Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-02-22
RIg;,siOND ENpssaEl.
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MONDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY FL. 1859



MONDAY siORNINt, FEBRUARY Fl. 1850
THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAIL ROAD.
The views of the writer undor the signature Of One Hf
Kuocs" sking; bu, tho facts sci forth, in their con
ction with the important subject of recIamng 10 ''
s'nla the ground lost 10 547 by aadvernce ore
astounding. The game played By the Baltimore a"0 Wv
| rail road company, was one Of bold ana ieca'
In which cities and Legislatures and soSe'es" S''' "
used without scruplr, instruments :" 80 "a' = -,
operator achieve the grand result me "'o'' s'ou p
OF drama Is now open before uS 'he 'd"u Ps''o"
being sovereign States aud po'se'iul e's. fe"'! '''
figured in the gar.o, as the eu09e'' u 1'''1' "'N
right swnde ~,
| . ,.. ,,a, was stolcn from that State. With 'l
h ~, BALTIMORE city ard pi,tsbuEg were thrown Int;
,no,,s Of excitement under hope o! rall roid cenncc
ID, When this excitement was ut top spcea the DOG
,.,,cr advance! upon the Virginia Legislature with hi
.r,,r, combinaton We here, tho storm OF excite
u, raging these nsghboring comnlrnes, and never
,c,sd i.s real c.! .acter We thought the Baltimore
ii had the uudouotsi power Of getting TO Pitsburs
~. would lose the road 10 Virginia altogether.
Thr s'ro-g game of diplomacy may &c Gs;i:I in politi
cal ;; courts OF justice have standard OF Iigh,
confo ushia plain sense. We Ihink with
the writer ui IN. .uhIned article lha, this whole game
when passes cruci5e Of court and Jury VII be pro-
nounced an unqualified imposition
From Tho views OF this writer that the charter
lS47 NAV be- assailea and annucd without all mpeschng
the purity of The Legislature granting it, or impugnng the
character of ag.ncy sent here to procure H. II Is su
e.pt 10 show fraud and isesod praclse the Legsa
turc by the grantee ol the franchise
O,e oood eftc! 10 Virginia will result from this tsur
honcs Attention has been rivetei the subject and
learn that no right has been given the Baltimore road 10
bridge the Ohio either Wheeling Parkesourg 1Hsy
nerer 1c get Gis right!-conscqueRy roads must
auye ell the Western connections This viii vast ad
vantage TO our own ciIies.
For ae Enquirer.
BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD.
AS deeply affecting the prosperity OF Alexandria
the interests of all the Virginia railroads which aim 10
connect with the OHIO river is viii unn;ecsing 10
trace The line attack upon the Baltimore ana Ohio railroad
company, contemplated by the Virginia legislature To
cardinal points which must be fully Understood.
First the charter Of S47 granted this Baltimore company,
liberal and mnu!cent 20 Baltimore aud most care
less Of the rights and interests OF prgioa cltzene IL mas
enabled Baltimore sustain her WORK by unjust and unequal
mpostions the local Virginia interests adjacent 10 the
road; aud ha5 given powers which opPress Inc esae
commerce of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal and minister
solely trade and intercourse o! Baltimore city Is
farther and tell that tbs iuprosden grant has endowed
Baltimore already overmatch with right arm Of power
nl offence, crush The rivalry OF all our water cities
From these pervadng considerations almost every Interest
the Common wealth is directly antagon'stc to that law OF
S47-and universal hope exists that In sona way by do
ful that great charter may De o!ou2ht "ith tue
grasp OF Virginia authority.
Sick pin here The wish recall that grant Of l547
and greatly 10 modify it, least as 10 protect Virginia
localities from unjust to guard great virginia
:cs OF improvement from unequal ana oFcr"!sihh com
petition is universal oil thu State II 10 natural is
o.opcr If may lapfuy be done it ought 10 be DONE
There is willis there u way
repeat, i. there way effect This Just and general
sh OF the people OF Virginia Do The facts disclosed IN
tho controversy with MIR Marshall and the record admis
sons OF the company, iaken in conaccon win c stcr'
and curious history the means adopted 10 reach heif r
oose furnish grounds Of forfeiture sustain Judgment Of
:onfscc0n1 To fom Judgment on This 2nin II IS es.
nia before give the facts which VIII be n!ceentcd 10
judicial scrutiny hal shall Ia. down certain o""d aud e.
tabiisied principles, applicable to The SUBJECT ana l''T
which there be no dissent.
