Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-01-16


The GRAN, of mos, extraordinary powers. rs
bill had no, been brought in 10y regular eo..'
| Intee, whose duty il was TO look 10 'ne s,,;ac,s
interests al The Stale. What were I've opJecN
contemplated in this bill2 Who was s orls.,a,
lor7 lis patron he knew was the vesy VOLT, ~,
gentleman from The city OF Richmond. ~, ',sc,
object in offering the amendment "ds y
The existing interests of other Improvements
| Mr. LYONS would moi Object 10 Tue ao I ~
ment II The term "exislins" were introduced ~.
fore the words cline OF improvement ne Wou W.
moi shrink, al The proper lime, from lui CIV an
fence OF this measure agans! every chai 90
Whatever quarter they might come. II any ~
Yer, design were entertained by The iriends Oh tIe
hill he had no, been able to discover Them. ny
entertained fears from The wooden morse =, 70 -
gentleman from Abemare. tie Wou'9 saJ -
him "hmco DanaoS ct dona fereafes no, w. ;n,s.
for him Individually, but for those whose ,n. :,
,o o.s ,', ha as Known 10 favor. He was ready al
an lines 10 yindicale from every asPerSioh, ',e
characters Of The intelligent and honorao inui-
vidnals whose names were connected WIN '''5
hin The gentleman from Albeinarie unueis'oo'
HE influence of an effort "sparscre anWtsnu' -
e@sn For himself, he would say, that ne was ~.
mated bv no other motive than sincere uesiie -
nromo,e The best interests OF The Stale. ,,one,
The endmcni, as modified by MT. L oi'''
was adopted. ,, ,,e ,f,,b sec.
4 Mr.
lion By substituting in iie1 tnereol 'ne r;,h aIi
reasonable despatch in making The surveys 70 ue-
,srn;ne The location OF The route OF the said roao
and shal within Two years from The passage vi
,h;s ,c, complete the same, and actually enler
,non he construction of said road; and wlthln
len wears from The passage OF ms aci sndi, na.e
., leas one entire track throughout The ~hoe lihe
af s,id road completed, under penalty OF The lor,
fixture OF their charter and their roau, anu az
other property which the company may i T"n
10 The Stale; which forfeiture IS hcrepy ue..a's
10 be absolute and complete al Tue ca Han
The aid len years if The said 'facA '' ~ -
completed" ,al,oyo,e far The
mn nrovided clause was adopted requiring 'i.e
comple,ion Of The road. There were TWO ooJe."
contemplated BY the bill, The one 10 na si'e. ~
,a,;nn md he other The construction OF inc roa9,
Nv his hill The company was empowered U no'u
lands in moIimain. ond,ren, II
,yaS calculated lodeieat The bill II adopted. wa wa
,uch forfeiture ever required OF any COMPANY
What instice could there be IN requiring ioi
,eure to The Stale OF the eniIre properly =, 'ne
nomnanv merely because they were unaoie 10
con rlsr The work The State will not under
,ake This work. nor will she lend her ala 10 us
construction; and yet, by adopting THIS amend
,r.n, she would I've willing 10 rob this compa-
~ If All The property il had acquired by It's own
csn;,al even though il had effected connec-
ION between The James River and The Ohio. NO
company would accept such terms
Mr. DENISON said there would nc no ioI-
fpitnre as The bill now stood. They should we,sh
with deliberalion The expediency OF sranlns' ms
power OF holding lands, and the advantages 10
be- derived from The road. This bill was Tor The
incorporation OF land company with power 10
construct a railroad 10 their lands. They mIshi
buy up immense tracts OF land, complete The road
10 their lands and there were no means oil forcing
Them 10 prosecute The work 10 lis completion ~
was dangerous power, which he called upon
The House, in the most solemn manner, 10 resist
MIR. STROTHER thought the gentleman
over estimated the evils 10 be unprecedented The
Question was, whether the advantages did moi
more than connterbalancethe evils resulting from
this grant Of power. The Company was required
10 construct eighty miles to the West OF Lynch
burr in three wears, and fifty miles annually there
after until the work was completed. Ihey VIII
thus give the State the strongest assurance OF
their Intention to construct The road What IN
iury would be inflicted on The Stale II one million
of dollars should be invested in the waste LANDS OF
the West, and in the purchase oil MINES Inc
State would he greatly hene6lted by this invest
ment. and there was no real danger TO be dread
ed If the road should not be completed The IN
finished portion would be in The power oil The
Stale, and subject 10 its control.
