Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-02-06
Panhandle Railroad.

Panhandle Railroad.
The Committee on Roads, &C., reported against
allowing the Pittsburgh & Steubenville Railroad,
Company 10 cross Virginia, and the House of Del
egates was occupied Tuesday and pert of Wetlnes-
day and Thursday in discussing an amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Smith, of Brooke, to reverse the Re-
pott Of the Committee and instruct them to rer ort
u bill. The House adopted the amendment on
Thursday, by vote Of seventy-thlee 10 sixty
four. This is substantially the action of the
House OF last winter, when special committee
was raised 10 report this BILL hrh was alterw ards
postponed indefinitely by vote of SO to 81. Mem
bers often yield to solicitation to report bill in
order that the parties may be heard on the oues-
lion, when at the time they have not the most re-
mote idea of voting for the bill on its merits The
advocates Of this bill know this and will hardly
hope FOR the future. The stTangeSt thing about
the conduct of the advocates of this bill is their
persistence before the Legislature that this is Vir-
gina bill, on the lands of Virginians and construc-
ted by Virginians in the face of what every citi-
zen of Brooke and Hancock knows to tie contrary.
Now we woutd like to know what citizen of Brooke
and Hancock, other than Mr.. Jesse Edgineton,
[who we believe has $1,000 of stock in the p & S.
Road,) owns one dollar of stock in the Panhandle
Road or has spent one cent in the construction of
The road across Brooke.
Wewould like to know if every cent of the
money invested in Brooke county did not come
from the Treasury of the Pittsburgh and steuben-
vile RoilrosdH Who will deny thisY We would
like to know whether this road (..now the absolute
property Of Messrs Wells and Edginston,") would
pass to their heirs at law. whether certain sin
denture," referred to vaguely in the deed from
Graft fex-nreSidenf nj he B. y to
and Edgington, would not control the reversion and
take back to Pittsburgh its own plorer,y2 There
is no use in making false issue. The road is be-
ing made by the Pittsburgh and Steubenville Rail-
road Company for their benefit and none other
and the clamor about "virginians Masking their
own road over their own .and' is as bold pre.
tence asever was invented. 1t is not even spacious
1t has not the merit of good design even. Now
while the hue and cry is going OH about this road
what is Pennsylvania doing with the Frankiin
Canal Company9 This canal company built road
without authority of law from Erie to =. They
had authority to build canal but not railroad
The Legislature had the control OF its charter and
have rspeGledn and forfeited the Railroad to the
Stnte anG Gov. Bigler has issued his proclamation
10 That eft ct declaring this road lie property of
the State: This act is correct, but how would the
Pittsburgh and Steubenville Company fare. did
Virginia apply Pennsylvania laws andilegislation
to their road Viz mia. The Legislature of
Pennsylvania but carried out Judge Blacks opin-
ion on the right to. construct Railroads without
authority of law. He was correct and so was the
Legislature, and Pittsburgh will be the stto CON-
plain OF this action, unless applied by Virginia.
The power OF repeating thu franklin Canal Com
pnny's charter, gave no authority 10 forfeit a
rH ho0d TO the Stale. That was done on oris inai
anu elementary principles, that the Legislature
must LOOK TO the State, the whole State, and that
in oIier to conduct properly the Internal l,a-
provements of the State, the Legislature mus
have The cortrol of all public Improvements and
say when and where and how they shall be con-
struc;ed. Were we the owner of the BaltI
more and Ohio Railroad, there is no sum which
we would not give to have the Virginia Legisla-
ture sanction the principle of the Panhandle Road,
for under it the Baltimore and OHIO Railroad could
effect. up the valley connection with Kentucky,
Tennessee and the South West. worth to her city
more than every other improvement now entering
Baltimore. The great Virginia improvements
would then be tie feeders of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, and where would be the millions OF
money invested by the Statei in Internal Improve
menlss Let the Legislature but look to Virginia
IN their action upon this question, and we shall
be content with the result