Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-09-14

State was endcavoring TO drive thcm into
measures; aud YET this same EaI Road
Company have expressed themselves rs per.
fectly satisfied with the hard bargain, which
it is said they had to drirc. Aud here state
fact which is highly cre;:taile 10 tie City
of Augusta: she has two excellent Free
Schools, within whose walls nbout twenty
poor children, who reside in Hamburg, have
been receiving instruction for several years,
free OF ali charges. SO much for the rapaci-
ty and i!lbera!ily Of the City of Augusta.
But, let us admit, for the sake OF brevity,
that the one-half OF the material structure OF
the Bridge, and the soil upon which it rests,
belong to this State, and even then contend
that it was unwise, inexpedient and impotic,
on the part of the Legislature, to grant the
franchise to two individuals, for their sole
benefit, to the great detriment Of the public
generally. Believing, as do, that it is the
duty Of the Legislator to protect the rights
and interests of his constituents, as far as he
may be enabled, and believing AS did, that
such grant would confer. il lis practical
operation, upon Mess:s. JONES s. KENNEDY
q private. benefit, at the sacriGce of the public
rood, felt constrained to oppose their appli
cation, notwithstanding my regard and es
teen. Tor them Is individuals.
!. :re Session Of 1852, when - pre-.
:ar:e;. ,!:s Memorial Of Alessrs. JONES IS
l.HH:,:;o., c:aying an amendment OF their
Gaar!er to tho Augusta Bridge, | immediate.
!: 1yiermincd to give the subject ali the '!c-
: liberation in my power. aIlentvel V listen
ed to the argument made by lhe learned
Council, by whom the parties We're ah! y re.
presented, before the Committee 10 whom
the Memorial was referred; | bad frequent
conversations with distinguished LAWYERS
amd gentlemen Of information, and, with ali
The lieh. thus afforded, couli not arrive at
any other conclusion, tlinn that the prayer Of
;ht memolaists should not be granted; and
it seems that the joint Committee Of both
ilonscs came to the same conclusion, rs they
unanimously reported against it; and re.
member distinctly, that the report OF the
House Committee WAS unanimousl Y sustain
ed By that body. The City Council of Au-
gu>ta were there also rs petitioners, praying
the Legislature to rc.grant the Charter to
them. which was reported upon flvor"biy b.
the Comuiitep And all amendment to the
general Road Bill, granting me franchise to
tie City Counci! Of Augusta, Mas passed
through the ilouse wi.:iuut n discerning
voice, but was stricken nut in ,he >,rnn'e, BY
a vote of lU to l3. have been thus par.
,icrlar in giving the history Of the action of
Tie Legislature nron this S';h;ec'. that the
public. .may be pnt in possession of all the
facts connected herewith, anil be he hstler
cuabled 10 form correct Judgment. At III"
last Session OF The Legislature .Iessrs JOKES
4 kENNHpy appeared again as petitioners,
and their memorial was referred - the aI'-
propriato Committee, hus was not reported
upon Dv the tionse Committee; consequent
Is the Bill WAS not acted upon By that fu,iy
Until the general Road Bill was returned
from the Senate, and was taken up for a
third reading, at late hour of tho uislt,
when nearly hall Of tie Members were ab-
sent. Umter all these favorable circum-
stances, it only passed by a ma ainiitv OF five,
the vote standing 81 to 36. In tie djscas.
sion whirh sprang up on this Bill, took the
position, that the LegsIature shoHld ncFrr,
under any circumstances, grant n franchise
unless it was for ;he public benefit: tha. the
parties APPLYING for such grant should snow
to the Legislature that they would furnish
The pnbIic with a safer, cheaper and more
convenient passage across the river than 1t
present exists, which position WAS not con-
trovcTted. Did these parties make any surI;
showing' They certainly did not to nv
satisfaction, and predicted that they would
not furnish safer, cheaper, or more conve-
niert passage across the liver. bat that ali
persons crossing upon the Augusta Bridge,
would be required to pay more than they did
before.
How has the prediction been reriiedl :
Let all those citizens Of this State who have
been in the habit OF selling lumber and other
marketable produce in the City Of Augusta,
answer the quesion-and the answer will
sustain me in the following statement. Be
fore this Act Of our Legislature, lumber and
wood wagons were only required to pay fifty
cents per load, for the privilege Of passing
over the Augusta Bridge, in which City they
found a market and ready sale for their vari,
Gus commodities; bnt now it costs a dollar
and ten cents, per load sixty cents being
required at this end of the Bridge, and fifty
cents at the other; and, let it lie observed.
that notwithstanding so much has been said
about the illiberality of the City Council OF
Augusta, they charge ten cents more. per
wagon load, at the Carolina end of the
Bridge, thau is charged at the Georgia end.
By this odious tax upon wood, an immense
revenue is cut of from the citizens Of this
District: a revenue amounting to at least
thirty thousand dollars annually, the greater
part OF which is brought from the City of
Augusta, and distributed among tho people
of this District ,H!ao:. here is the lumber
trade, which is Of erea; Importance to many
Of tie ctizens &: Iiagrwe, rs well as those
Of this District, who are entirely dependent
p7on this Bri,iga, IS highway, over which
! 10 transport ther luraber to market. | will
: .o,rJ tho sum of mo.