Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-10-25


The Petersburg papers take very serious no.
tce of the late railroad meeting in this city, and
much to our surprise, discover in its proceedings
cause of grave alarm for the interests OF Peters
burg. The Intelligencer makes the following re-
marks, which we copy, believing that they will be
mot without interest to our readers:
In last paper We among other things, said thati
was in vain 10 expect aid from Richmond in construct
ing our Road to Lynehburg-that we could accede to
no proposition which that city would make 10 us With
out committing suicide a community. ne words
which we then used had not been printed before the
mail brought US the Richmond Times OF Monday morn
ing in which find the fol owing account OF the pro-
ceedings of meeting held in Richmond, on Saturday
night
I'VE omit the report
We may gather from these proceedings and other
things within our own knowledge, three facts; Isl
Richmond will not subscribe TO our Southsde hairoaa
unless we will abandon Farmvle and run up to Lynch
burg from some point the Danvie road, above
Burkes 2ndy. That failing in this she will try to get
an eastern extension OF the Lynehburg and tennessee
Road to a point the Danvlile Road and 5rdy; Ii
detested in this she will endeavor get road OF her
own from a point on the Danvlie Road--say Clark's
store, in the county OF Charotte-to Lynchburg. We,
therefore her whole game, and ought to know how
TO play our own cards. No human being 10 Petersburg
or connected with the Souhsde Railroad, dreams tor
a moment OF abandoning FarmYlle as a point on the
Road TO Lyuehburg. Not only our interest but our
pledged faith torbds even the entertaining such
proposition. We must go to Lynch5urg and through
FaTmvle and we reach the latter town at the ear
lest practicable period We learn that our engineers are
already engaged in locating ths Road from the inter-
section of the Danyilie Road to Farmvlle When that
sha be finished let the contracts be let out and the
work begun at and we snail en see whether me
Legislature will give couuteuance TO klchmondS alter
native schemes.
We have now the vantage ground over all competi-
tors, aud the question is, will We keep 1t! What Is
our position! We have secured charter Tor Road,
owned by our company RON here to Lynehburg, and
that cannot be touched by the Legislature without
consent Richmond has yet to geta charter Tor her
Road, and we ask, is it probable tRat the Legislature
will give her Road from the Dauyille line to Lynch
burg and by doing, furnish her with three connec-
tions with that town. She already has the canal, and
if we make on, Road she will have, by OF that
portion of the Danvle Road between Richmond and
Burke's Just as good a connection with Lynchburg as
we in Petersburg can possible have. Will then, we
repeat the Legislature give her charter Tor third
Roadl Never in opinion will it do so we salts
~ the members that our Road will be made. Besides
her immense stake IN the canal, the State will own
1923 500 OF the stock OF our Sonthside Road, winch
will be profitable no other Road is made to Lynch
burg; but which be vaueless it has to compete
with the canal on The North tor tradesand with the
Danve stem the South for both trade and travel
We then, have the vantage grounds II true TO our ln-
tereSs we willgive unmstakabe proofs OF our fixed de
termination to make our Road 10 Lyme hburg,
But what is the other view OF the case! Il we tater
or haitbv the way enable the friends OF Richmond
to say" 1--WE must have railway communication with
Lynch5urg, Alexandria by means OF Road from
Charlottesville to Lynehburg, viii carry OFT the trade OF
the West from Richmond Petersburg aud Norfolk Pc
tersburg has shewn that she finish her Road and
ask the Legislature to give US charter and
enable make Road from the DanvlIle Road to
Lynchburg, and thus Illustrate the designs OF AeXan-
dria and Baltimore" This would be her argument,
and it would succeed. What then would be our condi-
toni With snort Road stopped at Burkes, where
get trade or travel even to keep 1t up Tor 1t
would be idle to expect copper of profit enable
TO meet the debt which have incurred in making
it, We said the other day, that the next SIX months
would fix the destiny OF Petersburg and that our people
could make that destiny for good or evil as they might
choose TO act. Every day siren CITIZENS this impress
sion and say our fellow citizens choose between
profitable trade and profitable Railroad stock, and
q Road which will bring you little trade and never
pay enough IN profit 10 keep 1t up
Now we must confess the jealous editor of the
Intelligencer has optics far sharper than ours if
he can descry in he proceedings of the Rich
mond meeting all the purposes, positive and alter
native, which he ascrbes to our city In the re-
solution which was unanimously passed, there is
nothing whatever that hints at any arrangement
prejudical TO Petersburg. In the resolution OF
Mr. Lyons, which was rejected, there was sti-
puation for a connection between the Tennessee
road and the Danyille road, but nothing is said inn
plying that such connection would be for the
exclusive benefit of Richmond. In neither reso-
luton is there the slightest ntimation Of pur-
pose of making the abandonment OF tarmVllle
condition of the proposed connection with the
Danville road. The speeches of the different gen.
tlemen who addressed the meeting, made no re-
ference at all to such abandonment, and on the
contrary, some of the remarks were predicated on
the supposilion that Farmville would be a point
in the connecting railroad. Does the Intelligent
Ger mean to object to the clause in Mr.. Macfar-
lands resolution TO the effect that the Virginia and
Tennessee Company will not discriminate against
Richmond in establishing connections below
Lynchburg? Why, Petersburg herself viii be
solemnly prohibited from any such discrimination
if she go on to make Southside road with her
own resources, for the act of Assembly specially
provides that tie trade and travel shall have every
facility at the point where that road will intersect
the Danvlle road, for proceeding either to Rich
mond or to Petersburg.
The only rival scheme that was at all depreca-
ted at the meeting was the proposed line of rail-
road from Lynchburgto Alexandria But no dis
position was manifested (as the Alexandria Ga
ze,te error eously supposes) to attempt to throw
the influence Of Richmond against the establish
ment Of that line. II was only urged that Rich
mond should promptly secure Southern connec-
ton, as the legitimate mode Of preventing the Al
exandria line from taking off large portion Of The
trade and travel which might be attracted by the
Southern connection. In this object we should
think Pc ersburg ought to be inclined to unite
with Richmond rather than to take offence at her.
A close examination Of the IntelHgencers rea-
soning will discover that an erclusire privilege is
what that paper desires for Petersburg, and that
privilege is to nonopoze the trade and travel
East of Lynch5urg by confirming it to road which
shall not unite with the Danyille road according
10 the intention Of the act of Assembly. This
policy it will find to be, both legally and according
to public opinion, untenable. As for Richmond,
we believe she desires nothing in the world bul
an equal chance with the other competing towns.
She opposes no railroad, but does want to enjoy