trans.
porision thereto then IL il has to travel so miles,
it can pay cent per mile for the carriage But il
it comes from q place 100 miles from the market,
it can afford to pay only halt cent per mile. The
case Is taken for illustration only. and not a. one
that has occurred in practice. but II will make the
principle on which tbs aiding scale depends clear
at once. Now suppose tho rate per mile, In this
case. we're uniform. II it were established at one
cent per barrel per mile, then no -four could come
to tho market from any place on the line Of road
more Than SO milss from the market and the whole
country beyond that distance would be shut up or
compelled 20 seek come other market. Il assume
here that the cost of manufacturing ths article
would be every where tho same, a. it would NOT be
very materially differently If the rate we're fixed
at cen, mile instead Of cent, then. in the ca.e
supposed. when the -four will bear SO cents for
transportation the barrel could 70 40 ma, at from