Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-07-17
From the Buiiiaorc Amcricun.
MEETING Observation-Disclosures OFTIlE
BALTIMORE X OHIO RAILROAD COM
PANN.

On SIhst1y, the 18th instant. the Stuck !
holders ut tht Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company ass mbled at their office ian General
meeting, Tor ttie special purpose 81 considering |
thr Al passed at the last session ui the VIRGIN
Ia Legislature. C%rautiug thu Company the uuh,
r' way to the city at Wheeling. ON tn OHIO
nv'I. The occasion was one ui more than or
binary interest. and there was consequently a
lul representation ut the stock. The Hon.
JOINS NILSSON was called to the Chain. and JOSH
"a !. ATKINSON, Esq. appointed Secretary.
me Inst business In order was the r'adiug
OF the Act ci Virginia, which was duly per
iorm"d ~ the Secretary. On motion it was
then ordered that the several communications,
,n me hands oi the Chairman, designed TO bc
lald before the meeting, be read.
The hrst ol these waSa paper from the Hon.
Louis MclANg, President OF the Railroad Com
pany to the Stockholders, in general meeting
IN which am able, luminous aud m%asterlv ex-
position oi tho provisions OF the Act of Viz
glnia was made, and various facts and argu-
mcnts adduCci To show that II ought to b.
promptly and unlualifedly rejected.
The next paper read 10 the meeting was a
Report from Il. II. LATRoBE, EsI. Chief Engi
neer, IN which the Objectionable. onerous and
mpracticdble requirements OF the Act were
taken M Scridiim. and explained with great
c%learncsS aud force. An interesting comnari-
'' 80 ~ ~ WV AINNNNNta. NAN@A. AZ
OF some five orsiN diff rent routes to as many
points ON the Ohio river between Pittsburgh
and Perkersbu'g. inclusive, showing that the
Act oi Virginia tied up the Company to that
which was the least eligible.
The Secretary next proceeded to read a com
munication made on behalf OF the CITY of
Wheeling by the Committee of five of its ,iti-
zens who had been appointed to represent it ON
TINS occasion, This paper urged the accept
ance ot the Act, or, At all events, a postpone
mcnt of any adverse decision by the Stockhol-
deTs at the present time.
The fourth paper read BY the Secretary was
a communication from a delegation reprcsen-
ting the city of Pittsburgh. In the course of
the views urged by this delegation, the sangu-
Inc hope was expressed that the next Icgisla
ture OF Pennsylvan;a, would pass an acCepta-
BILE Act authorizing the extension of the road
TO Pittsburgh.
The Hon. JoHN +. KENYEDy then rose. and
alter some briet remarks, in which he said that
The papers which had been just read had placed
the subject in so clear a light before the meet
ing as to render unnecessary any Observations
from himself-hc offered the following pream-
bic and resolutions:
When the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road
Company was incorporated by the Legislature
oil Maryland. the purpose avowed in the Act
OF incorporation was TO construct the road
= from the city of Baltimore to- some suitable
point on the Ohio River" This Act of In
corporation was confirmed by the Legislature
OF Virginia ON the Sth of March, 1927, with
the proviso that the said road +. shall not strike
the Ohio at a point lower than the mouth of
the Little hanawha." The Act, in both
States, limited the time for completing the
road to ten years after its commencement
This term expired in the wear 1889.
The IpriSlaturp nf p,nnSvlvania ur,n,ol
permission to the Company, in ISIS, to CON
struct the road through the territory of tllat
State, anneXing, as y condition. that a Branch
should be extended to Pittsburgh. This grant
was limited 10 fifteen years and expired in
1913.
In the year 1888, the Company having made
me road no further than ~liarpcr's Ferry. APP
Piled To the Legislature of Virginia for an cx.
tension OF the time to complete it. and for Ger.
tain privileges III regard TO its location and
construction on the Virginia side OF the Po-
tomac TO a point near TO Cumberland. The
city of Wheeling had, in the meantilnc, offer
ed 10 subscribe 81 900 900 upon the condition
that the road should terminate on the Ohio
River AT that point. Tn Legislature of Vir-
ginia. in accordance with this application,
! passed the Act OF April ID, 1898, whereby a
subscription OF 81 ,05S, i20, (being two fiths
OF the estimated cost of the road within the
State between Harper's Ferry and Cumber
land was made TO the Company upon term,
therein mentioned amongst which were til,
} previous subscription aud actual payment O
one million of dollars by the city OF Vince
ling and the Inhabitants of the county of Ohio
and the termination of the road at the city O
[ Wheeling. BY this Act the Company wer
: allowed until the fourth of July. 1913, Il
= complete their work. In the previous year
: 1887. the Legislature of the same State La.
/. authorized the subscription of S302, 100 to tn
the Company the subscription being the cs
tlmated two-titths of the cost of Constructin,
? the road from the western line of Pennsylva
a mia To Wheeling; and this sum wasonly to b
4. paid when the road should be completed iron
| Cumberland through Pennsylvania TO the Viz
I ginia line, Ohe western line of PENNSYLVANIA
a and when the Board of Public Works of Viz
= ginia should b. satisfied that the road woul
D be completed to its Western termination i
e that State"
In anticipation Of the expiration of the pr
terminate iTl, byP1 enusylvania which was t
o Plication resaufiitGGHfii III .9 Of the time. This al
tiiat year, which proposed to extend the tim
II uhtl lSl1-an Act, which from lis onarn,'
< ana embarrassing provisions. the Cn,onan,
! weIe compelled To refuse. Ii stipulated f.
. une intersection OF lateral roads uuder cirm,,1
D stances with which the CoInpanv had mo-, a.
power to comply. II subjected the Comnam,
: 10 sontry regulations Of tolls. aItocetbe, H.
. Gonlpa'ipie with the nature of their business
I IL required them to- Introduce the systs,, -
] private trains and the adjustment oC cn,,
mon carriers upon the road. in oppositioo -
neestaOiishcd principlesupon which thew bs,
; always deemed II essential to conduct ,bci
operations. l~tab0undcd win scrimio,tioI
y, winch The obvious and vowed intention
We W nav OF the trade for which the road
was mainly constructed to the CIV of phI'
delphia, by disabling the Company from, , nlia
cil9 OF increasing their rates of toll. and OH
erwiSe Insulating iair competition. I'm y;o,,,
OF these and other objections the stockhoIj.rs
aid nol feel themselves justified In acccntina
From ibis brief a]llusion 10 ibe I.o;.L,,
Virginia and PENNSYLVANIA on the .nhicr, =, =,
ine baltiinof" aud O"io Rail Road Connouy'
l. Iidi u'' original cntorprlc o( tle Con,
. plNHH ..-.H 49,. 81 p. 'NFINa