Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-12-18
. urWe have seen with regret the effort making


Lefore the Legislature Of Virginia to repeal SO
much Of the chatier Of the North Western Virgin
il. RsiIroati IS imposes upon that company certain
IS. Tssiue;eEs. We regard this effort o. that COM
pahy Us an act Of bad faith on their part, and
ale confident that the Legislature of Virginia, in
view OF tile factsrfthe cIse,snL with knowledge
ot.the circumstances under which the chatter of
the Nlnh. Western Virginia Railroad Company
was obtal..ed, will besow to sanction this effort.
:, A brief review Of these facts aud circumstances
IL maternal to the geoITect apprehension of the
bearings { the present application Of the COM
pany. II is hardly mote than necessary to allude
TO the controversy of the Baltimore and Ohio R.
R. Company as to the right OF way though Viz
gins, finally Terminated under the act of March 6,
1888 and the contract Of this city concluded July
il.ls4J. Suffice it to say that under the provision
OF these laua aud This contract, this city agreed
Ito subscribe and pay to the capital stock OF the
B,ItinoFe and Ohio Rairoad 100000. 50 soon as
Their line should b. completed to The Monongehela
nvre. The object Of this city in making this sub
= ssnpGod is obvious, from the contract, and was to
s=cuIe to the c,tyihe ''PsIcticaI benefits Of the
WesteIn terminus Of the Road"
Itwas Tot this that we subscribed, it was for this
that nc hau eontended; aud this end we thought
6onf kie secured 10 US by the express Terms of
the crntIact. wedid not ask for brlnch. we
did not want it. twas tie Sestsrn terminus tpith
Impractical benefits that we sought, and for that
wehagained adpsip the price. Wenever would
have subscribed 100000 for branch road. and
which could have Deen made fOr half that sum.
The cpp,icutiUn Of the North Western Virginia
R,ilroal fr this charter had been before the leg
re IN
81. aud had never been g'anted because the then
Legislature Of Virginia had personal knowledge of
the fact that this application was in fact but the
Od right OF way application Of the Baltimore and
Ohio RriIruad Company, IN new dress, and that
its passage would be violation of the pint and
q intent ofthe past legislation policy Of Virginia
Tow ards the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Compa
ny. and OF the contracts of the City Of Wheeling,
m de with thit company under those laws. and
with that regard to the obligation OF contracts
which has ever characterized iae Commonwealth,
herlegisiaure steadily refused to lend their sane.
ton to an enterprise which, under changed
Nance was really designed to effect for Baltimore,
tnat winch Virginia had so steadily refused, her,
and hat Which the Baltimore Company wee
bound by the true spirit of Their contract not to
ask, and which they could not honurably accept.
even tEgranted This was substantially the con.
dltlon of the parties Geforethe Legislature Of Viz
ginia at the commencement Of The session Of 1850
1851.
What is the history Of the Legislation Of that
session upon this question: Many, now members
Of the Legislature, well remember them, but as
others ,IO not, We may be paTdoneJ for briefly
stating them. There we've two imposing spplica-
lions for Railroad charters from our section of the
State presentsfitO that session. The one an app j.
cation TON Brooke to connect with the HeupfeId
snd the 0theEthe application Of the North West
EN- Va. 4 lroad Company. Wheeling found her-
self thus between two interests, the one seeking to
take from her all that she had IabOred and paid
for to the Baltimore anil Ohio Railroad Company,
aud the other seeking to draw from her Western
st:adF and travel which had been great induce
ment to her efforts to bring the Baltimore and OHIO
RaiITuad to this city. Seeing that her commercial
ruin involved in the success Of these 1lval
enterprises, and she must, did they succeed lose
her heavy outlay in the Baltimore Road, and ts
left in TACT without rIiIroad, SEEING that the State
was her en.otsef for $500. GOO anl more deeply in
trrrated in the success Of her Genital improvement
which the North Western Rold so emnently en-
dangsre', the City Of heeling. through her dele
justice aud protection against this new effort of
the BALTIMORE sRd Ohio Railroad. The question
was up idthe House, the friends of the proposed
charter had been heard, aud the delegate from this
sc.ty had the Aoor GU Saturday at the adjournment
OF the HOUSE, aud this question the SPECIAL or
der foE Monday. a compromise was proposed, and
on Monday oftert the meeting of the House, a mem
BET rom Bedford asked TO have the special order
- anu its opponents were eudeayorins 10 agree TO a
bilnwhlch would secure the nights of all. TIE ACT
Of march 1851 incorporating this Company ives
t's.tpils Of thrt compromise. 1t was agreed up
OF out Of the house bv The Parkersburg Interest
and the del. Eatefrom :hs City Of Wheeling as a
l. eomptOnlse, it was introduced into the House of
Delesa IS the same day ugreed compromise,
and passed 10y about 20 majority, the member from
3 ne City IF Wkeesng votiMg for the bill. lu the
Senate It met with violent opposition aud upon
lest vote GA aH amendment introduced by the Sem
at1r from Amherst. which the hieuts Of the hi,
Itsgatied as destructive, it saved by the vote
Of The Senator from thisIs,nef,tuog ftom We teeH
BE declaring that he voted for the bil as the com
pact and aerssd eomptomise OF the conflicting in
tgtssls. This is short history Of the passage of
d that bill aud we believe that it would otherwise
been lss tied in the House as we are certain
t'~Onhi have been in the Ssnats. The vote Of
o4eesansmbsrs being sufficient for that purpose
Asst was .nticlpated the Baltimore Road to k
: gehu1Ee Ofthis rad. It's President was elected
Psesilent Of this Company anl what sums of
money have been expended on its construction j
have been mainly. derived from Baltimore and
aatits 5Rond. and the policy Of the Baltimore and
oSIo Railroad has bsen such as no longer to
leave Us IN Doubt as to their design to make so
= Ter astheY can the North Western Virginia Road
their main line 10 the Ohio 50 rs to have this city
asthe terminal point Of the branch rather than
hes vas Contemplated BY all parties the praeti-
ell Rastsrn Tssafzna Of III. ND Since