Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-03-13
Fur the Ep0niyf,
Ut tI1c ISHqHFU.
EASTERN EXTENSION OF LOUISA RAILROAD
ONCE MORE


GenlIemen:-Wii YOU allow me TO reioin a
hfi H. as practicable, 10 The arcle in your pape
oil The 18th Feb, ever The signature oil "a Stock
hoideT2"
a. 10 all that "A Stakeholder" has said in rela
lion to the Western exclusion OF the Louisa rail
road and OF lis original charters looking to al
extension 10 the town OF Harfisonburg, instead
OF The TOO; OF the Blue Ridge in Charlottesville
these things seem TO BE- SO perfectly irreevan
10 The question al issue, as 10 the eastern eztcn
sion of The Louisa Railroad, from the Junction
10 The Dock in The City OF Richmond that an
al loss 10 conceive Tor what purpose they WeE,
introduced, unless II was That "a Stakeholder
supposed he nigh, be able 10 make some CAPT
lal out of Them, by reviying former prejudice>
which were excited in connection with The veXef
question OF the "Norhern and Southern routes
"A question which, il is we'll known. underwear
a formal judicial investigation before The prope
tribunal, and was soIemnIy acjndicaled and sci
lied, and therefore oUgli. 10 be regarded as Anal
ly arrest. II is possible however, ina, The motive
OF "A StockhCldeI" Tor introducing those extra
necus matters may have been the hose ii thereby
giving some colour 10 a singular claim, which ht
seems disposed 10 sci up on behalf Of Inc Ricn.
monc, Fredericksburg AMI Potomac Company
10 regard the Louisa road as branch TO thai
company'S road. II such were his motive, it is
amusing enough. ] had always thought thai
what might be properly called branch TO any
gwen road, was prong oil such road, constiuc.
led by and al The expense Of IT, propTierors Of
The parent Stem. The Louisa Company, however,
Claim 10 be ci>tinc; and independent company;
they were Incorporated as such, and their road
was wholly constructed at their own exclusive
EXPENSE and although his IS True, yet, untonu-
na,ely Tor The Louisa Company, il is also equal.
ly True, That in consequence Il their road being
made 10 strike the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Road, al the point now called The
Junction, and 10 stop at thai point, instead of be-
/ ing conducted in The first instance 10 Richmond,
as il oueht 10 have bcen--lhefehy throwing into
| The hands ot the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac Company, al that point 10 be Transport
ted from hence 10 Richmond, a, comparatively
a very small expense, all The trade and travel ac-
| cumnlaIed by the sail Louisa road, Tor lis whole
length; il became in tact. much more profitable
10 The SAID Richmond, Fredericksburg and Polo
mac company, Than il il were a branch proper
in gratuitously putting in.o The pockets Of The
| Stockholders OF that company, as is confidently
believed, an annual ne, profit, arising from he
capital invested in the Louisa road, greater than
the Stockholders Of the Louisa company have
| derived from il themselves. This, the siockhol-
ders Of The Louisa company consider 10 b. OF
he crosses. inequality and hardship and have
therefore determined 10 relieve themselves from
il as speedily as possible, by The ex cnsion Of
their own road 10 the city OF Richmond.
Il were useless, however, iur!her 10 discuss The
question al justice or moral right. which he
subject involves. Those who think they have
the legal rishi TO carry into effect any measure
which they consider conducive 10 their interest
and are determined 10 exercise such righl, are
not 10 be easily persuaded that the Justice OF The
n. h.l,t th,t
"thc President AMI Directors OF The Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Company are adj
yset by abe counsel OF This State and by Julisis
amung The most eminent OF the Union thai the
ACT authorizing The extension oil the Louisa Rail
road from The Junction 10 The Dock, in the city
Of Richmond, is in manifest violation oil he
charter Of nat company" As 10 any consilu-
tona difficulty which may be involved in the
question, or as 10 the proper remedy Ia be resorl,d
10 Tor redress, surprising the TACT certainly 10 exist,
that the charter IS violated, il is admitted that The
| ,pinions of such cable counsel and eminent ju.
