Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-08-17
Qua readers must excuse the intermittent

Qua readers must excuse the intermittent
character of our articles upon the history ofthe
subscription of Ohio County to the Hempfield
Railroad Company, and not suppose for mo-
ment that we have the slightest idea Of ADAM
doning the task we have undertaken. When
these transactions took place, We were not of
this ilk, and have, therefore, no personal recol
lections to aid our Investigations. Chiefly have
we been embarrassed, however, by the want of
that record evidence of the important matters
we have been investigating, which we had eve.
~ reason to believe existed We supposed that
the records of the County Court, and the annu.
al reports of the Hempfeld R. R. Co., would
have furnished US full and ample materials, but
the former are of the most meagre, unsatsfacto-
ry character; and of the latter, that is, the re.
ports of the Hempfeld R. R, President and Di-
rectors, we can find no copy, if any were pub
lished. We have found, however, what pur-
purports to be a general financial statement,
from the book-keeper of the Company, which
is something of novelty in its way, but will,
nevertheless, somewhat aid US in our task. Ma
ny things have perplexed US. AS we have
shown, the order of the County Court of the 7th
April, 1851, fixed the ma ximum of the sub
scription at $4,000. Now if this was intend
ed to be the maximum, why was it, within five
months afterwards, doubled in amount The
Ssth section of the 62d chapter of the Code,
which we have already quoted in full, provides
that in no case, shall the maximum amount pro-
posed to be subscribed, exceed the one.third
part of the stock to be subscribed by others than
the State. Was the amount to be subscribed
by others than the State, less than 300, 900 dol
lars in AprilH Had it been increased to that
amount in September Or were the managers,
like prudent Debtors anxious not to oyerpower
the public. and therefore administered the sub
scription Owe came near writing prescription,
which would not have been greatly in error,) in
broken doses? We think these arc pertinent
enquiries, and shall endeavor to answer them.
We do not believe the amount subscribed in
April was 100000 dollars, nor do we believe
the statute we have quoted, requires either that
that, or any other amount should have been ac-
tually subscribed, at the time Of taking the vote
of the people upon the question of the subscrip-
ton. 1t is material, however, to know, that
when the county subscription of 15O, 900 dollars
sods made, it did not Exceed the one. third part
the State" Now, when was this 10000
dollars subscribed by the County, and what
was the amount at that time subscribed by 9TH
ers than the State?
On the 9Th September, 1851, the County
Court made another order, directing the Sheriff
and Commissioners of election to open q poll
on the 2Sd October, 1851, and take the sense of
all persons qualified to vote for members of the
the General Assembly of Virginia, on the ques-
ton of an additional subscription on behalf of
the County of $4,000 of the Capital Stock of
the Hemp6eld Company. At this election the
votes of the people were nearly, if not quite,
as unanimous as on the former occasion, in ia
voF of the subscription. We cannot refrain
from this passing remark If any people or
their legally authorized agents, ever sought to
place load upon their backs, with greater
unanimity and under circumstances affording
them time for consideration and deliberation,
than the people and the Justices of this County,
we are not aware of it: and whatever other
considerations may determine the result of the
present controversy, they will not, we think,
receive relief from their contracts of subscrfp.
ton upon the ground that they were not made
with their full, free and cheerful consent, and
after ample time was afforded for careful con-
sideration of the whole subject of those con-
tracts
At the April term, 1852, of the Court, an or.
der was again made to summon the Justices to
attend the next June term of the Court TO car.
ry out the wishes of the voters qualified to vote
&c. at the June term, the question of an adj
ditional subscription to the stock of the Hemp.
field Company, to the amount of $4,000, was
presented to the Justices, of whom there were
tgslue present, when it received the affirmative
vote of every one of them. Whereupon the
subscription of the additional sum of $780,
was ordered to be made to. the stock of the
Hempfeld Railroad Company, payable in the
same mode as was proposed in the order of tho
juno term, 1851, authorizing the first subscrip.
ton. The terms of this order are the same
with those of the order of 1851, excepting that
but three of tho justices, instead of five, were
appointed agents of the county to make this
subscription, and the agreement with the Di-
rectors of the Company. 1t will be observed
that, by each of these orders, regular agree.
ment or contract of subscription was intended