Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-02-14
REMARKS OF MIR. HOUSTON,

and D,nsHb Riilroad Company.
Mr. SPEAKER: when the bill under consideration
was read this morning, hal no idea Of particru'
ing in the debate winch ! knew lis importance
would elicit but upon reflection consider II due to
ray constituents, 10 the hi,nis OF the measure anu
to myself u stale briefly my reasons Tor the course
] shal! take. ] represent people who pay largely
into the revenue, and who take deep interest IN
whatever concerns the prosperity and the honor OF
North. Carolina. They watch the owtf and pro-
gross Of the Danvilic connection with an earnest
anxiety and every breath Of az taon upon the sub
jet strikes them with fear aud apprehension, not
only OF their interests, but the interests
of the whole State, as involved ia the great expert
ment now going on TO develop her mineral wealth
and build up her own seaport towns. My VIII known
position as a warm and ardent friend Of internal IN
provement may have misled the friends OF the meas
ure TO expect my vote. assure them that my OPP
position is made "more in sorrow than IN anger,
and could vicr it in the light OF personal iavor
courtesy TO be extended to the people Of Rocking
ham and GufUrl, through their repr senta ives, my
high regard for them personally wond require me
to giant it. and grant it chc.rfaly II lney were
seeking merely branch roid thai would be fetdcr
and not bied,r to the roads Of o'r own State, !
would e. for it with ai from he treasury. When
they abandoned the DanviIle proj ct Two wears o,
and substituted for II re Dan river and lidkin
road stood by it aud fought for il 10 the last gasp.
When it was slaughtered, shoudsd and ent mhed
in the same grave with the BEAUFORT and Coahelds
road, was a mourner at the funeral
But, Mr.. Speaker | can take no sich stand for
this road. | cannot ride in the ornn bus with the
Sn,tor from Rockingham I'M il he diicarlS tn S dis
agreeable passenger. This is bill OF vital impor-
lance. 1t is not part of general system aiming
at the improvement of North. Carolina, but n scheme
proposing to take advantage Of great State expert
ment; to destroy the whole Of n magnificent fabric
about to be completed and render useless all the ef
forts and expenditures made by the State and her
citizens to redeem her from that degrading vassaage
and dependence upon her sister States under which
she has SO long abured. What, sir, is the history
Of this sche,u,! Ii is not oi;e; lis objects arc
well understood by the people and their opposition
TO it is equally understood by its friends. 1t fist
made its appearance n the Legislature at the session
Of 1913, through slinguShed rerreS NATIVE from
Rowan; and to avoid the hurtfu consequences OF It's
passage, a compromise founded in patriotism and
State pride, originated and carried through at
the 81 ne session. That comp"omis wa the North.
CAROLYN. Railroad; compromise between The east
and the west and tue centre; compromise between
the Stale and her citizens and a compromise IN
which the int, rests Of the Danyillc and Ro bingham
districts were particularly considered The North
Carolina road, with ali lis heavy costs and heavy
taxes, is the offspring Of the Dan,illc connection
The Legislature had to establish! i, in sell defence,
against that connection. AM Informed by gentle
men who were in that Legislature, TIA. the
sense Of the Legislature was that it was be
ter TO give the friends of the connection road
from Salisbury 10 Greenshoi ough, and thence to the
east at cost Of two millions. than to let then have
the connection they sought, at nothing. And sir,
this must have been done for tn, purpose of satisfy
ing those people. Whit other consideration could
ever have caused the road TO 20 to Greet s'crouya?
What OH earth could have led to the location of so
devious and serpcntine a line of road MS that from
Salisbury to Raleigh, and that, oo when the whole
work was intended to be central and to connect the
east and the west?
Sir the great good intended 10 be effected by the
road has been partially defeated, to use stronger
term by this very purpose of accommodating the
people of the Dan aud ladkn valleys. As further
evidence that this was primary object in the
chartering Of the North Carolina road, it is well
membcred that upon its final passage in the Senate,
q distinguished Senator from County in that quar-
ter of the State largely interested in the growth of
tobacco, and consequently much inter sted in con.
nection of the kinda Senator Of intelligence and
patriotism and who enjoyed the honor at the time TO
eside the deliberations oflhcScnatc-savc' the
bill by his casting vote, and fixed the destiny and dr-
ection ofin er"al improvements in the Strte wh be-
fore hung trembingn doubt For that act whether to
result in veal woe, and for the motive that
prompted it, he has secured the respect and esteem
Of every citizen. trust he wears his age aid his
honors well. Sir, had this road been located as it
should have been, from Salisbury to Beaufort har.
Dor, centrally through the State, without regard to
Grcensborough, Danvc, liilsbUrough, Raleigh or
Goldsboroush. il would have accomplished what its
prof ,cors dcsigne it to do 1t would have travers
cd our coalfelds and borne off to towns The
rich deposits of mineral wealth, which are yet d IS
tined. trust, to cnr ca the State. 1t would then
have been, indeed and in fact, central road to
which branches would have been built, all bringing
their rich fic'ghts 10 North Carolina markets. for
sale and for Shipment a1d before this we should
have realized the great advantage that our sister
States enjoy over US in the matter Of Northern
exchange, and to proclaim "urs,f their qua in the
financial world. The old town of Fayetteville mi ht
not have been robbed Of her trade, and yong de-
cay and her people would not be here in the a,
tudu of supcaton, praying the Legislature to save
them from ruin. And would not hc here impor
ing the General Assembly to give us a road from
the coaield, to Beaufort, to mcnl up end secure
what have lost by the injudcious location uf
the North Carolina road.
Sir, previous to tie chartering OF the North Car
olina road, the people whose representative am,
constantly persisted that the State ought not TO be-
come partner n, woi Is of tie kind and, sir, no.
thing but the laudab!c design contemplated in the
charter Of the North. Carolina road could have in
duced the Legislature Of 1913 to depart from that
policy. But, sir, we have dene SO the experiment
Is made; whether based upon wisdom ID sound
policy not, il is row too late to recall the act and
It is TOO soon to abandon the experiment. We of
the east have taken and ad pted as our course of
policy. And besides, sir, we remember that four
wears ago both political parties, with their distn
guished leaders in the Gubernatoria canvass advo.
Gated not only the completion Of the North Carolina
road, but its extension east and west as matter Of
State policy, for the ostcnsble ard avowcd purpose
Of carrying out the great effort heretofore made by
the State TO improve her condition This fact in.
volved the State into an additional debt in 1854 OF
one million for the North Carolina road and twelve
hundred thousand for tbs eastern cxicns on, max.
ing, all together, to say nothing Of the western ey-
tension (or do not presume that that subscription
will be required by the passage oil this BILL Of four
million one hundred and twenty thousand dollars,
all of this great am'u' IT OF money due and owing
from the people OF Norih-c ar lima INTO her treasury
would be utterly aud total wuucsS 1t We pass
this hill and not o. w TINT nmonni for we mly add