Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-03-11

anu AJItD ElASGtSllA- A8A% ~ ~ Aks'
Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company ma
king this application here, he had the most IN
dubIlable authority for saying that their ROAD
would never go TO Wheeling. We bad iht
unanimous vote Of the stockholders rejecting
the act or 1916 and we have lately leiie
from the President which had been published
few days STAGE In the Richmond Enquirer
in which he declared most positively tha
Wheeling could never be the terminus Of th'
road. MIR. S. bad coDversed with directol
OF the road, who assured him thai the road
could never terminate there. The reason,
Were conclusive: Not only was It unpraclica
bic, but the position Of " ileehng with refer
ence TO other Improvements, was such that i
could not command the trade Of the West
Pittsburg was far preferable. II you will place
yourself at Piitsburg, YOU will ste strong 10
dncements 10 carry the road there. from It's
connection with the Northern improvements
made and about TO be constructed. A rail road
would soon be made connecting her with the
Lakes, by which she must command eoRsfd-
cradle share Of the trade from Ohio. II tie
road 90 there it would be CONNECTED directly
with the lines Of improvement 10 Peuusylya-
MIA and Ohio. Therefore, il must be very de-
sirable 10 Baltimore that this connection should
be effected: for she would be thus placed in a
position to command large share Of the trade
of Ohio and the Lakes, and could cut off a
considerable portion destined for Philadelphia.
On the other hand, Wheeling had no coHnec-
ton worthy Of consideration. True, she had
the Ohio riyer-so had Piitsburg Then she
had he national road; but that was inadequate
to the wants Of The present day. Wheeling
had no connection, by canal or rail road, with
any improvement IN Ohio. She IS out Of the
line Of trade BY reference to tie map, ii will
be seen that at Piusburg the Allegheny and
Monongahela rivers meet, bringing their trlb-
ute TO the commerce of the place. Then there
are the various canals from the Ohio 10 the
Lakes-among them the great canal from
Portsmouth to Cleaveland, with which, by the
proposed road TO Prtsburg, that place would
be put into direct communication Was this
notsomeihing attractive for Baltimore ! Vince
ling was on the other hand out OF the direction
Of commerce, and could furnish little else than
the travel afforded by the Ohio rIyer. Wealth
was the ruling passion with men, and they
looked for its attainment in the best manner
possible. With this object in view, how was
it possible Wheeling could be preferred by
Baltimore to Plltsburg.
connection with Pittsburg and the expense of
construction from Cumberland to effect that
connection was only S2,000,0 900 to the Bali
more company. Would they not prefer that
connection. at that cost, TO expendng IS 900,
600 10 60 to Wheeling-,o get to point
where iheg must fall greatly Short of the ad-
vanlages which they OBTAIN by gong to Plus
burg2 Mr. S. wished TO know If the cupidy
l. e.. L.
likely to furnish such an evidence Of inconsls-
tency2 The argument needed no illustration.
But the Southern line presented still greater
advantages 1t had the advantage Of connect
ing directly with a rail road from Hoekhocking,
about 80 miles long, terminating opposite
Parkersburg. Thus, BY terminating there, the
company could connect with the great i'm
progements Of Ohio, and even divert the trade
from the Lakes, and command IN great meas
ure the trade oil the Queen Of the West"
- Nothing could make the company go to
heeling-they never desired 10 90 there, ex-
cept when they could go through pennsylya-
MIA, when the terminus there would have cost
them greatly less than it would now and be-
fore the trade Of the West had been drawn TO
the lakes ny the Improvements Of Ohio and
other States.
For these reasons the city ofWheeling nev-
er could be the terminus. Therefore il was
not contest between Wheeling and the Bal,
tmore Company but it was question
whether the road should terminate at all ia
Virginia The issue was whether this Com
monwealth or another State should get the
benefits ofthe road. Unless the question be
decided now, and that in favor Of The fright
of way" the road was gone forever from this
State, so far as the company were concerned
Even If the Connellsvllle charter should be
forfeited or surrendered, and this State refuse
the right of way, the company would not
bulge beyond Cumberland. They will, in no
case, 60 TO Wheeling, andhe desI
red the House TO understand this point--to be
well informed upon ii before they voted.
He (Mr. s. desired 10 say a word of the
empty clamor against foreign corporations
this senseless clamor about foreign corpora
tons and rival cities. But there had been
great change in this particular, as must have
been seen. Public sentiment had begun to
operate. How different was the tone of the
public press, especially in this city, with regard
TO this great question OF the right OF way p
How different was the sentiment throughout
the whole country with regard TO the preju
dices and iealousies against foreign corpora
tons If not mSinformed, every delegate
from Virginia in Congress, with one solitary
exception, spoke with incredibly about NT
GINA DENYING the Fright Of way" They
could not believe the Legislature would be gull
~ Of such an act Of illlberality and narrow
policy. The gentleman from Harrison (Nlr
DuscAN) paid a just compliment to the lead
ing Democratic journal OF the State for its po-
sitlon on that subject; he truly said that 1t had
obtained hold upon the affections oflhe peo-
pie Of North Western Virginia, which over
rode all party considerations. In this opinion
MIR. S. fully concurred, and he hoped he might
be permitted TO tender 10 the late venerable ed
iior that journal, and TO the present editors,
the thanks OF the North West, and to express
the most earnest wish for their long life and
continued prosperity. Look, too, at the lead
ing Wing press of this city, which was once
denunciatory of this measure IN the strongest
terms. Even tina, felt the force Of public opln-
ion, and had abated the severity Of Its tone, as
well rs the zeal oil its hostility He had seen
letter. which was then in his possession,
from distinguished politician of Eastern Viz
ginia, 10 which he expressed his amaZement
at the hardness Of public sentiment on this
subject. Mr. S. would that il could be read
and appreciated by all who heard him that
in deciding this question they could remember
how that gentleman spoke Of the population
BY Virginia of her contract with the Baltimore
Company-tne manner he alluded to the tar
50 Ii L,r