Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-03-05


| the Road eau be completed, and that the
! State will then have the security she was
willing to take in 1851 Is this unrcnsorn-
bic on the part of the Company when the nc,
ceSsity fT this additional ai,l has been in
duced, not by the fault of the Company. but
! by the default of others? Would it not be
wiser economy in the State to accept the prop
/ oSition OF tho Company, than to throw away
81 100000 of her own, already expended
and Sl,5O0,0 600 of her citizens, and lose for
ever the prospective advantages Of this enter
prise? The mere lcuding of the name and
credit of the State for one or two millions of
dollars. What vii be the effect of such
! guaranty? The 5 nte will be required To
| provide for the payment of the interest ON
these bonds until the Road is completed and
put in opcration-Say four or five vears-u
I sum not exceeding $35O,O00 on the first and
$4,000 on the last endorsements or 5000,
OOO in all, without tlic least probability of
ever being called on for the principal. And
she is not even asked to raise this small
amount by taxation. The Bank the State,
/ through its officers, with an anxious desire
to promote the true interests Of the State, has
offered to provide the interest on these bonds
annually, from the profits of the bank, and if
the Blue Ridge Railroad Company should bv
any possibility fail to pay the principal when
due the bank officers TO pay the principal al
SO from her profits SO that in no event need
the people of the State he called on to raise
one nlil OF this aid by taxation.
let me ask then, Mr.. Chairman. where
the increase Of public debt or burdcnsomc
! taxation, likely to result from agreeing to
the Bill before us +? But the State Cnpitol
and its cost of 100000 or $1,000 600 il
drawn into this discussion, to aid the calcu-
latlons and conjcctures of the opponents of
this Bill. There are doubtless many Scna-
tors here who do not approve of this vast cx-
pcndIturc OF money, upon work of mere
vanity, but who will vote now for its conule-
ton from principles of economy. If either
should be abandoned it would be wiser and
better, and pustcrity will sustain me in the
assertion, that the State Capitol should ston
where it now is; that its unfinished wallis
should rise nc higher; that the busy sound
OF thc hammer, now continuously sounding
IN cur cars, should instantly cease that tho
workmCn should be dismissed: ave. that the
rams and trosts of winter should mnudcr il
again into dust, than this grand idea of di-
rect communication with the West, now So
nearly realized, shall bc so ruinouslv and
rcckIessly discarded by us, Why. Mr.. Chair
man, the objections urged against aid for the
Blue Ridge Railroad apply with tcn-Col
greater force against the State Capitol Was
the State Capitol commenced in hot haste,
without deibcration or appeal to the people?
Were any errors or mistakes committed in
the original contracts and estimates for its
construction? Has it cost more than at first
contemplated? Will it pay any dividends to
the State, excite enterprise, or enhance the
value Of the property of the people? Will it
create public debt Of long standing, with
hope otevcr returning interest or princi-
pal! Let those who oppose the aid asked for
the Blue Ridge Railroad on such arguments
answer these qucs; ;iomS,and th,n recon, i!c
the consistency of voting aid to the one and
withholding it from tho other. rruc W. dom
ana economy call upon us to afford the ncs-
cssnry aid for the completion of each of tEc,c
great undertakings, and the intelligence and
patriotism OF the people will sustain and np-
prove suchapllicy. But, MrC Chairman, why
should pursue this subject further? So far
rs the Senator hpm Fairfield is concerned,
by his last corcession he his weakened tho
force II not destroyed his arguments alto
Sethcr. 1t | did not ulstakc his language
he SAID in the conclusion of his remarks, that
rather than see the enterprise stop altoecth
cr he would be willing for the State to @uar-
antoc the COmpanyS Bonds to the extent OF
$4,000 per IN lc for the purchase of iron and
laying oil thc track. an that he had IL bill
partially yprcpared fDrsuch purpose. In round
numbers this won d be equal to guarantees
OF Sl,6OO,Uol aa much or more than the
Company Will ever require of the State
Now, II The senator really is impressed with
the belief as he has argued that this enter
PRISE Will cost the State the millions he has
enumerated; that it was comm enccd i'm hot
haste. and without the sanction Of the Dco-
pie; that an cgrcgrious blundcr has Lccn
committed in its location that if compIctcd
1T viii he attended with none, or excce,lin,r
small benefits; that it may even prove n bur.
den and constant drain on the treasury ofthc
State to sustain and keep it in operation and
entail heavy permanent debt upon what
pvincipc ur policy can one so cautions as
n!mSeit propose to hazard so large a sum ns
Sb6OO.0OO upon such an enterprise? The
proposition cvinccs doubt on his own mind
as to the accuracy of his conclusions, and
that at last hc fully appreciates the ruinous
ctects OF an abandonment of the work.
| take it for granted that the proposi-
tIon of the Senator is maaein good faith,
and that in his judgment it furnishes n
mode by which This enterprise can be aid
cd by the State, and that the 5000 per
nile will be sufficient to complete it in con-
necton with the other resources of the
Company.
The President and Directors, Mr.. Chair
man, and the friends ofthe Road, have sub
mitted theirplan contained in the Bill be-
fore us, which they believe to be the best
and cheapest to the State and the Conpa-
ny. But if this fails, then | am authorized
to say, that the President and Directors of
the Company stand ready to resign their
places, and give way to the Senator from
Fairfield or his friends, WHO may believe
that the work can be accomplished by his
nrnprsitin, orI ,,,nro ,l,,4 al