Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-05-11
iEfnm He liila.l

Fran tie Uhe.
JAMES RIVER & KAMA VIVA COMPANY
The Stockholders of this Company convene'
a. lis Office on Tuesday evening last in Pursu
ance of a call IL tha effect 10 take into cnnsdc
ration such matters as might be laid before them
On motion OF VIM. NJ. Peyton, Esq, Gone o
the Stale Proxies,) General John II. Cooke o
| Fiuvauna. was called 10 The Chair; and, in the ne
| cessary absence ul Mr.. Chuenden, Mr.. G. o
Gernerding was appointed Secretary pro tenn.
A quorum appearing. Maj. Waller Gwynn. hi
President Of The Company, submitted 10 Tx
Stockholders The following
REPORT:
II was your pleasure, al the adjourned annua
| meeting held on the l1ih oi March last, 10 sus
| PEND So 'ar AS related 10 The office Of chle ensi
neer, the bylaw devolving upon The Presiden
ana Directors The appointment OF all The olhe
officers OF The company, and 10 tender TO me, II
addition 10 The Presidency, which held under q
previous election, The Office OF chief engineer
with such addition 10 my salary lis was deemed
by you 10 be appropriate. The confidence i'm
piled in this appointment, which was both unso
| iici,ed and unexpected on my par, could mol bt
Otherwise than highly gratifying 10 me-and The
more So that il was no preclpllate act but the re-
| sub, in The committee charged with the duty oi
recommending measures proper to be adopted, Of
much and careful deiberaion having special re-
gard 10 all The economy practicable, consistent
| With The best execution Of The work about 10 DC
| resumed.
| Regarding considerable portion OF the most
important duties i'm posed by your bylaws upon
The President as identical with those belonging
with equal propriely 10 The chief engineer, and
entertaining The hope, perhaps mol we'll grounded,
that by The strenuous exerions which | resolved
| 10 make might be able 10 execute 10 your salts
| faction those duies o. line TWO Offices mol COM
mon 10 both, determined 10 accept The highly
responsible station thus conferred upon me-. and
10 enter promptly upon It's duties Accordingly,
on the following day, the Board Of Directors were
assembled, and plan Tor the organization oil
suitable engineer corps, and nominations OF pro-
per PERSONS 10 I'LL lis more important grades, were
Informally laid before hem.
| The plan thus submitted contemplated, IN The
| first place, the immediate preparation O! Inc u
miles OF unfinished work between Lynchburg and
the mouth Of North river, for re-leltins Of con-
Tracts al the earliest period practicable, BY setting
centre and side stakes, taking cross sections, anu
making careful estimates of the quantity and ma
lure OF every item Of earlh-woTk 10 be executed,
with the maximum prices proper 10 be allowed
| therefor. together with detailed estimates Of the
| quantity and maximum price al the work yet re-
| CURED 10 complete The several unfinished me-
chanical structures upon that portion OF The i'm
pfovemenl. Such preparation OF The line for
contracf, il is proper 10 remark, 81 iar from be-
lag smpliflcd BY The original preparation,
has been rendered vastly more laboIious and
difficult BY the WORK already done. Indeed, ii is
within the limits of lair computation TO say
that the measurements essential 10 produce accu-
rate results upon this portion OF the line have
heen increased ten-iold in consequence Of The I'M
finished condition. in which The old contracts we're
necessarily left when formerly abandoned, and BY
The injuries zone 10 the works By floods since that
period.
