Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-02-07

good easy souls. He had co-opemtcd with
Mr.. McLane until he discovered the objects OF
the company, end thSn be did not hesitate To
syow has hostility. In view of the fidelity oil
wheeling To the State. i'm the hour Of danger
In consideration of her liberal contributions
To the treasury. and her increasing importance
a. q msnutat turing and commercial city, he
would appeal to the legislature To interpose
Its power TO preserve IL rom destruction.
He would next cell the attention of the
House TO the accuracy of the g~enilcmsu's sta
ustics. (Mr. T.. here presented tabular state
mcnts. the correctness of which would deiy
contradiction, showing the relative wealth
aud population oi the counties at the North
west, interested Tor. or against, the applica-
tion.) He could demonstrate. that a majority
OF the Northwest was opposed to- the grant of
the right OF way. They preferred Wheeling
rs their market. The people Of Wheolingh had
never favored the unpatriotic sentiments ex-
pressed by the Clsrksburg Convention. This
Convention had declared that il their applica-
ton should be rejected. they would prefer a
division OF the State to a continuance in their
present condition. OF the counties interest
cd IN this matter, by far the greater portion
wen opposed TO the grant. Those uho favor
ed the application, had not the means sufici.
ent TO construct five miles oi railroad. They
could no doubt command the resources of The
Baltimore and Ohio Company. lie would APP
peal To the economical gentlemen i'm the
House. who were 81 ready To gmnt acts OF in.
corporation. where nothing was required from
the Treasury, to pause ere they sacrificed the
best interests Of the Common wealth. Han
dreds OF thousands had been expended upon
Improvements in the North West. not one dol.
lar oil which had been Appropriated for Whec-
ling aud the counties TO the North of the city.
For the Northwestern Turnpike, there had
bcen expended on the part of the State 3i3. 900
dollars, and for the Stanton aud Parkcrsburp
Road : 900 dollars. There are roads ,m.
versing IN every direction the counties inter
esied in this application. These improve
mcnts would b. destroyed. and rendered value.
less by the competition of the railroad. The
people. the laborins class, did not require this
railroad. Was there to be no end TO this con.
%tention, Are the emissaIics OF this COMPANY
TO be continually sent TO Virginia to ioment
litigation IN our Legislative Halls2 Two de-
cisions should have satisfied these cormorsnts
IL was time TO declare to them lit fais Iii
um."
During the pendeney OF tbis question before
the Legislature at its last session, a panic seem
ed TO Prevsdc the city OF Wheeling. Every
occupation seemed To be suspended for the
time. The announcement OF the act Of the
last session inspired them " ith new confidence
49, NN s''hAf ~ W. ~ III lGd~t III DO1OlN=
ton OF 1000 inhabitants. RELYING upon the
plighied faith of the State. the accession 10 the
wealth OF Wheeling has been immense. lie
did not wish 10 speak of the ClsrksbuTg Con-
ven,ion. lie had friends among the delegates
whom he esteemed; but this Convention had
Characterised the people of Wheeling as
money changers. The true secret OF the inter.
est felt by the members of that Convention in
this application, was TO b. found in the infu-
ence OF This road upon the worthless lands
owned by thcm selves. mir. r.. read a state.
mcni pre- pared from the returns of the commits
ssoners showing that certain individuals in the
Convention owned immense tracts Of land on
The line OF improvement Ia the county of
Randolph one individual owns leo, 900 acres
upon which he pays a tax OF 81 30; another
so 900 acres. upon which only 81 are charg.
ed. All the member Of the Clarksburg Con. !
y~cntion. from the President dewn. are TO be
found IN this category. {. c. lee, ESQ, IL
two dollars and forty three cents tar. VIVA,
would ; heroes OF the jR~syoiution this}uar
tssyeDSea tslseA theffde4cendsnts thus
tending Tor dollars and cents? The aucsfiooj
has been sdjudicsted. Shall we permit thi,
naughty company TO accomplish their ayowed
tasentsoa 40 ~orry the Legislature out Of
.hi, grant. , .,,.
foreign corporation. We should proclaim To
them, tina, they should never occupy one foot
oil land nor receive one dollar out Of the Treas
ury. IL ~sasabsnrd to blend the glory Of vir-
ginia aud the claims Of the company in the
same breath. II such p-reien.ions were re-
spected, Virginia would indeed become a by
wont and rcpsoach. IL was not true, that
there were seven mountains requiring t~unnuls
IN order 10 carry the road 20 Wheeling.
There were seven hills, and competent en-
gineers have reported that only one tunnel
would he required. Mr.. Latrobe himself ad.
mitted that the avenge cost OF the road from
Cumbe hsnd 10 Wheeling would be less than
that from Hsrper's Ferry 10 Cumberland.
They never compare the relative expense of
ihs routes from Cumberland 10 Wheeling and
to Ps~IkepbuEgh. The latter would be found
TO be by far the most expensive. lie trusted
that the present application would meet The
same fate az IL professors. Such a Sssult
would be sanctioned by the history Of cur leg.
istion on this subject by the acts Of Wheeling.
by the svowed designs OF Baltimore and Gin.
%cinnsti. and by the destructive influence of
this road upon the Improvements in the
Northwest, and upon the great central line OF
Virginia.