The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-04-27
The Road Across Virginia.

Some people think that a railroad. canal,
or other large improvement, cannot be con
strueted without a charter or act Of incor-
Poration. This is great mistake| A mai
who owns land has just as good a right TO
make a canal or a railroad through it as he
has TO make a common road to his barn. or
TO his fields. But canals, railroads, &c ,
are generally too costly and extended to be
constructed by one individual. Many, there
fore, unite, ami accomplish chat easily which
one could scarcely do at all. Ii is ~inconye-
nient, however, for the Individual partners
to convey their shares BY deed, will, grant,
DC, as Of en- as interest or inclination
prompts, or for all Of them TO become Joint
parties to suits at law, and therefore a char
ter or aetef incorporation is usully obtained,
collecting the Interests of the several parties
iGtO an artificial person under a certain
name, with powers of perpetuity, suing, and
being sued. speaking through its seal, and
the like. Other privileges are added, as the
right TO take land and materials for construc-
ton; in return for which restrictions are
usually impOsed-as that No more than a
certain rate Of toll shall be taken, &c.
In the case OF the construction of the rail-
road over Brooke county, the necessity for
a charter is in a great measure dispensed
with. The work is short and not costly
One man WINS the land, in fee simple. The
adjoining land n desire him to make
the road, and will furnish materials, and the
~citiZens on each side for miles are also fa-
vorab:e, and will back him with their indi-
vidual influence and with the corporate
power of their respective counties. No in
corporated road company or State road
stands in the way. Mr.. Means is a c~iizens
of Ohio, aRd in IA conflict wi h Virginia Las
a right to be heard in the federal courts,
where he will find a broader basis of Justice
than in Virginia. And finally when the
road is completed, as twill have received
no favors from the State of Virginia, so will
it be free from the restrictions with which
improvements of the kind are usually Cir
-cumsciibed.
All the difficulties, therefore, in prospec-
tive, are the annoy ances in the internal man
agement of the finances of the road, AMI
those TO be anticipated from Virginia legiS-
lation. The former will be but triiing.-
The latter will hardly amount to much
Virginia has already arisen to a sufficiently
bad eminence by her invidious refusal to
grant to tie people Of Brooke and Hancock
what she so freely bestows on the people of
other counties. The subject has attracted
the attention of the country. Public SYM
pathy is with her banned and neglected
children of Brooke and Hancock. All
tongues speak of it, and already cry
"Shame upon Virginia!" Many Of her
own sons feel ashamed of her Injustice thus
negatively committed. She will therefore
hardly go further, and by an affirmative
act punish and anney her people merely for
improving their own land. Even in the
present state of feeling she has tabled a prop
o>ition like that, Coupled with the advice
given her by her lea ling men to so ON with
a charter, this may be taken as CONCLUSIVE
of her future action. Indeed We would n0t
be surprised if a reaction now i'll progress
should force tie charter as soon as the road
can be put in successful operation, But if
the very worst should come, as we said be-
fore Mr.. Means is a citizen of Ohio, and
would have d right to be heard in the U. 5.
Court, which we believe has not Yet been
lax in as erting tie principal that a man has
a right to improve his own land.
Looking at the whole subject, We feel
certain that more money has been spent in
pursuit OF a charter han it is worth, A
like sum would pay for all the inconycni-
ence Of lis absence until the ,~iyalrics and
an'mosities of cities and Sta s shall exist
only in old newspaper files, and when a
new generation would grant the favor for
the asking.-SteQ. Union.