MIR. LYONS thought The House must be sa-
tis6ed that there was no great danger 10 DC apPre-
hended from this Company. The gentleman rom
Shenandoah seemed greatly alarmed al The idea
OF an incorporated Company, with power to hold
lands and mines and construct railroad. DID
the gentleman know that Company was al ms
time engaged in mining on The South SIDE OF
James river, an English Company, who had &C,
tuay constructed a railroad 10 their mines-and
vet The Commonwealth was not destfoyedi The |
gentleman, he supposed, would refuse 10 warm
himself by the fires in our city, Tor lear OF me
sulphurous fumes that would be generated from
The coal Of diabolical corporation. What IN
Jury could there be 10 the State from The construc
lion OF railroads TO her mines? This was cues
ton in which there should be a display OF libe-
rality on the part Of the Stale. 1t was not mere
bargain between The Company and the State.
What equivalent does the State give Tor the I'M
mense advantages to be conferredl The gentle
man spoke of the grant OF power TO the Company
to hold lands in mortmain. Are we 10 have the
speclaclc of living Company with dead lands?
Are not the lands dead al present. II they re-
main dead in The hands of The Company, where
is the injury 10 the State? But j they should be-
come living instead Of dead lands, The evil would
be still less. ne SeuIciildH HhiSia tonS SHhSi
horn Of The dilemma.
MIR BOCOCK said the more he examined the
subject. the more thorough was his conviction OF
the danger of this grant of power, and his snr-
prise al the views OF the gentleman from Inc Clly
of Richmond. He believed the House would
strike out the section objected TO, and insert
modified provision, requiring that The grand OBJ
iect should be The construction OF The road, and
not a mere land speculation. Gentlemen are
- al
carried away by their great desire TO improve he
State. The forfeiture was entirely removed
The Company might first invest two mil
lions of dollars in lands, and then go on
10 make as much or as little of the road rs they
chose and then they were only required, in case
OF a failure 10 complete the work, 10 forfeit The
unfinished portion of The road. The company
might 90 10 the owners OF mines 10 The right or
10 The left of the line Of improvement and make
nroposals for The purchase Of their mines through
out The whole extent OF the line from Lynchburs
to Guyando,te. Having The power to change the
location of The road, they might lorce The owners
of mines into their own terms. As soon as they
had purchased their lands, they would adopt their
location for the road, and the value OF the lands
would be enhanced perhaps several hundred inld
Then ttey might sell their lands, and would be
REQUIRED only 10 forfeit The unfinished portion of
The road. The company might buy up whole
counties and exercise complete control over their
voters. They should be bound absolutely 10 COM
plele the road II was against The general policy
Of the Stale TO gran, the power OF holding
lands 10 Railroad Companies. They could com
mand monopoly in The transportation on their
own road.
Mr.. DENISON said that mere statement of
the grants Of power TO this company would be
sufficient 10 satisfy The House. This bill grants
powers OF incorporation for every variety OF pur-
pose-for the construction Of railroad, for mi
ming, manufacturing and agricultural purposes.
The section proposed 10 be amended bellies the
bill. This is moi railroad bill. There was no
authority 10 compel the completion OF The road 10
The Ohio. Richmond might be benefited; yel lie
was unwilling 10 sacrifice the interests Of the
State for the promotion of the prosperity OF the
city. =,
select committee 10 bring in this bill. tic had
carefully examined into The objects and designs OF
its projectors and he was convinced that their
true object was The construction OF lail-