Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-09-10
Wilmington and HEancE.cster ES'.ii- i
road.
House Of Personalities, largest. 1852.

chester Railroad Company" The bill simply gives
to this company the indulgence to Wiih"!d the
payment Of duty upon their imported rom, for
four years. from the Government, for which time
legal interest is TO he paid. move the previous
question on the passage OF the bill.
Mr.. MCQUEEN. | trust my friend will allow NE
to make few remarks
MIR. PENN. As my friend comes from the dis
trct through which the road is to pass, ] with
draw the call for the previous question, on the
condition that he will renew It.
Mr. MCQUEEN. | promise the gentleman TO
renew it,
Mr.. CoBB. I would ask the consent of the
gentleman to allow me to submit an amend
ment to the bill.
Consent was not given.
Mr.. MCQUEEN. Mr.. Speaker: | do not pro-
pose at this late period OF the session, 10 delaIh
the House with discussion at length upon the
merits of this bill. shall, however. as the great
er portion of the road to which the bill apples
runs through my district, exp ain lis object; and
proceed to do so with the confident belief that
when it shal. be we'll understood, there will not be
found ten members in this House in opposition 10
it. The indulgence asked is for a company MO
are constructing link Of railroad as 4 continual
ton of that which now extends as tar as VIII
mington in North Carolina, over which the great
southern mail from the North 10 New Orleans IS
difficult and dangerous lines of navigation upon
this continent Two years ago, an act was passed
by Congress- at the nstignaton OF my friend from
the Wilmington district of North Carolina, Mr..
Ashe1 granting an indulgence similar to the one
proposed by this bill for the road extending as
far as Wilmington. Between that bill and the
present there is the distinguishing difference that
that bill provided for the payment Of no interest
by the company, who were 10 give bonds ior the
faithful payment Of the duty, whilst this one pro-
vides for the payment OF every dollar OF interest,
to be, together with the duty upon the iron, Sc
cured by bonds, which are to be approved by the
Judges of the district courts of North and South
Carolina, and made satisfactory to the Secretary
OF the Treasury. There is also a condition III
this act that the money arising from the carriage
of the great mail from the outh TO the East over
this road shall be retained in the Treasury, and
as it accrues, be discounted with the Post Office
Department tor the satisfaction of the bonds This
link runs through the level pine forests III North
and South Carolina, and is being constructed by
the planters Of that country, who have mainly
worked out their stock in the grading OF the road.
Gentlemen ask why the company constructing this
road come here and ask this small matter! Ev-
cry one acquainted with the planting interests
knows very well the great Importance OF this IN
diligence in the payment of the duty upon iron,
so that planters who can realize upon their crops
but once year, can measure their payments TO
suit the season of the year at which they can sell
and realize the proceeds of their crops | assert,
indeed without fear vi contradiction. that there is
no road in the United States of more importance
to every portion of the Conederacy than this one.
The mail is now carried with great facility from
New Orleans to Maine upon steamboats, and rail-
roads, with the exception of this gap, and about
thirty miles in the State of Georgia. The navi-
CATION from Wilmington to Charleston is so dill
cult that there is no part of the route from this to
New Orleans where so many disappomtments
unavoidably occur as on this particular portion.
The company now get $4,000 year for the
transportation oft le mail from Weldon 10 Charles
ton. The act was passed for the benefit OF the
Wilmington road two years ago, made similar
provision TO this in regard 10 dlscountlig moneys
with the Department; and have been author
lied to say that every dollar which has been sus-
pended for the benefit of the Wilmington road,
has been paid by the transportation OF the mail
it has fallen due When We look a little into the
history of the law in regard to railroad iron. fiat
ter myself that gentlemen will not be disposed here
to oppose this bill because a>scr; the fact that
there has never been the first dollar granted in the
wa, OF favors by tle legislation of this Govern
ment 70 the planters Of South or North Carolina,
unless it be by the little Indulgence given to .he
Wilmington Railroad Company two years ago,
WNllc lllS MAN vi
ton were all constructed during the existence of
laws which entirely repealed duty upon railroad
iron. In 1892 the duties upon railroad iron were
repealed. In 1896, the duties which had been
paid by Kentucky and Ohio railroads were refund
ed TO them, upon the ground that they were TO
be made equal with those having the benefits OF
the law passed III April, 1882
Mr.. Stevens of Pennsylvania. Docs not the
gentleman know that the railroad companies WHO
made their roads while thatla was in existence,
paid nearly double the price which railroad iron
now COSTS!
Mr.. Mcqueen. I am not able to answer the
question as to the precise amount Of ,h" prices
of iron, but tell the gentleman this. that although
iron NAV have cost more than n1w. il will always
diminish in price Il greater number OF !ucn en-
gage in It's manufacture; but that does not justify,
in my opinion, an act imposing duty of thirty
per cent. upon the otOm-pianterS OF the Sou:l,
for the bcueft OF the iron manufacturers Of In"
North, when they have been obliged, often, TO sell
their cotton for less than half the price they for
merly got for it. The duty was refunded, in 1898,
to the New York and Harlem Railroad Company ::
actually paid out of the Treasury, by special act
of Congress. In the same year, the duty was
refunded to the Baltimore and Srsquchanna Raj
road Company, and by tic same act the duty on
fastenings and spikes, even, was repealed, and the
duty on them formerly paid by the Georgia Rail-
road Company refunded. In 1898 the duty was
refunded 10 the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and
Baltimore Railroad Company. In 1912 ali iron
for railroads was allowed to be imported free Of
du.v until March, lSt3, and thcn a duty imposed