Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-01-31
LEGISLATURE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
SENATE

SENATE
MoNpAY. JAM 26, 1857.
Mr. B. Jones gave notice that he would move
on tomorrow, to amend the rules so as TO hoio ns"
sessions. H,,r, y,
Message from the House proposing to ADJOURN 0"
Monday next l,. NJ.
Mr.. w. R. Myers moved to lay on the 'a"'e Nv
The question then being on concnrrng IN tne
n-onos,ion Mr. Cunningham called tor the yeas
and NAYS. which resulted, yeas 20, nays 10:
Mr.. Boyd, from the committee on N ~ ";na.'
and Grievances, reported On se'e'"' '''''
M W. H, Thomas, from the committee on IL! IN
III ;u,nrovements reported on number OF bills
A. The bour of II o'clock the Speaker announced
the special order being the bill to amend the char
ter of the Western North Carolina railroao.
Mr.. Coleman moved that the Senate go into com
mittee of the Whole, which was agreed to, and Mr..
Hill of Caswel, called to the chair. 49,,
Mr. Ayery remarked that since the reconsidera-
tion Of the vote by which the amendment was re-
iected, he had had interview with the fres'ue',
of the road, and as compromise he was prepares
to offer the following amendment to the Oil % a'
additional section: .uoss,,
Be it further enacted, and it is hereby expressly
declared, as fundamental condition annexed 20 tae
granting of the foregoing amendment, mat t'e o'".e
Shall not be called upon by said Company TO pay III
upon the subscription to the capital stock OF sa'u
Company, more than five hundred Thousand Go''als
annually, except that if the French Broad ana "Ieen-
Vile Railroad Company shall surrender their cnar'
tered rights and privileges to the State, as
fore provided, then the State shall pay in on her
subscription the additional sum OF one huhureu
thousand dollars annually for two years.
Mr.. Avery did not entertain any OF the foreooo.
ings of the Senator from Richmond; nothing OF that
nature had prompted him to offer that Amendment
nor did he believe that the State would De cai'eu o'
every year, for the 100000.
Mr.. Dockerv wished to know if the amendment
proposed to strike out any feature OF the OIL.
Mr.. Avery. 1t does not. The additional section
is restriction upon the bill, forbiddns the STATE 10
pay ont more than $500, 900 per annum TO the wore
Mr.. w. R. Myers offered as an amendme e 70 uS
amendment, that no portion Of the 5000 ,OOO snoud
be applied to the mountain section of the road be-
fore the work is completed to Morganton.
Mr.. w. H. Thomas thought the amendment o.
fered by the Senator from Mecklenburg oppressive
and unjust, and amounting to a restriction "h'ch
was not imposed upon any other allway company
in the State. =,
Mr.. ". R. Myers said that the present financial
condition of the State would not justify the expen'
diture which would be necessary to carry on the
work as contemplated in the amendment to the
charter He thought the 100000 had better De
employed where it could be made useful.
Mr.. Avery said if the amendment proposed by the
Senator from Mecklenburg is adopted, the whole
bill must be reconstructed. By the provisions OF
the charter twenty-five cents the dollar Of stock
subscribed must be paid before the tunnel could DC
touched. go
Mr. Gorrel was in favor Of the construction OIL the
road. He favored the amendment proposed oy the
Senator from Burke, nor did he believe the work on
the tunnel would be lost, and with the additional
section Incorporated into the BILL tc did not believe
there could be any great danger or risk He desired
to see North Carolina progress in her schemes OF
internal improvements He desired to see the
North Carolina road carried through to the valley
Of the Mississippi.
Mr. Dockery reiterated the sentiment expressed
by him on Saturday. He thought as much had
ceen done for this road for any other road in the
State and by the present charter the road would be
constructed as far as Morganton and when there
would be in sixty miles of Ashville He considered
that as doing great deal. He argued that the
road would be extended in the course OF time, but
he was adverse to granting more aid than could be
used by the company judiciously and when he said
judieiously, he did not use it as used by politicians,
but as understood by the meaning given in the dc
tlonaries.
Mr.. Avery hoped that the Senator from Rich
mond had ceased his warfare npon the measure; but
his assault to-day was furious than his attack
on Saturday, and the Senator seems to have chang
ed his position since yesterday. Mr.. A. continued,
and urged that the proposition to stop the road at
scriptions from the western end OF the road but
with the prospect of going beyond the mountains,
men from the west and from the other side of the
Allegheny would come forward and subscribe their
money. Stop the road at Morganton, and the oner-
GUS duty would devolve on his people to increase
their subscription to double its present amount
$500, 0OO) if they Loped to carry it further The
restrictions in the original charter were forced upon
the company. 1t was hard bargain upon his Sec
ton of the country and the Senator from Richmond
stood in his place to force these people to SUBJ
NIT to bargain carrying on its face usury. MIR. A.
demanded from the State as coed bargain for the
western extension as had been granted to other
railroad companies in other sections of the State. 1t
was not understood that North Carolina stood in the
position of usurer; she was the mother of the
Senator from Richmond and the mother of himself;
he respected her, but the restrictions placed upon
the western extension were usurious and burden.
some He again referred to the pledges made by
the Senator while candidate for Governor, that he
would 60 for the western extension even at the cost
of 100000. Mr.. A. had made no pledges him
self; he stood fair upon the records, and had the
documents to sustain him. The position of the
Senator from Richmond demanded explanation, and
he had endeavored to make it, but how far it would
prove satisfactory 10 the people Of the west re.
manned yet to be seen. The gentleman from Rich
mond is for deferrng further aid to the road beyond
Morganton to the action of future legislatures; per-
haps the Senator would not be here to aid then in
extending this road. He has said he would not, but
he says Richmond and Robson would have a rep
resentative on this floor; aye, and perhaps with a
harder heart than the gentleman who is now pres.
ent. Mr.. A. thought that gentleman, after his re.
peated pledges, would at least have remained silent
if he could not vote for the bill. lie had hoped that
he would no have nsci his nAucLc", VIII Oh Mr.. A.
acknowledged was to be c,i, d. in opposition to the
bill to amend the charter; hui he panied to find
him using his encr.ies in opposition to the western
extension, and was cv standing ready place his
feet on the cr:k> OF people.
Mr.. Dockcry rlaU'e no distinction or influence
he was plain, humble farmer, without pretensions
to any great influence. lie denied that he had
changed his po<lt Oh +" The hill hut that the amend
ment proposed had changed the feature Of the bill