Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-26
The Standard.
LEGISLATURE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
MONDAY. Jan. II, 1859.
sen ATE,

SEN ALE.
The Senate was called to order at 10 o'clock.
Reports of committees were presented by Messrs.
Donne and Pool the latter reporting substitute,
from the committee on internal improvements for
the bill to amend the charter of the Chesapeake and
Abemarle Canal Company, which, with the original
BILL was ordered to be printed.
NEW BILLS, &C.
Mr. Miller introduced bill to amend the charter
of the Western North Carolina railroad. Referred
to the committee on internal improvements
Mr. Edney, a bill to amend an act to incorporate
the Tennessee Mountain Turnpike Company. Same
committee.
Mr. Battle, bill to incorporate the Montgomery
Mining Company. Same.
Mr. Bledsoe introduced resolution in favor Oh
W. Watson. Propositions and Grievances.
ADJOURNMENT.
Mr. Leach called up his resolution on an adjourn
ment sine de- &C. Laid on the table,
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Mr. Williams presented list of justices Of the
peace for Camden county.
Mr. Pool moved to lay on the table. Rejected,
II to 13.
The question of recommending then required.
Mr. Pool hoped this matter would 90 no further
at present There was disagreement between the
Senator and the Commoner on this subject, and the
matter should be laid over till that settled He
moved to postpone till II o'clock On Friday; in the
Uc Woulu " ACSoiSAS eiA0 uSA-
ence Adopted.
Mr. Basnight list for Hyde county. Recon-
mended and sent to House for concurrence
THE WESTERN EXTENSION.
The unfinished business of Friday, the bill to
amend the charter of the Western North Carolina
railroad, was now resumed the question being on
the amendment to the substitute, offered by Mr..
Thomas.
Mr.. Thomas resumed his remarks as it spoke for
about an hour. As before intimated, the principal
arguments on this measure will be published here
after Mr. Thomas concluded with an appeal to
the friends of improvement in all sections, to those
he had stood by in their efforts for their favorte
schemes, to stand by him now in this perhaps last
effort to relieve his constituents and all the people of
the west
Mr.. Edney objected to the amendment as it dcsg-
mated no point at which the terminus of the road
was to be located 1t was altogether too indefinite.
The road might be run any where, and it gave
power to the company to spend the States subscrp.
ton of four million Of dollars in any route it chose
to take 1t was not originally intended to locate
this great work where Mr.. Thomas desired to take
it. Mr. E. then proceeded to remark on the advan-
tages of the Paint Rock location. He was for loca
ting the road where the original charter contem-
plated it. On the "suicidca policy" of leaving
the road to end at Morgaton he had nothing to say
that was question between Senators and their con-
stituents.
Mr. Thomas said the original charter took the
road to Morganton, and no where else. His pro-
posed route went no further into the mountains
than that proposed by Mr.. Edney, and the cost was
about the same. By his OIr T.s) route, steamboat
navigation would be struck by Mr.. Edneys, before
that could be done, the distance to our own ports
as compared with Baltimore, would be increased one
hundred miles. And he asked if Beaufort with
few inhabitants and distance of one hundred
miles against her, could be expected to divert trade
from Baltimore, with her two hundred thousand
population.
Mr. Carmichael asked Mr.. Thomas what the dis
lance was from this point of HIS at which steamboat
navigation would be reached, to Charleston, &c,
and the difference in distance to our ports?
Mr. Thomas replied to show that though the dis
lance was few miles against us, still We had other
advantages saving of transhipment &c-which
overbalanced it.
Mr. Edney followed and insisted that the great
channels of commerce from the west flowed to the
ports of State, South Carolina, &C., and could
not be diverted further north or south
The question on Mr.. Thomas amendment resulted
ayes %, noes 19, as follows:
Ayes -Messrs. Ashe, Bledsoe, Blount Cherry,
Cunningham, Davis, Dobson, Gilmore, Lane, Leach,
Mcdonald, Mcdowell Mills Pool, Reinhardt Steele,
Speight, Straughan, Taylor, Thomas, Walkup, and
Worth.-22.
Noes-Messrs. Basnight, Battle, Brown, Carmi-
chael Cowper, Donnell, Douthitt, Edney, Gorrell,
Guyther, Humphrey, Landlord, Martin, Miller Per-
son, Pitchford, Turner Whitaker, and Williams
49,
Mr.. Lane said that after mature reflection, he was
compelled to vote against the bill
Mr.. Bledsoe asked Mr.. Edney, Will the States
subscription complete the section already under con-
tract? and Will the friends of the bill and the peo-
pie of the Vest accept this bill as full and COM
pete performance of the pledges of the State to aid
A.
bury to the Tennessee line and agree that the Gen
eral Assembly shall not hereafter be called upon for
any additional subscription for that purpose?
Mr.. Edney replied IN the affirmative to the first
question. As to the second, he said an amendment
had been engraftcd on his substitute which might
affect the cost of the work. He was not certain the
appropriation would take the road to Ducktown
Mr. Bledsoe had hoped the friends of the road
would harmonic and agree to some plan to enable
he voted for this bill to have redeemed the States
pledge so far he concerned He offered the
following amendment to the 9TH section of the
substitute: And when these amendments to the
charter of the said company shall have been accept
ed by the individual stockholders it shall be deemed
full complete and satisfactory performance of the
pledges of the State, to aid in the construction of
the Western North Carolina railroad from Salisbury
to the Tennessee line"
Mr.. Thomas could see no object in the amend
ment. The estimate of Col. Gwynn was to build
the road to Asheville That was not at the Ten
nessee line. Did Mr. Bedsoe want to say that after
what had been done for the Atlantic road and the
North Carolina road, that the west was to ask no
more to extend her road? If the road was built
well to Ashevie, he considered the State redeemed.
And if the legislature would give to the company
banking privileges they would build the rest Of the
road without asking another dollar This was a
condition imposed on no other road If they were
not to 60 beyond Ashevile, he (Mr r. did not wish
to see the bill pass he would rather see the road
sunk. 1t was an insult to the west; he could see
nothing else in it. Subscriptions to other roads had
been got by western votes and was it seriously in
tended to place such a restriction on the people o.
the west? Mr. Bledsoe could not mean it; the peo
pie of Wake could not mean it. But, said he il
We cannot live on an equality with other parts o
the State,we can live without it. as we are now
doing
Mr.. Edney said the present position of the bill