Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-18
AIFY ANDRH GAZETTE AND VIRGINIA ADVERTISER-JANUAH IS H"

and WAS legal. how can YOU justify n refusal to ac-
cent one or the other of the above propositions:
Mr., Nc krulic does not like the charge that 4
Judgment against hi Company would Ice worthless.
and inv itr, litigation. AMI proposes To dep"Sitca an!
,ruount which ma, bc required to meet 4 verdict
in DAMAGES. Uhr,. are mere meaningless words.
aud vet they add to the wrong already committed.
You hs," Illegally taken property from H. owners
without compensation. and while You hold 1t. aud
crriov il. YOU invite them to sue YOU ior 1t. ko-
quire them to incur all the expenses ana trouble "i
"A long lawsuit. which may not be settled during
their lives. that they may recover their own pro-
perry Ia which you do not even pretend |" have
any title, or claim. of any character whatever. Is
this Your idea of ju>tice-irst to wrong Il party.
and then compel him to incur expensive litigation,
with all its amuoyaIccs and troubles. lasting for
an indefinite period, that he may compel You To
do right-why not 10 right rs II matter of princi-
pie. without the intervention of the law To compel
il!
But there are symptoms of 4 returning sense of
Justice. in the proposition submitted by YOU TO de
posite any required amount 10 meet the damages
which may Ice awarded against you. This Is clear
Is nm after thought. occurring II good long time
after the pcrpctration of the outrage; but it Is
thankfully received, and shows that public opin-
ion is doing it, work. Yet ON Your part II IL mean
ingless If you had proposed 10 the parties wrong
cd. to advance them the necessary means 10 prose-
cute suits against you, your proposition would
have contained something Of reality. But as it is,
if you will deposit $40, 900, and make it subject to
the judgments which may be awarded against you,
then the Turnpike Company will IN accordance
with your wishes bring suits against you.
This sum i not unreasonable. Ii tomorrow
YOU will agree to remove the distractions COM
planned of, or pay down $1,000. will. a. far as
| can exert any influence with the Turnpike
Company. insist upon the removal of the oh
structions. and not the receipt of the money. If
TO this estimate OF the injury YOU have done,
he added counsel fees, with attendant costs,
in the various courts in which the case may be
heard. you will find the sum not at all unreasona-
Bile. Bearing in mind also that the act complain
cd Of i. a continual trc.pass. not to be decided in
any one suit. but to be the subject of continual
litigation. as long NJ the obstruction exists, and
you will be still more convinced that the amount
named il not unreasonable.
An opportunity is therefore afforded you, OF as
tonishing every body, and none more than myself,
by complying with the proposition You have made.
Matters in the future, regulate to some extent the
value of the Turnpike and the necessity for keep
ing it free from distractions. and il, owners should
he permitted to Judge how far distractions placed
on il will detract from its value. A notice Of the
deposite of the money proposed, will be attended
with a prompt institution of scyera! suits; though
the acceptance of either Of the propositions sub
mitted by me for arbitration, would show, l think,
a more ready disposition To redress the wrong COM
planned of. JAMES 5. FRENCH.
A Director and Stakeholder in the Washington and
Alexandria Turnpike Company.