Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-02-03
E,r mr. I'npuiTy

MIS- pTdllIGu W I III u
9th January, the essay OF "a Farmer on me
| subject Of The Petersburg and Portsmouth Kan
| Roads. The writer was probably mol aware OF
some new movements which are in cuntempla-
| lion for the injury OF The former road. IL IS now
known. lha, the Governor of North Carolina has
| ordered The Attorney General - a pro-
srculion against The Petersburg Road, 10 declare
a forfeiture Of its charter. This case IS 10 pc ir'cd
| in, community where The bitlere>t hostility has
been manifested towards The Company and Inc
| town o. Petersburg, if not 10 tic whole Stale.
During The last session Of The Legislature oi y.
Carolina. the petition of MIR. Rives, 10 be allowed
10 use he portion of ihe Portsmouth Road which
he had purchased, was treated in the most con-
temp,uuus manner by that holy, was refused an
ordinary reference 10 a conmlliee, and, III me &c
bate upon II, Virginia arrogance and virginia
Jictation were spoken OF by several members oi
| The majority in The most offensive manner. A
the same session, the sale oilhe Raleigh and Gas
| ION Rail Road was ordered By a proceeding, oil
which the annals of jurisprudence afford no pre-
cedeni; and The Road, which had cost The Stock
| holders. OF whom a noieiy were firgin!ans, ABOUT
I.G00.0 900 dollars, has been purchased b. The STATE
| TO. 1870, 900 dollars. And now, when that State
owns The whole of The road, and is largely inter
e,,cd in The Wilmington Rail Road, both connect
ing with that of Petersburg, and depending upon
i, essentially for their value, the Governor, intlu-
enced, as there is strong reason to believe, by the
President of the Wilmington Road, and he doubt
less i~nsligaled by the Portsmouth Company and
governed by an animo,iiy which he has Tor years
INDUCED agains! The Petersburg Company, is
seeking To procure a forfeiture OF is cha rler.
The object is manilest'y 10 iCrce Virginia IL
sell out, or rather 10 gre arap. her interest in the
Portsmouth, road, which is 10 be renovated by a
foreign Company, and l. then 10 Withdraw The
travel from Virginia roads, and the Tobacco and
other produce from The Virginia markets, and
transport them, by way o iNofiolk, 10 Baltimore.
The otlect is 10 build up one Virginia railroad
from which she can never derive a dollar; and 10
destroy another, in which this State has a direct
interest OF nearly a million Of dollars and an in
direct one OF a far greater magnitude. Can our
LEGISLATURE be scduced or driven into Il policy 20
prpous,erous and ruinousl The Petersburg road
is on the main post route from North 10 South; IN
time of war, would be essentially necessary Ia
transport all The material 81 war. even The lar,
pitch and turpentine OF North Carolina herself,
from her own forests; and in time OF peace is an
essential link in the chain of connection between
The North and The South. rs what motive can
he Statesman Of Norih Carolina he governed in
Ills desire 10 destroy This road? What hut some
STRANGE prejudice or infatuatiUn, dls!cputabie 10
n Patriot; Would he expose The OF
his own State with the North, in time OF war, 10
he perils of The Chesapeake hayl Would he de-
stroy The only speedy and safe means oltian.por,-
inc military forces and munitions, between the
South and the North 10 crafty his prejndices?-
But, if he would, will Virginia cooperate with
| him in his mischievous designs? il she will, let
| her pass lie contemplated act, 10 sell The Ports
| mouth railroad, and 10 re-clia'ter another Com
many: an act, as before stated, rather 10 give
away The interest oil Virginia in this road, for ii
| is admitted that if The price be limited 10 Sl60 000
| and interest. il cannot he sold; bot if ii IS 10 be
sold for what il will bring, doubtless some
foreign Company, who may find favor with North
| Carolina, will become its proprictor-a and then,
if that Stale can destroy the Petersburg road,
her staple productions, in time OF leace, viii
take The Portsmouth road and the bay boat line 10
| Baltimore. Iexhort The Legislature, then, 10 pass
no such law II The present session. No: The Go
vernon OF North Carolina has brought The Peters.
burg road before the Courts of that State; Mir.
Riyes has the other Companj before The Courts
Of ,his-,here suffer them 10 remain, for the pre-
sent. Next December, The Legislatures OF 10th
States will be in scssion-lhere will be time Tor
a sober second thought on The whole subject: the
question Of war will be settled, and both may acl
more wisely and jnslly in these important mat
,e,s. Possibly, 100, as the Portsmouth road has
all of a sndien become a ~lavorile with The North
Caro- ina Legislature, they may contribute some
hing, next year, for its relief. Virginia has GER
taiuly contributed most mnnifcenlly 10 lis wants
in time past; and has sunk enough 10 induce her
10 pause for a tiief period, al any ra!e. The
Portsmouth Company seem 10 have taken some
what this view, when, al last year, they first re-
sorted 10 North Carolina 10 mcdiiy Tic charter,
and, as il were, 10 renew The existence OF their
road. They selected North Carolina TO chalk out
their plans. although nearly all their road was in
this State, and alltheir funds have been contributed
by it. Leave them 10 the source ufthcir own sc
lection, 10 work on, their own salvation.
A STOCKHOLDER.