Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-03-19
For the Enquirer.
MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.

Il. Patent righ.S are priUGtc properly, secuIe
by the Constitution and laws OF the United States
which The owner has right 10 use or sell for IN
public good and his own cmoument in Vireinii
and every other state in the Union. This bill
proposes 10 compel The owners OF such properly
IN an Electric telegraph 10 sell il 10 the RAILROAD
companies al a price moi fixed by themselves, ant
in case OF refusal virtually iorbids IFS use in this
commonwealth below The Blue Ridge. And its
otject is, 10 DESTROY in lower Virginia all patent
property in telegraph systems, which may not be
owned and controlled by The railroad companies.
?. The railroad companies want 10 possess
and use Morses telegraph, bnl they are unwilling
TO paw Morse's price for ia price which he can
readily obtain from others. These companies,
therefore, come TO The General Assembly and in
woke the power of the state 10 prevent Morse sell
ling 10 others and compel himto sell 10 them al
reduced price!
g. Nothing bul great public emergencies can
justify The seizure Of private property al valua-
lion, contrary 10 The will OF the owner, and then
il must be for The use Of The pab'.; bnt that process
is proposed in this bill, not for the public good,
bul Ia transfer property from one orner 10 another,
who cannot buy il on terms acceptable to him.
self
\ /. Morses Patents are no more monopoly
| than mans horse, house or farm is a monopo-
| w. If his telegraph or his horse, house or farm
| is more yaluahie than his neighbours, II IS no good
reason why The General Assembly shonld be in
yoke. 10 compel him 10 sell ii 10 one nclghoor
Al price less than lie can get from anolhef-
| 5. That MorSes telegraph IS oelieved 10 us
very valuable, sgven as reason why ne snou'u
be compelled 10 part with il Tor Inc dement, u 'ne
railroad company See says the railroad conf
nanv how rich This man is 10 be, from the use Of
ihe instrument he has spent all his means ana
fourteen years OF study, toll and priva'ion ID Per.
fectine; ,re must hare share NJ this 'realm; and
Won old and honorable Virginia, will but comPi
him TO take as in as partners on our 0ion ie'"ls,
we will give you tlco fins OF these enormous
gains! What is this IN principle, hut ASKING ,ne
power Of law to compel The itch man 10 ai'lae
his wealth with his neighbor who promises 'he
state part oil the gains ior the use Of us power
All Professor NOISES wealth is prospective, per-
| haps visionary. lie has not realized from MS
Telegraph $4,000 in cash.
g. The railroad companies say, maj Morse ;
telegraph i a monopoly, admitting al The same
lime that there are other systems which can ana
NAV be used. The plan Of This bill is 10 make II
real monopoly by forcing il into connection
with The railroad companies, and lorbidding any
other 10 be constructed below The Blue Ridge.
T. The grant Of monopolies is only excusable
when great public Improvements, really valuable
10 The peopie can be obtained on no o;her terms,
menl that il may be made mon"poty; and Inc peo-
p!p are To be deprived OF all the benefits OF COM
neltiun no; because il is necessary but because
|, is The interest OF the railroad companies.
3 The bill proposes 10 create three separate
and independent telegraph companies on HE
mail line through Virginia, each with power 10
charge al dtseretson. Al This rate, there would be
eighteen OF twenty companies between wash.
inclcn and New Orleans. which "i i!se'i would
destroy The public utility I'll the telegraph.
. WHY should he State 90 into partnership
with the railroad companies first 10 forec inle-
resi- in The telegraph ard then odivide The pron's,
oeriing however. but Two hhs OF the whole e
Would il moi be fair and more in conformity WIN
those principles which should govern business
transactions, 10 go into partnership with The pre-
sent lawful owners, and lake all The prons 'nence
resulting? This she may no,c do # she chooses, tax
ing Hte structure buH al coSt, and continuing !"
through The State, or al least as far0s PeterstnTg.
