Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-04-06

men, to this bill. | regretted Mr.. Speaker to hue
the arguments of the distinguished gentleman saf
Berthe and the eloquent member from Pitt in onno ION
ton TO The Western Bill say, sir, regret tbapt
such time, when every section and portion rs At
State, teeming with latent wealth and inyina vi
hand of Improvement when the will of the peon77 'Ae
fected here by their representatives admonishoJ
to extend the hand when the friends of Improve Us
had made common cause, and its very genins sont
to preside this general assembly, that the na
and the influence of such men, coming from sroL
quarter, should be raised and extended for its ANA
lation. The great OBJ lection of the gentlemen r+L
argunentum adhominem) the ad captandem emn Ene
ed is ruin and taxes" admit sir, as the gentIay
from BERTHE has truthfully remarked, " there is n
much poetry in tax bill - and sir am as mnrb Nv
posed 10 wild and reckless system of Railroad MP
ing as any man upon this floor | am as much ~
posed as the gentleman himself to see the Stato;
volved in debt Sir, the people have as much inteIE
gence we have, they know what it is that b
created the necessity for this very "unpoetcal +
BILL" they know that the three million debt for ~
North Carolina Road was created by past Leg;sIn
lures We are not responsible for that The FsStacr
and Western extension was required of US as nartr
men, by our party patform-in a dilemma we had =
take hold of one horn or the other we had 10 cboo
between losing the two millions already spent to Nv
the road go down, to sink again into Rp.Va
sumber of twenty years, or expend two millions tw
hundred thousand in order to save all The lor
course has been taken, and now gentlemen comnan
of the debt 1t is deb and must be paid Mvown
constituents pay largely into the public treasury
they never have asked one dollar from it whea
they are called upon they will pay their tax cheer
fully and without a murmer; the people are not 50
apt 10 complain at the amount they pay, as they are
at not being admitted to equal enjoyments in what
they pay for.
When they pay the heavy tax of the next two
years, and remember that it is created by works If
improvement by which they can never be directly
benefited, and that their application for similsr
works and for much less aid has been rejected NAV
they not in justice complain Will not such state
things lead them to look with contempt and ieaous
ly upon the work that is thus bu7densome is NIT
calculated to breed lasting opposition to improve.
ments in the State Such is my opinion at Iea.f
sir While have raised tax for its accom-
plishment we should adopt system that will benefit
as many Sc cons of the state, as were able by this
means TO sustain road, (and think you have now
supplied all but my own,) and my word for it sir
where the people that the benefits are mpar,iaIv
distributed you will never hear them complain Give
to my people this road and endorse their bonds for
Eight thousand dollars per mile, and assure you sir
they will build the road pay their taxes and remain as
patriotic as ever.
The distinguished gentleman from BERTHE referpl
US to the State of Pennsylvania and the conse
quences brought upon herself by reckless Legislation
upon the subject of railroads Sir, reCoect few
years ago, that nothing more commonly seen in
the newspapers, than the ruin of that State | read
! its story often when a school boy. | remember to
have seen on one occasion the financial condition Of
that State eloquentIy contrased with that Of North
Carolina, and the &c clean bill of health made GU,
for our own State | doubt not it cause Of
infinite delight to her statesmen little than
ten years have elapsed since that time but sir
would like to see the relative positions of the two
States portrayed before this house. | think sir it
would have good effect upon this bill to the
ruined State of Pennsylvania, emerging from desOa
ton, clothed in wealth and splendOr, with her towns
cities and villages, her commerce, agriculture and
manufactures, her railroads, canals and navigabA
rivers, her dense population, fertile soil and flour
ishng universities, and last, though not least, the
number of her delegates in the national council
which by every census gains one while North Caro-
lima loses one. And all is supernduCed and brOugh
about by Internal Improvements At the beginning
of the republic New York and North Carolina were
about equal in population and Importance but while
the by nursing her has grown to great
ness and renOwn the other rejoicing in the mora
worth, stern integrity and strict economy of her pec
ple has neglected to avail herself of the facilities
with which nature has supplied to give magnifCen@
and independence to her State. point sir with
pride 10 Southern Stale, the Stale of Georgia,8
State which in the origin and character of her PEG
pie, as well as in the nature of her soil and her Ch
mate, Is the very prototype of North Carolina. She
} has miles of railroad than any State in the
South, and many of them have been built at fearful
cost, but that State has been intimidated;m
press on in her own Improvement and what are The
consequences to her Magical | say magical, sr
3 Inland villages have sprung up and expanded them
selves into large cities as if by magic an Amos
universal enhancement and improvement have been
going on, and Georgia, the last of the old thirteen
now the empire State of the South !; and who, sir
has ever heard the Willing cry of ruin, destItulo
= and destruction coming up from her borders
never was heard. On the contrary, the hum Of IL
dusry, the din of business unmistakable evidenc"
of general prosperity fall upon the and greet The
eye of the traveller. | say again. sir railroads
impoverish States.
But, Mr.. Speaker, to return more closely to the
subject, have not advocated this road because
will not ruin the State but because, in addition
reasons already advanced, it will become great chan
mel for the produce of the State and which can
not fail to carry its produce either 10 Beaufort New"
7 bern or Wilmington, and one which will carry
each OF their markets, respectively such produces
the State best for those markets, thereby Gre
: atng competition between the towns Of the STATE,
which must redown to the good of the agriculture
: interests of all sections
. have advocated it becase believe it viii be ro'l
$ easily and cheaply built Prof. EmmonS makes
calculation upon the transportation of COAL by Wl
Q it seems to be worth per annum sum equal to =
per cent. upon one million of dollars. If road c
# transport either to Beaufort or Wilmington o0eha
this quantity OF coal, Ca thing by means unre.
onable) the road will be paid for out and out IN M
e or twelve years, period much shorter than 10
heretofore brought the stock of our reads to par
e their operations to a dividend
1t 1t has been insnuated that this scheme is anaS
" MYSTICAL to the interests Of Wilmington This, ST.
n deny. If it proves So it is not the int.
ton of its friends to make it 3d. If is ever g..
d must be by the default of that town holding out o
l. inducements which, in fair competition, invite ~
control trade. That town, her people, her POiit
e her press have never raised word Of objection
It this enterprise The intelligent gentlemen, wn0
:, presents her interests upon this floor have D',S
st murmured objection for, sir, representing "
m prosperous, thriving and public spirited constso'5