Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-02-14
Cane Fear and Deep River Company.-Gross Inc
iustice of the Fayetteville Observer towards
f.ov. Draggs

Zane Fear and Deep River COmpany.-GrOss in.
iu,tice of the Fayetteville Observer towards
Gov. Bragg.
One of tic Raleigh correspondents Of the Fay
s,teyillc Observer furnished to that paper of the
9Th instant a lengthy sketch of the debate in the
Uouse of Commons on the affairs of the Cape Fear
and Deep River Navigation Company; in the course
If which he referred to the bill Offered by Mr. Gil.
liam of Washington, to sell the States interest in
the work Just mentioned and also in the old Cape
Fear Company below Fayetteville This correspon.
dent misapprchendng the facts and the law al.
tbouch A LAWYER, speaks of Mr.. Gilliam's bill as
nronosition to sell out all the rights, privileges,
and franchises" of the two Companies,-hc then
states, in italics, that Mr. Gillian said in the Com.
mons that this bill, thus pro"iding for selling "ai
rights, privileges, and franchises" had sheen cub
mittea to lie Governor and met his dpprobation,"-
and afterwards, in postscript he adds the follow
ing:
"Since writing the above have met Governor
Bragg, and he assures me the member from Wash
iprton had misunderstood what he said to him about
his substitute bill That he objected to selling the
franchise below Fayetteville, aud was opposed to
restricting the State from granting aid to other
works leading to the Coal Fields. That if the State
would not aid the work, he thought provision should
be made to dispose of it in some way. Thd, portion
of the bill met bis appreciation, and that portion
only, and he regrets that he was misunderstood by
the member Suffer me to add, that knowing the
member from Washington as do am satisfied il
was a misapprchenson on his part, for he i, too
noble fellow to misstate, except upon a misapprc-
hension of what the Governor had SAID when
suited by him."
This correspondent also states that Mr.. Gilliam'S
BILL which he represents Gov. Bragg as approving,
proposed to sell to "Marshall Parks, Addison Burt,
and Others for 100000 the State being bound to
"crant no aid to any other works" leading TO The
Coal Fields but " to road to the n. c. Rail Road"
And the Fayetteville Observer of the oh, following
this matter up, has an editorial (Which we sha
notice presently which for alsehood misreprrsen-
tation, and sncaking inucndo is altogether worthy
of that paper, and of the malicious partizan niln.
cnccs by which it is controlled And then follows
a letter to the correspondent from Gov. Bragg,
obriousy not antendcd for publicgioa, but only to
point out 10 this correspondent the particulars in
which he had done the Governor injustice.
Now, in the first place, Gov Bragg did not seek
a consultation with Mr.. Gillian this subject.
Mr.. Gillian called on him while he was busy
very full consideration to the subject in the shape
presented by Mr. Gillian. lie gave his appreciation
to no such measure as that described by the Oh.
servers correspondent he did not object to the
selling OF franchise" for the plain reason that
such thing could not have been disposed of by the
State; and any such proposition would have been
absurd. The bill offered by Mr.. Gillian, and
read to Gov Bragg, proposed to sell the States in.
terest in the Cape Fear and Deep River Company,
and in the old Cape Fear Company, for the sum of
100000. No names Of purchasers read to
him. The purchase to be made on condition that
the State would not grant any other charter or
charters 10 any rival work to the Coal Fields nor
extend aid to any work already authorized. This
condition was objected to by the Governors and
Mr. Gillian himself was understood to have said
on the floor of the House, at the time lie made lis
statement, that the bill was approved by the Go.
vernon, except in one particular which he did not
mention. The only effect ola sale, without the coll
dition, would have been to substitute individuals as
stockholders in lieu of and to the same ca r as the
State. And as the Governor says, in his Il 'g,' above
referred to- published in the Observcr-"f nothing
was to be done, did think it best for the State to
sell her interest in the Deep River work to private
individuals, at fair price, provided they would 60
on and complete the work. And, if they would moi
buy without it, | saw objection to selling he
States stock in the Cape Fear Navigation Company,
so as to give them voice in the management, OF the
same" What sound objection could there have
been to that? If the State, failing to prosecute, as
She has, the Cape Fear and Deep River work, could
have got back the 100000 which she has expended
therc and IL the works could have been finished ana
the coal developed by individual enterprise, uho
~outa hare been injured'
The Observer, in the editorial above referred to,
says:
, Inc extraordinary spectacle was there presented
~ an attempt to dragon the party in power into
'He adoption OF an ilnpolitc, inefficient, wastciu
measure which had already been decidedly rejected
on ln!l view of its merits. The Governor and all
MS onc'a's from the paror and the kitchen, assist.
su oy bands OF lobby members, generally having
u"ect peculiarly interest at stake, piled the mem
oer' by message, by personal appeals, by speeches.
anu oy threats. And the result. was, that the Gov.
St"or was lett IN the minority, on test vote OF l5
les, 10 friends out Of so democrats! And several
VI the II Americans!"
Inc above, so far as the Governor and his immc
a'a'c friends are concerned, is unqualifedy false
luz same paper says, 1--WE noe learn that the Gov.
e'''or was present. during the discussion in the
COMMONS He was in the gallery-wc saw him
'nere but not in the lobby. So careful was he TO
avoid even the appearance Of personal interference
with the action of the House, that he did not even
enter the lobby.
The Observer, speaking of the bill offered by Mr..
Gillian, also says:
But that outrageous proposition presented |
oy gentleman who is represented as not only one |
.l .he most honorable, but also one of the most in.
t@Gllgent men in the Legislature, who informed the
Mouse that had met The approval IF the Governor
W have given the Governor the benefit of his dis.
sh0m which may pass for its full value But what
snan We say of the Governor Of the State who did