TO- This bill has no provision requiring The
railroad company, in case the monopoly IS grant
ed Them, 10 take al any price, the structure now
M from Washington 10 Fredericksburg, and Inc
materials prepared for The line through 10 Peters-
burg. oe,a.,., Viz;
mia will certainly have telegraph monopoly liked
upon them in Morse's system, or some other. IL
not, they will have chance or-nay, may e.
pect. competition al no distant day, II the bust
ness shall turn oul TO be as profitable as anllc-
na,ed Al least. The defeat of The bill leaves a
rinnec for competition while its passage will moi
-. In May next, il permitted, the owners oil
Morse's telegraph will give TO The Virginia towns
| on the main mail route the news from European
markets. in few minutes alter It's ARRIVAL az Dos
Ion or n. York, and as .oon as i reaches Buffalo
and Pitlsburg, placing the merchants OF virginia
on a footing with those now reached ny Inc teIe'
graph in other sections OF the Union.
Is. The following is extracted from paper
laid on lie desks 0. the Senators by The railroad
erors Of Morse's patent will not sell the right u
use il 10 the railroad companies, and that in con-
sequence the trans mission Of intelligence Will be
Interrupted by giving the privilege OF construct
ing The Telegraph 10 the railroad companies
The owners OF Murse's patent rW aHd0udtedil
,ot MH The patent yiehi, and would probably re-
fuse to connect with the railroad line Of Tele
graph through Virginia, il nAowed 10 construct a
separate parallel line Mcmselrcs. along which they
could transmit all he through intelligence, and de-
rive the whole profit from il. But il can scarcely
be supposed that il tic patentees IRE not atlorca
Ii construct such iiae they will not be willing
10 sell the patent right on far terms, or refuse 10
connect their line Nurlh and South OF Virginia
with the line through Virginia, when nirp irouid
BE- much more In'sd bB sRch a proceeding, than
The Virginia companies. II, however, they
should refuse 10 do So n, dot4bt is enie,f~'ned Mal
companies pould spcedilp be fofmed Soah N pIr.
gina and North Of Washington 10 co""sft run ne
railroad line Mropga Hrg'nia on same o'acrp plan o.
Electric Telegraph"
Upon this Stale Of the case, il cannot be doubted
that The passage of The Monopoly Bill will post
pone indefinitely the construction OF any Tee-
graph al all through this State.
Professor Morse, and his associates, will not
be foy6,d 10 sell, because they IAN approach New
Orleans through lhe Wesl, where every facility
is offered them, with the same ease as Though
the South; and if they could mol, they might not
be inclined 10 submit 10 The principle, that men
NAV be foreed by la,c 10 dispose OF their property
al reduced prices tecause other mten coret lis pms
session.
They would refnse-and what then2 Why,
says The Railroad Company, "no doubt is enter.
lained that companies would speedily he formed
South OF Virginia and Moth OF Washington, 10
connect with The railroad line through Virginia
on some other plan Of Electric Telegraph"
And with Telegraph admitted 10 be The bes!
ever We, 1vcnled, offered 10 be extended 10 her
capital in sixty days, and already nearly COM
pletcd for hall The distance, the merchants ard
people OF Virginia must c0tt unill Mr: Robinson
has found "somc other plan IT Electric Telegraph,
and has organized series OF companies, all The
yav from Nclr York 10 Ne1r Orieuns Ito connect
with The railroad line through Virginia ~ THIS
is 10 refuse the benefits OF the best Teeerap now
offered, for the chance OF getting an Inferior one
some years hence For what reason? Simply
10 enable graspins monopoly 10 add ic0r Of
telegrophs 10 lis present wars with other railroad
and steamboat companies, 10 The positive delrI-
meul OF every interest involved, public and prl-
vate-eucn us omn. And was there ever any
thing more strange, than an application 10 The
General Assembly 10 sustain such proceeding
By lapl
Il has been avowed that The railroad compa-
NJ do moi want Telegraph built al all, lest The
people Of Virginia should ,arc ~ ITS Use hae lime
and money nor spent in tarel, and thus reduce
The profits OF The railroad stockholders! Is itlhcir
design 10 prevent, lis construction Such would
be The certain efcct 10 The legislation they solicit
PUBLIC GOOD.
GENERAL DROMGOOLE We are grail
6ed n s,,,. (says IN, Petersburg Republican, that