Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-19
For the Enquirer
LOUISA RAILROAD-MR. EDWIN RO-
BINSON'S REPLY.
OFFICE LOUISA RAILROAD COMPANY,
Reave,nam Dec lIlh 1918 {


Messrs. Editors Had The President oil III
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Compa
ny, in his reply 10 my card, confined himself
the subject OF that card-viz: the cOnstrucio
OF the 38h section OF the charter OF the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Compa
N.Y. should have found no occasion for hi
communication. should have adhered 10 de
termination, long since formed, not 10 arrai2
that Company before The bar of public opinion
Tor their acts OF oppression to The Louisa Com
pany, any further than was absolutely necessary
But forbearance now ceases to be virtue. To
friends OF The Louisa road are charged with i'm
properly enisling preju ices againstIhe her com
pany, and also cheilshinS an uncomprOmlsini
spirit.
This subject is not one which should b. push
ed aside, as a case OF petty wrangling belWeel
the Presidents oil Two railroad companies: Thi
is not personal matter b,lween lhem;-it is
question Of general public interest which is in
volyed. | beg, therefore, that you will examine
the facts which shall safe, and you will Sc,
that have ptactised great lorbearancc. You
will See that the Louisa company, and the com
munily paIronisng their road, have been mos
grievously imposed on. The ques ion to be sci
lied is nothing, more nor less, than whether cor
poraion, consisting principally OF moneyed CAPT
Iallsls, feeling little or no sympathy with the DO
DIV OF The people-a large portion OF the STOCK
held by non-fesidens-shall keep The whole coun.
Try West OF their line tributary 10 their wealth
and cripple The energies ut The country, and The
Trade OF Richmond, for thirty years, under a
forced and unnatural construction OF their char
ter. This is great public question, and shall
speak out without regard 10 the conseQuences-
but, At the same lime, siudiously avoiding giving
persona offence, white am dealing with pub
lie corporation
Before proceed Ia give the facts TO which Ihav We
adgefr.d ! will very briefly notice the guarantee
claimed by the Rchmoni, Fredericksburg and
Potomac Company II he literal meaning II
the cnarler was moi so plain, the probable ign
Of the Legislature torbIds 30 aitudinous con-
slrucion. What claim had these applicant
Tor such sweeping, monopoliZing, aDli-republ-
can powcrs7 Had their scheme like tina. OF the
Louisa Company been. to make a road inio the
farming community, 10 gel an outlet for their
produce to market, relying on procuring all The
funds which the hard labor and rigid economy
OF the small farmer had accumulated, to make
this road, W, might have conceived that the lie
gisalure Dended large grant OF privilege; but
seeing ihat, is expressly declared 10 the preface
10 this verr 35!h section. that The chief induce-
nentto the Undertaking was The Transportation Of
passengers IN this" main Nortaern and Southern
rouie b.tDem Tic Cityot Rtehmoad and he Ctty Of
UaM,nstoh, not asking any protection againsi
road Tor feishI; ask would Il not be Islander
on tho Leg stature 10 suppose that they graru-
tously conferred on this company The pnWrr 10
prohibit roais b-ing made, The "chiei inducement"
lr which YOU d be 10 gel 10 market The produce
81 me cUunics vest If their llnel Ii seems 10
me, that common sense, common justice COM
mon respec; u he intelligence o the Legislature,
o bids lne IDEA that they intended to create This
mammoth corporation. tais juegefnaul 10 crush
every thing tIIat comes in lis way.
