Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-05-01
President A.. l.. L. II. K. r. Co.
ALEXANDRIA, March 23, 1857.

have the cordial cooperation of all the Virginia dele
cation in the next Congress, am dear sir, yours,
LEWIS MCKENZIE,
President A.. L. l. II. r. r. Co.
ALEXANDRA, March 49, 1857.
A Bill granting portion OF the public land to the
| Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad
| Company in consideration Of mail transportation
and other services.
SEC. |. Be IL enacted, &c, That the Postmaster
! General BIZ and he is hereby authorized and directed
! to contract with the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hamp
shire Railroad Company, incorporated by the State OF
Virginia for the transportation Of the mails OF the
United States their raroad at auch times as may
be required, and charge for such service IN c0nside
ration of which, 7O0O00 acres OF the public lands be
aud they hereby granted TO the said company, to
aid in the construction OF their road and full COM
pensaton or all services rendered or to be render
ed; which land. shall be selected by such agents as
the said company shal appoint, out OF any public
lands, subject to entry at private sale-such selection
to be subject TO the approval OF the Secretary OF the
Interior: Provided That no part Of said grant shall
vest take effect until forty miles of said road, com
mencing at its eastern terminus, shall be completed
and actually in use, The satisfaction OF the Secrea
ry of the Interior after which such grant shall vest
and take effect for said forty miles raeaby 10 the en-
tire length of said road, and for each and every addl
ona miles Of said road, continuously, which shall
| be 80 completed and ready for use.
SEC. 9. That the said company shall also agree to
transport, in consideration OF said grant, and as
condition thereof, whenever required so to do, troops
and munitions OF war, free of charge: and shall, in
all matters relating TO such transportation and TO the
transportation Of the mails aforesaid be subject to
the same aws, rules and regulations, and be liable
10 the like penalties and forfeitures tor neglect or
failure to perform duties required of them,
or may be provided by law in cases OF contracts for
! like services.
Sec 8. That the said lands shall be selected from
among those sections which are designated by even
numbers, and shall embrace any lands, which are
valued by law at greater sum than one dollar and
quarter per acre.
In reply to the above, Mr.. Faulkner addresses
card to his constituents through the last Winchester
| Yirginien. He commences by declaring himself the
warm friend of the A. l.. and Hampshire Rail Road
| --considers it most judicious enterprise, one to
which he would like to see the State make liberal sp
preparations. and expresses the livees interest in
its speedy completion. But Of the mode in which
President Mckenzie proposes to seek aid, Mr.
Faulkner speaks as follows:
at is true have said and repeat it, that all ex.
pectation of aid from the Federal Government to.
wards the construction Of that road-whether your
representative be Democrat, Wing, or an Ameri-
can, is idle, vain and lusory. II is neither
less than trfng with the people interested, TO hold
any such absurd expectation 10 them. There ls not
a man who proposes advocates such aid that for
one moment believes it attainable. If my hosii itv
TO this enterprise is inferred from The fact that de
clared in R0mney Oh the 9th OF April, that would
not vote for the bill which President Mckenzie has
given I'd notice he to press upon the next Con
gress il only shows how illogcally partlzans may
reason when it suits their purpose to do injustice to
a political opponent. 1t would be very easy thing
tor me show that President Mckenzie, in pressing
such absurd and upattainable scheme is showing
himself more the enemy of the road than have ever
proved myself to be. The bill which he proposes
could not obtain the assent OF Congress the entire
Virginia delegation supported il. President Mcken.
zie let tell him. is in on that polnt-and II
ought not to have the approval of Congress if every
man, woman and child in the district we're in favor
of it, 1t asks grant Of 7OO,0O acres OF land OF
Congress, to sid in the construction ot the road in
consideration of mail service to be thereafter render
ed. Now. the Federal Government is in the habit
of paying for ts mail service in money not iand.-
lf the bill is not an application for gratuify or
donation in disguise-if il be an hOnest and bona
tide proposition for payment for legal and consitu.
tional service to be rendered the Government by this
company, why not ask to be paid for that service as
every other rail road in the country is now paid fur
such service, in money, not land! Surely our Ma.
tiOna Treasury s hot far sunk in bankruptcy that
il need be called upon TO pay for regular and cons
tutional service rendered it, in its wild and
pied lands instead OF money. The bill is without
precedent in the whole Legislation of Congress-
What would you think OF the mail contractor be-
tween Winchester and StauntOn asking for its pay in
land instead Of money! What would you think Of
the government giving to the Baltimore and Ohio
Rail Road 100 600 acres of anda year. for it's trans
portaton their road Of 400 miles at the fixed price
Of $500 mile, the rate prescribed by law, instead
of the amount now received by it in money!