ISIS" might well be consulted but, as 10 The mat
Ter OF tact whether The charter is violated or not,
the opinions Of men CT sound sense and rraei
al judgment, well acquainted with the locaii-
les and relative positions OF the Two ROADS, might
! perhaps be much more safely relied on IN aIriV-
! inG 2d@Si!pts. - r. -,
pruve To be a thorough and satisfactory analysis
| OF the guarantee clause attached 10 the charter
| OF the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
| Company which is relied on 10 defeat The pro-
! postd extension Of The Louisa Railroad, and
| which would seem 10 be ifaughI with so much
difficulty.
| This clause is in the following words, 10 wit ::
| THAT in The even! OF the completion Of Inc SAID
railroad from the city Of Richmond to me town
| If Frederick burg, within the lime limited by
this acl, The General Assembly will not, Tor the
pcriod OF 30 years IRON The completion OF the said
/ railroad allow any other railroad 10 lie construct
ed between the city OF Richmond and Inc city Of
Washington, or Tor any portion OF The said dis
! lance The probable effect OF which would he 10
diminish the number OF passengers travelling
between one CITY and the other on the railroad
authorized by this act or TO compel the compa-
nv, in order 10 retain such passengers, TO reduce
the passage money"
The first and most prominent inquiry suggest
eli To The mind on reading this clause, is as 10 The
true character OF description Of passengers in
tended To be indicated by it and embraced in the
| guarantee VIZ
/. Whether the passengers designed 10 be IN
dictated by the phrase passengers travelling be-
tween the one city and the other," are to be
considered as passengers travelling the rholc Of
the distance between the one city and the other
technically cal ed, "ttroush passengers, onlyi-
Or
3 Whether passengers travelling for shor
distances on the said road or between point ant
point, usually called "way" or lOca! passengers,
arc also 10 be considered as embruc, d IN th'
guarantee:
BY adverting 10 the language used IN the pre-
amble 10 the recited CLAUSE, it will be seen tina
the rai'ro ID authorized by the act. is spoken Q
"a intended 10 form "a portion OF the man
Northern aid Southern roue between The Gil,
Of Richmond and the city OF Washington ant
il is believed it is said, that the privilege
Transporting passengers on the same and recei'
ing the passage money, will form strong W.
ducement 10 individuals to subscribe Tor stocr
in the company; of the benefit OF when pr
viiege the General Assembly goes on 10 say,
would be unreasonable and unjust that Inc.
should thereafter he deprived Now can an,
unbiased mind for moment believe, that TIT
wr;,er of this preamble al the time Of writing
it, or the Legislature in adopting it. had an
thin, csc in view than the Through travel
upon thi, great lhorough-fare between the tw
cities alluded to-the one the Capital Of one o
the Oldest and largest States Of the Union, an
the other the Capital of the whole Union; o
that either Of them had in view, or designed
embrace by such language The mere way o
local travel between point and point, or for shoi
distances only al either end of this thorough
forc:'
But, again-when We come 10 The enactin
! clause oil the guarantee, We find thu same kind ,
language constantly used, as IN The preamble,
speaking only OF passengers travelling betweea
eiiy IF Ricimond and the city Of Hashington-a
though the road authorized by the ACT was moi
, extend Tor more Than hall The distance belwee
the two cities; still carrying out the same idei
that i, was the through" iravel only belwee
, the one city and the other, which the LegsiatuI
had in view in the guarantee.
; And, agan-lhe words OF the guarantee ar
r sghal in The even, OF The completion OF The sal
railroad from The city OF Richnond 10 The 10"
, OF Fredericksburg within the time limited by u
ac, The General Assembly will not, for The perlt
OF thirty years from The completion OF The sa
: railroad, allow any other raiFoat 10 be ccnslrn
. ted bs,weer the city OF Richmond and The ell
/ OF Washington, or tor amp port'o' Of ne sa