To perform the labor OF preparation jus, indi-
caled within period which would secure the ac-
live resumption of The work within The present
year, it was judged expedient 10 employ two par
lies eli engineers, each consisting OF an assistant
engineer with The necessary quota Of rodmen and
chainmen to take The field without delay, under
The immediate direction OF principal assistant
engineer, by whom the unity of design Tor the
whole distance should be preserved, and under
whose eye the maximum estimates OF cost neces-
sary as a guide 10 the board in the letting oil con-
tracts should be prepared The plan in the next
place contemplated, after The letting Of The work,
the establishment Of three residences (iechnical-
" 40 called between Lynchburg and the mouth
Of North river-each resldency 10 comprise a
distance OF about nine miles and 10 consist oil an
assistant engineer one or more superintendents OF
masonary, according To The quantity OF mechan-
ical work remaining 10 be done thereon, and
| common laborer as rodman and axeman. No less
force was Judged adequate 10 the vi5ianl and
| efficient sunerinlendence OF the work while in
course u, construction. Moreover, for The pur-
nose of locating he line between The mouth OF
| North river and Buchanan and otpreparing itfor
contract and condemnation OF lands, an engineer
party. consisting Of an assistant engineer, cadet
| engineer or surveyor, with such force oil CON-
| mon lahorers loI rodmen. chainmen and axemen
as might be found necessary, was 10 commence
| oneratinns some time in the month oil July next
The residence. and surveying party were all 10
be under the immediate direction OF the principal
| assistant engineer above mentioned.
The board OF directors were occupied on the
| ,s,h ana Ialh of March in the consideration Of
The nlan above detailed and in the appointment
! of the engineers therein contemplated. when they
were arrested bv information OF proceedings OF
an unusual character in the Legislature then
sill in session. Ii was represented Ia me, that
| in consequence OF a sketch OF your proceedings
on The lTh OF March, which appeared in one OF
! The newspapers OF The city on the day following
much dissatisfaction was prevailing among The
members OF The General Assembly, al the addi-
/ ton made 10 my salary in consideration OF The
new services required Of me, and that resolu-
! lion oil cenSulei I'd COPY whereof, hain cu w. =
| is herewith communicated had been offered iI
the House OF Delegates.
beg 10 preface my statement OF The course
which pursued in this state OF things, by advert.
ing 10 my view OF The relative positions oil The
parties concerned. The body OF stockholders
having previously adjourned without day, The
power and rights Of the company stood vested ia
The president and directors, as lis legal represen
taives. The president and directors, as well as
the chief engineer, al that time, having been ap'
pointed BY, were amenable only 10 the body o.
stockholders 10 their corporate capacity and ac
ing in general meeting constituted according ,c
law. The State as 4 sIockholder was represent
ed in the meeting above referred 10 by proxies r
pointed by the Board OF Public Works, in whom
The power of appointment is vested by law.
The stockholders having deliberately and ma.
,urely considered and adopted with great nnan
nifty (and the proxies OF The State concurrlne
thersu) The resolutions Of The I'm oil March
il was and sill is my firm belief that the ma
niiestation ofdispleasure IN The legislature above
advered To- ought not in any way 10 nave tnwaft
ed the officers OF The company in carrying on
your instructions. But being painfully cunsciou:
OF occupying position where my motives nigh
by impugned, and my course ascfibed 10 conside
Talious pariakins Of personal interest and aR
reimbursement, could not consent 10 insist upor
IN arrangement, although solemnly approved o
by you, and which had shewn by my accep
lance 10 be in my opinion promotve OF The bes
interests OF the company. Besides, il was stated
that threats had been made by members Of The Lc
eislalure to introduce bill to repeal the act Q
The Isl Of March, extending The charter OF TIT
company, and loaning 10 il the means CT lesu
ming lis long supended works. My respect To-
tina, honorable body, forbade The belief that sucf
an act could have been passed, hui Others more
iully acquainted with the temps, OF The Legisla
ture were apprehensive, if introduced, il woult
mos, probably pass. II is needless 10 say, that
proceeding Of this kind would have sealed the
death warran! Of The company. In this stale
things yielded my own 10 the maurer judgmen
of friend, who, though representing with Others
the States interest in the company, had approved
and supported The policy Of the measure which
was the occasion o; The existing crisis. BY hi
advice, and with view az far as might be in my
power 10 avert The evil consequences which
foresaw would result from Legislative interference
in the affairs of the company, addressed 10 hin
l .tL Cd dc a r