Does any man suppose that Congress has the au-
thority thus to tri6e with the public domain!-
Does any doubt, but that such course
would be q gross violation OF the trust which It
has assumed for their proper admins ration'-
But suppose the power existed in Congress to
sanction President McHepze's policyl Ought
they to exercise such a right? In what State
or territory North South does he propose to
locate his magnificent grant, Is it in Alabama or
Misshsippi-in Indiana or Illinois! Have you any
idea how much space ia covered by grant Of 700 900
acres. have no statistics mere to enable me TO say
precisely-but would hazard the conjecture that it
will cover the space occupied by the counties ol
Berkeley, Jefferson, Frederick Clarke, Warren and
Page-nearly entire Congressional District, and
now containing no less than seventy thousand in.
habsnts on ills surface. Would our States, West or
South, submit to have such a slice as that cut out
of her eminent domain, aud vested in foreign cor
porstion. not ameush!e TO her laws and having no
interest or sympathy in common with her people! If
il is right under such circumstances to grant IUUOD0
acres to the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire
Rail Road, with what justice could you refuse tine
same favor to the Winchester and Potomac Rail
Road7 The Manassa Gap Rail Roadl The sixteen
other Rail Roads in Virgins! The one hundred and
ten Rail Roads in New England! The fifty six in
New York; The thirty Six in Pennsylvania! And
the Asa in the United States!
And at the same quantity to each Rail Road in
the United Sta-s what do you suppose would be the
aggregate of the grants Three hundred and egh-
teen millions-nore than three times the quantity OF
land sold by the United States for settlement since
the foundation OF the Government Would The peo
pls of this District counteuenos me in giving my
sent 10 such policy as that. Is this The mode in
which they wish their great national inheritance dis
posed of7-that parimony which they and their chill
dren and their childrens children will, for generations
yet TO come, look 10 for refuge and home if adver.
aity and misfortune shall strike them down OH the
lend of their nativity If such statesmen Clay
aud Webster looked with horror at the idea of par
ceiling out the Public Domain amongst the 81 States
of the Cnion as leading to the most disasrous aud
Injurious cons squences-,s it not enough to cause
their mighty spirits to burst the very cereens Of the
grave at the mere agitation by their pretended adm
rers, OF policy tha. would lead to parceing out
that great national Inheritance amongst the 45i rail
road corporations of the country7
have said further, and repeat it, that this cease.
less effort Of the opposition press ride this railroad
as party hobby-to make it a lever by when tney
expect to overturn the established political iain ol
this dstrict-this effort TO cast lis d1stInies 'o e
whirlpool OF Federal polite. is rs ubwise ana inuIs
Greet, it is cruel to The hopes Of the people h.ef
ested n its construction. The Inevitable VI
their stupid policy will be TO array anu
vinclbe party against their enterprise. rom "na'
source the certain and reliable nsano ~, no eon
.truc,on 10 be derivedf Is it not in part from the
Democratic voters of Frederick ls II not 10 high
decree from the Democratic General Assembly Of
Viryipsi And do they imagiue that they commend
TO the favorable consideration OF these i'm
nortaut allies BY attempting 10 crush Democrat for
ibe alleged reason that he will not prove false the
faith of Virginia and slse to the faith of the Demo
cratic psr;yl-that hs will not embrace their Wild
reckless. latitudnaran construction of the powera oil
the Federal Governmentl-and because he is not pre-.
pared go with them in degrading the ancient com.
monweath OF Virginia at the shrine of the Federal
Msnmonl 1t ia not those who profess to be the
riends OF an enterprise that are always its true