Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-01-07
For the Standard.

MEssRs. EDITORS: The friends of our State i'm
provement have heard with SURPRISE that the chair
man of the committee of internal improvements of
the Senate has reported avorably on the bill to char
ter q company for the construction Of a Railroad
from Greensboro to Danville, Virginia. And they
will be still more surprised, YEA astonshed, when
they shall see the report, and have the opportunity
Of reading and considering the provisions Of the BILL
and the reasons assigned for its passage The re-
port assumes fact, that so far from the scheme
injuring the Roads of Western Carolina, it WILL in
fact add to their receipts and the public are called
on to believe the absurd and preposterous PROPOSE
tion,-that the people of Richmond and DanvilIe
prepared to subscribe their capital to construct
Road that is to benefit the roads of North Carroll
ma, at the expense of their own. When the COM
mittee shall be able to point to single instance in
which Virginia has been guilty of such consummate
folly, they may expect to be believed. The North
Carolina Legislature may be guilty of such folly,
Virginia never And yet the report tells us this ef
feet is to arise from travel freight, and mail
rage The report tells US this Danville scheme has
often been before the Legislature SO that it is not
new schemes but the report fails tell us it has as
often been rejected without heretofore being even
seriously considered. When the charter for the
North Carolina Railroad was before the Legislature
and before the public for getting its stock
then told this was TO be great State work, intend
ed to benefit our own people, in enabling the farm
Of Western North Carolina to get off their sur
plus produce, and to build up our own market towns
and thus. in some degree, to remove that colonial
dependence on Virginia and South-C Carolina, under
which our State had SO long labored. But no soon
er is the work completed, at very heavy expense,
than the argument is changed, and we are now told
section Of the State should not be taxed for the
benefit of the other, nor be prevented from the
means Of carrying its produce to the nearest mar
ket, whether within or out of the State; and the
stockholders who had the folly to invest their funds
on these assurances, must pocket the loss and our
heir r n
kets. t-...- .-.,.-.. l. -...--
But to the facts and reasonngs of the committees
report. We are graveiy told that the East-Tennes-
and Virginia railroad is to work wonders for the
North Carolina road, il this link to Danville shall
only be established. That we shall then get the
through travel and freight from North Carolina, Tex
rs and California. And pray, how is this to be ef
fected? Why, by extending our road west, so as
to connect with this Tennessee and Virginia road
at what point the committee do not tell us-so it
will be we'll to make this western connection first
and then consider the propriety of making this i'm
portant link tbetween Greensborough and Danvillc
And even then, how is this great result to follow,
that is to take from the Virginia road constructed
by that State at the cost of millions and bring it to
the North Carolina road, simply because BY this
Danville link there will be saving in distance Of 80
miles, equal to two hours in point of time and of
one dollar and fifty cents in expense! So much for
travel and the mail Now for freight. The t" COM
mittee of opinion it will bring as much freight
from Virginia will be taken from North Carolina"
Because 'the tobacco and other productivity pray
what they raised within the adjacent counties
of Virginia naturally seek cotton country 70. con-
sumption" Now, If the Committee do not know the
fact let them consult the tariff of freghts OF any
road in Virginia, and particularly this Danville road,
and they will find these roads uniformly discrimi.
nate in favor of the produce going to their own mar
ketA
Such is the discrimination in favor of transport
ing the article of tobacco, that scarcely box of il
now comes over the North Carolina road nor would
it If this link was filled up It is carried from the
western counties in Wagons to the South, in order
to be pedded out and the larger quantity is carried
on the nearest route to water where it is transport
ed to the southwest. They say it will not pay to
carry it over railroads But let me state the oath
section Of this BILL and the public will see the de-.
sign and object of the whole scheme and however
disguised the supporters of the scheme may think
they have covered their work, none can fail to see
through it: .,fz. 4
SEC. "a. Be 1t further enacted, That said compa-
ny shall have power to construct branches to said
road to reach coalfieds and other interests of
Rockingham and Stokes counties, or to connect with
any other railroad that may be constructed and
any contract that may be entered into with said
company. after the consent Of majority OF the
stockholders having been first obtained, shall be
binding said company. <-sszS, - ~ 3
The bill gives the company the power of increas-
ing their stock to one million and by this section
majority will have the power Of running their
branches as they please, not only to the coalieids
Of Rockingham and Stokes, butte the coalields of
Chatham and to connect with any other road in the
State and this is to benefit our State roads and not
that Of Virgins. Now let this charter be granted,
and my word for it, in less than thirty days major.
ity of its stock will be taken in Virginia, and the
public will If these disinterested Virginia patr;-
OTIS will work for against the roads of North Car
DINA. - ~ - fg1tf
But forbear to say more, my object being sim
ply to call attention to this bold schemeto expose
it's suicidal effects, and to say If this is to be the
policy that is to control our railroad system the
sooner it is given up the better. Let tie people of
the east know that this is the design of our western
friends, and my word for it, they may whistle for
their western extension. &c. srs $
A NORTH, CAROLINIAN.
REJEcrED.-Ten out Of eleven applicants for ad.
mission to the bar in New York, have been rejected
by The examiners. This severity Of examination is
something quite new. sS5st : t,.k-r : &.
INcENDrARY ATrEMPr-An unsuccessful attempt