Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-23

lisa Court House, and, as was feared, addpte
t the route by Charlottesville. On the da
"a Of November, the president of said company
: submitted an application to the Board Of Pub
lie Works for subscription to the stock of SAT-
company; which, after due consideration, wa
declined, upon the ground that they had NJ
authority Of law to make such subscription, ap
I prlsed officially as they were of the route which
had been selected for the extension Of sale
work. There had been previous advertis
ment OF said company, that fourteen miles OF
said extension woald be LET on the 23d Of No
vember. and bids were invited acsordingly.-
Notwithstanding the refusal of the Board to
subscribe to said company Notwithstanding
the president thereof was informed that the
I difficulty should be referred to the General
/ Assembly, he proceeded not only to let ttt the
part advertised. but five miles, as | am in
formed, in addition thereto. This extraordi-
nary haste under the circumstances, followed
i by an immediate commencement of the work
< was designed to acquire, as learn, vested
| right to the State subscriptions. To cap the
climax Of this marvellous conduct, a notice
was duly served on the Board Of Public
/ Works, calling upon that body TO show cause.
on the 30th ult., why naadamus should not
/ be awarded against them, which is still pend d.
( ing and undetermined, and in relation TO which
it may be requisite for you to take sothe &c
| ton. This proceeding is the highest moral
evidence that this company is conscious, that
! in their selection of the route, they have de
parted from the spirit and intention of the law.
as well as the true intent and meaning of the
General Assembly; that they have nothing to
hope from your favor, and that their only
chance of obtaining the co-operatioa Of the
! State is through the judgment Of a court of
| law.
The Board of Public Works, throughout
this whole difficulty, have had no other desire
than to perform their duty and to execute the
law. They gave this subject an early and
they believed a thorough examination; some of
their members patiently listened to the views
of distinguished men, and the Board finally
called for the assistance of the Attorney Gen
eral. 10 all the views and information thus
collected. they gave the most careful consider
alton, and their conclusion was that they had
no authority Of law to make the required sub
! scription.
Without, however, dwelling upon this sub
ject, | respectfully refer you to the report of
the Board of Public works; wherein will be
! found, if do not greatly err, full and COM
pleie vindication of that body against unjust
aspersions, as well as ample evidence of a firm
and faithful adherence to their trusts and du-
| ties.
| AS to myself, have long felt deep inter
| est in the extension of the Louisa Railroad on
the line indicated in its charter. When in the
Senate Of Virginia, aided in the legislation
in furtherance of this object; and, when honor
ed with the Chief Magistracy of my State, ad-
herring to this policy, awaited mysefof the
first opportunity to press and enlarge upon it.
| could not, therefore, without concern, wit
moss the efforts that were making to pervert
the law, and to sink one of the most important
enterprises of the State into mere local inn
provement, and felt bound to exert all the in
! fuence at my command to defeat this design,
and to overthrow the exceptionablc and IN
patriotic struggles which were making for its
accomplishment.
4 The Board of Public Works was created by
law foe the purpose of carrying out tie views
of the General Assembly, and whenever a diff
ference Of opinion arises as to those views, the
power to settle it should be reserved to vow a
lone. The proceeding on the part of the Louiss
Railroad Company is the first that has beer
undertaken in this State, and trust you will
by the requisite legislation, provide that it
shall be the last Of it's kind that shall be enter
tanned in court Of justice.
By an act of the last session. passed March
22d, lS47, it is made the duty Of the Board Of
Public Works, in appointing State Directors
to select such as are bona jtde stockhold
ers. | respectfully recommend that this sec
! ton be repealed Such Directors are design
ed to represent the State Stock in such com
panies, and are selected under the belief thai
they will faithfully represent that interest.
can see no reason for adding to this obligation
the influence of private interest, producing
thereby, possibly, conflict of opposing inter
interests The requirement also restricts the
range of selection, not unfrequently, to the
public injury.
The last General Assembly directed the
/ Board of Public Works to subscribe to sundry
internal Improvements then in contemplation
/ 1t is known that large sums will be needed te
meet such engagements, in anticipation where
of, and to provide the means promptly to meet
| them. the law authorises the Second Auditor tc
make sale, as may be requisite, of the State
Bonds But as this provision may prove In
adequate to maintain the public faith invioate
and as no reliance can be placed on the l3tl
i section of San act to create fund for interna
Improvement which authorizes sale of ou
road stocks for reinvestment, deem additiona
! leo slaton necessary, and therefore respectful
ly recommend the passage of law authorizing
T the Board of Public Works to dispose of thu
Bank Stock at not less than par, now held By
them, when necessary to meet their pay
ments.
! communicate herewith Preamble ane
Resolutions adopted by the Baltimore and o
hio Railroad Company, on the 25th Of Angus
last, Doc. No. Is, accepting an act, entitled
san act to authorize the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company to construct the extension o
their railroad through the territory Of Virgin
is," passed the 9th March, l847. The boor
conferred upon this company is great one.
!. By it we divide advantages ofincalculabe val
ne. of which we never could have been de
! prived, and give forever to a rival compan,
wealth and power. cannot feel Indifferent t
these consequences, to which can only. II
some degree, be reconcled, by the reflection
Il that they secure local advantages for portion
of our fellow citizens, probably beyond tn,
, reach of similar improvement Of our own.
trust, however, that further concessions are
, >. ..J. ,rd that the rrant will MOI hp pnIarp