But what says the lie Ter OF The Law1 not that
no road, (wilhout quaifcatiop,) shall be made,
but The kind Of road prohibited, is clearly ex-
planned, VIZ: no road is to be made which will
diminish the number OF passengers travelling
between the one CITY and The other, on their ROAD
&C., that is between Richmond and Washington,
meaning hat their revenues from that source
were not 10 be diminished. The most subtle IN
genuiiy can no; make The construction OF This
road, Inconsistent with their charter, unless the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Com
peny would nave 10 reduce their char grs TO re-
tain their pa .sensefs, travelling between Rich.
mona ani Washington. The expression be-
tween any named poials, is well understood 10 be
used in railroad paflance, as referring IL infer
course trom one punt 10 the otier, boh pavs !;
passengers travelling "bet,ofeH one citU md H.
other" are those from Richmond to Washington,
and vice versa Let Us suppose Washington
passenger taking the Louisa road 10 The juno.
lion, II the time uf starring would allow il The
Richmond, Fredericksburg aud Potomac Com
pany would not have 10 reduce their charge 10
ensure his going on their road-he would be com
petlcd 10 60 on their road when he got TO Inc
Junction, as the only way; SO then they would
not have their passengers diminished in numhe r,
or be required 10 reduce their charges in conse-
quence of The construction ot the Louisa Road;
they would charge the same as il The pas
senger had taken their cars in Richmond.
But TO show The desperate character of this
high prelension, Mr.. Robinson imagines the
Alexandra and Gordonsville road made. and
tries 10 saddle on me Louisa Company the conse-
quences he apprehends from that road Ii there
is any ground Tor apprehension from that source
il seems 10 me il would be time enough 10 ap-
ply Tor his injunction when that road commences
10 trench on Inrir wide domain. lie ought 10
SOD ih9t road, not ours. This corporation is
literally one OF high prctens,OHs and t,r,Dle en-
dct0ns. II this sur, OF kind OF latitude is allow.
I'd them, in Constituting their rights, The FEEDER
icksburg and Orange road cannot be made nor
could road De made even from Winchester 10
3 a untun, because IL Uould be possible for pas
senger 10 get from Richmond 10 Washington Thar
way, and miss their road. The principal bust
ness Of The Louisa road is freight, and their chiei
inducemenl" 10 have this road is 10 get clear OF
existing EMBELLISHMENTS in relation 10 freight, and
enjoy The profits arising from transportation on
the section nearest Richmond; and, lie. il he re-
mem5ered. nol word is found in their charter
agaIns, freight road.
The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
Company have constructed a road the transporio-
lion ot passengers On which. travelling from Rich
moad 10 Washington and vics versa, Gin the Ian
guage Of tnair charer,) being the CHIT Undue.
mint to ne undertaking" and having some euaran.
lee against rivalry in the transportation oithfoush
passengers by parallel Ioal they gravely den,
The right OF any company 10 construct road
across theirs any where between Richmond AMI
Fredericksburg. IL get me produce IRON he Conn
" OF Albemare, &C., 81, 10 Richmond Il
mis- claim be maintained, these constructiUe p0Dc7s
ol corporations are utterly destructive Of The rights
OF The people.
Many judicious men were anxious that an G-
dependent road 10 Richmond should have been
originally Constructed, but, according 10 the scope
II the present claim 10 power, we could not havr
gotten II he shipping in Richmond, even though
we had proposed 10 cross tteir road bui one mile
'o'H As'Nh'bpuui isoSShf " - 49,
even without crossing their road.
MIR Robinson says that "the Richmond, Ere
iericksburg and Potomac Company have ever
been willing that all difficulties between them
and the Louisa Company should be adjusted by
the Board of Public Works This statement
surprises me not little, and presume do
not exactly understand his meaning have no
means of knowing he disposition of the company,
cScep by its published proceedings, or commu
nica,ions with the President and Directors
There are several matters Of difference between
the two companies. which have been anxious
to settle BY arbitration. have repeatedly pr
posed it. One particularly, about which have
with the President of The COM
pany, viz the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac Company retained in their hands, oil
money collected belonging TO the Louisa Com
panY, nearly $1,000. protested against it. as
being without claim in justice TWAS persisted IN
proposed an arbitration, which was declined
was willing 10 submit to any disinterested u1pt-
rage. Now if the Richmond Fredericksburg
and Potomac Company were willing TO refer this
question 10 the Board of Public Works, is it
not very strange that when urged an arbtra-
ton, without specification of the tribunal, that