Laws are classified into laws Of general! o: laws ;
private nature Laws Of general public charactc
such ns regulate State policy public Horas Prec
rulrs Of dssctnr, &C. Laac OF private nature are
p,t"n reeLa;e individual lnteresta or grant sit
Eepstiibe BY the Legislature pleasure. rcy bind
every citizen unni repealed a. mates H NJ. & now S
ture i'll no lesson ne ob!i2 .li"n u the general iaw-fr
peal is the =; ally aud s''. :''i'' ~.
|; s ct,.crwse ..!n laws rvate nature heT N
40, he :cucaled or uucied ~ ies:luure Uacer the
iccisior Of the Supreme c me T. Stass, lass o IN
corporation bslowns spcc sahts OF privilege on uh na-
associated individuals when accepted become
contract with the State and acquire all The immuuitl *
,ecdrt contracts by Inc constitution Of the ohce
SI,,, Chaucrs are cou,rac,s AMI are iuviolae tc
State legislation But whilst matter Of Contract
ey thus guarded from nfract"n, the cor?oraors and
The sovereign Su,e granting the charter occupy in al ohe
,ouchny their charter must be referred 10 Inc m Jus
;ce Tie charter like all other Contracts may N.src o:
impeachec or deception Or any material imposition
p!acticr tie Legislature ty tie pa'iia "ho procured ih
unt special favor The lIca. enquiry relates back l.
he original qrsn, and becumeS issue " lair dcaGg To-
wardasruc legislature making the Grant
DauraDrs holding the ldvonoKe o this Important gran
S47 and using 10 her own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT u the srsa
c,E, Virginia citizens shelters unde The sanctlty OF ne
chartered privileges This charter is however only contract
and the court will relieve STATE Zone o! the contracting
yartes Baltimore hu. nveigcd her into this conirac; y
la MEANS and BY imposing f1+e and fraudulent STATE
inpo,aa. fac,s calculated 10 influence and miSlea
e judgment This brings Up the lacts OF has "inte' 10
| LiSlation.
ono important misrepresentation calculated 10 sweep ,h
votes Of whole C Virginia, was lhIs-and to ap
the is Influence, tie mind nnst cas-! hae
| o ne coalition of Western Virginia a hat day In 1871
!estany Virgins was shut oat ron al access !? ~
Aunc seabold and hop4itssiy scaled Up with III h
mineral wenh, within impass'ose tA:ilIs i5a'U"ie
road year after n"te' 10 anci these as'nea
open upon them r troad avenues OF eastern coHncfCc
The Legislature Of Vsina, over ard again. from mo
iYs Of high pubic policy cled th.s rich boon ttndafe
e people, unless BitirGo'c would hIa heI ro,o
.,,ns and by q route that wUul conflict with IN
Interests OF tha Commonwealth. Virginia was In
z power and had restrain, upon he acton, eScep
Il, e.ts Of her people. She kncw he necessit.
# E!Y, . an know that through those necessities, sli
cauI, .ni Baltimore 10 build her read T. suecd!'IaiIo
10 the ~-s,,"uat interests OF The State "a tns s'ne
facts Tr years steadily rejected ali tn. solicit"'lon
I BsItmog, except The OF guarding hef own cici
| ished inerea's.
In the w.ater c .el7 Baltimore again horc 10 bar
Tor her cnareiGO pl3ilcSe5 ''S
nalued unchanged she could get grant otsr ,an ina
of preyious winers which she had aiwavs te"!.d II oe
came necessary therefore change The ucs OF the case
And in le47 Baltimore here with changed state
facts pteseong and c22ent argument TO our Legso
turc y change ts past policy, and assent 10 Contract
charter which had 20 often bern rejected.
In lS47 the Baltimore und Ohio rail road company, I'M
pressed upon her agents and authorized this statement
be made They suited they had acquired from penn
.ylyana another outlet for tcir road and were no on1e
dcperJcnt on Virginia. for passWa 10 the Ohlo. lhi
was urged with carnestness and most poen'ou
effect The company went step further In he s'aenen
Of facts impressed on the Legislature through tef aeeh
here They gave their sgon repeated ana written ihsuS
lions TO urge upon the Legislature as ht"d ana assure
act that in the event OF refusal To nas: lhem gran
their road would inevitably be built 10 P!tsso.rs unee s
aaii Pennsylvania grant, and lht Western Virginia woIl
thus forever lose this opportunity Ut development on
this changed state facts impressed with hl the snce'
81 uuh or the agents Of the company believed .heh
os.euel the fixed policy Of Virginia was abandoneo, an an
his eritu applicant secured grants Of eminent privileges 1
nov enuoie her oYershadow tho great Interests Oh w
commonwealth. The issue before the Legislature wa
oy The changed state Of The facts, sud no iouse
a Presented as question Of routes for this toao-ga.
OF road or r"sd question wh=iEer Fil!'
oafs SHOULD by the better legislation Of Pennsyivan'
i c'nusc western Virginia all together.
. I've "'F. ''nl oeaiiny ol these fartI mus: now