The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-08-11
II III F. N E w E r A
FRANCIS E.. RIVES-THE PETERSBURG
RAIL ROAD COMPA NY-AND THE PORTS
MOUTH AND ROANOKE RAIL ROAD. &c

FRANCIS E.. RIVES-THE PETERSBURG
RAIL ROAD COMPA NY-AND THE PORTS
MOUTH AND ROANOKE RAIL ROAD, SC.
In publishing what follows, it is necessary to
keep one fact before the public-that is: That
originally, F. r. Rives had no claim upon the
Portsmouth Road-that, as is believed, and the
subsequent development of facts warrant, Rives
lent himself as tool TO the Petersburg Company,
to break up the Portsmouth and Roanoke Rail
Road, for which he was to receive a certain re-
muneraton from the Petersburg Company the
object of that Company being 10 break down all
opposition, as was avowed to the Board of Public
Works. and thus be enabled to press the travel
ling public with enormous charges, which those
travellers would, in the event of Rives s. Co.
being successful in their nefarious scheme. be
this, Rives purchased claim of Col Rochelle,
against the Portsmouth Company, of $4,000,
for $4,000, for which he paid at the time of pur-
chase some S6,000 Let it also be remembered
that the Portsmouth Company offered to take his
claim, and make good all loss, and expense he
had heen put 10. These facts being borne in
mind, 1t is unnecessary to revert TO the infamous
the bridge at Margarettsvile, thus endangering
the lives of travellers, to stop travel the Ports
mouth Road or 10 consider the decision of the
Supreme Court of North Carolina, that gave him
right to that portion of Road in that State,
which he had purchased Withholding from him
the franchise of the same. The Agreement with
the Petersburg Company will be found below
vi that Agreement, the Petersburg Republican, OF
the 23d July, spoke as follows:
Sc We are authorized by Mr. Rives, TO saw. that
he has not sold his rail road to the PETERSBURG r
H. ComPany-nor is there any thing in his agree
ment with them TO prevent him from SELLING it 10
either the State of Virginia or North Carolina
and that it is not his purpose to remove the iron
or TO do any thing to impair lis value as rail
road, before there may have been a meeting of the
Legislature OF each of those States And we
have Furthermore been informed. that Mr. Riyes
expects to renew his application to the LegsIa
tnre of North Carolina for permission to use i,
himself as rail road.
" 1t then, we are correctly informed as to the
nature of the agreement, Mr.. Rives has showed
great caution In forming it. FIT he not used he
gets an income; and if he finds at future time.
that by selling, or using it himself he can make
1t yield him more, of course he will make such 4;
disposition OF 1t as may be most profitable to him "
The Agreement shows that the Republican was
not correctly" informed. There is NOTHING in il
which shows that Rives ever contem plated usino
1t as Rail Road, for the transportation of freight
and passengers, but distinctly that his interest wa:
to keep it from being used for those purposes.
We will introduce the Documents in on,
possession, and if any one can rise from theil
perusal without the conviction that a most nelari
Gus combination has succeeded partially in mos
unhoy work, then we have mistaken the Judge
ment of men. We say partially, for it will be
seen that only about one-hird of the stock of tina
Company, present at the meeting on the 18th o
July, have sustained the action of the Board O
Directors, in their unjust efforts to destroy ;
sister improvement.
| The President of the Portsmouth Company no
being able to obtain correct information as to TIT
terms on which Rlves and the Petersburg Com
pany had combined for the destruction of on
Road, and feeling assured that the publications il
the Petersburg papers were intended to miseac
the public mind, wrote to the Governor for copie
of the Agreement, &C., which was duly answer
ed. Those papers having been placed in ou
hands we make them public.