The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-02-08
LEGISLATURE
~@-fh Carolina.

We commence sketch OF leSlSlati'e He"s Sn'S
week by giving the proceedings ofthe Senate OF the
2stb on the bill amend the charter OF the western
Extension Railroad the nature and provisions OF
the hill are fully explained by the remarks of Mr. POOL
The bour of II O'clock having arrived, the !
Sneaker announced the bill to amend the act In
corporatiug the Western n. c. Railroad and the
acts amendatory thereof as the special order.
Mr. Edney offered an amendment leaving it to !
the stockholders to build the road either through !
the Swananoa or Reedy Patch Gap, and allowing t
them to adopt the line and connect with the VIII,
Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad, and supported
his amendment in few remarks.
Mr. Thomas thought Mr. E. had changed his po-
sition or offered the amendment with view 10
kill the bill He wished to know OF MIR Cherry
if he did not remember the original idea to be to
connect with Chattanooga.
Mr. Cherry said several schemes were discussed,
but as we'll as he remembered, it
| Mr. Edney replied to Mr. Thomas, disclalming
any hostility to the bill, he should vote tor 1t
with or without his amendment. He never had
and never intended to offer an amendment to Dill
which he could not vote for.
| Mr. Miller said it was not intended by the
friends of the bill to change the original route OF
the road. IF this amendment was adopted, 1t "ouid
;piure his people and he therefore hoped 1t would
not be adopted.
Mr. Steele had nothing to do with the amend
ment and could not support it.
Mr. Pool said: The question is on the amend
ment of the Senator from Henderson, am OPP
posed to any amendment of the bill, unless neces-
sary to perfect it. Early in the session bill was
introduced, proposing to remove the section TEA
ture from the charter of the Western Extension
n G. Railroad company, and referred to the Com
mittee on Internal Improvements, OF which have
the honor to be a member. We took that bill I'M
der consideration and spent five or SIX days inves-
toatipg its provisions in connection with the orSl
nal charter and the amendments made at the last
session of the Legislature We found much de-
pendng on few words, and it required the closest
scrutiny to guard against making changes, which
might not at first, be apparent After much Ia
Dor that bill was reported to the Senate, with
full understanding of it's provisions. The friends
of the bill seeing that it could not pass, withdrew
, it. and offered substitute-upon which the COM
nittee were obliged to undergo the same labor OF
investigating it's provisions in connection with for
mer enactments. That substitute then re-
ported to the Senate, and discussed TOR several
{ DAVIS. during which many amendments were offered,
and some adopted. But it contained a removal OF
the section feature, and the amendments SO con-
fused the Senate as its provisions, that upon the
final vote. but one Senator was in tav% OF It's
| adoption. =.
The present bill was then introduced, and re-
ferred to the Committee, proposing no removal OF
section
nf the sections authorized to be placed under con-
tract. After full investigation into its provisions
= the committee reported it to the Senate, recon-
mendinp its passage The bill has been printed
and laid on the desks of Senators. and they are
we'll acquainted with its provisions and understand
:. their meaning. Now, the Senator from Henderson
is offering one amendment after another, striking
= out some words and inserting others, or putting
+ words between words to the confusion of the whole
n matter understand the printed bill, but If 1T b'
g amended in this ''of-hand way" no person car
tell where it will lead or what will be the result O
, its cnactments in connection with the orlgna
a charter and the amendments of last session. hav
# become satisfied, from my investigation OF the sub
~ iect as member of the committee, that the mos
h material and essential alterations in the charte
:. NAV be made by, apparently very small and insie
nifcant changes in the phraseology of this bill b
~ simply striking out or altering the point of com
- mencement. YOU might entirely defeat the grea
| safeguard upon which We insist-that each sue
/ ceeding section shall begin where the preceedin
+ one terminates, securing continuous line OF roa
a with no gaps between
a. The original charter pledged the State to sui
Il scribe 1000 900 for the construction of the road
- It was done as kind of equivalent to the Yves
for large appropriations made to works East OF tn
l., mountains With the policy of the appropriate
~ we have nothing to do the faith of the State
- pledged to the Company and We cannot retrac
= the step if we would. But there was an expires
-, condition annexed as to the manner in which
N should be expended. The road was to be so bul
70 as to have no gaps unfinished portions betwee
in the works. for if the appropriation should becom
10 exhausted while such gaps unhnlsed portions
Is. manned, it was plain that there must be sero,
Mt loss or a further appropriation. 1t was to avo'
at the danger of having the necessity for further al
st preparations forced on the State that the seco
Of feature was adopted, requiring the work to be col
,w structed in consecutive sections. 1t was Wis
~ provision, and I could not consent to see it r
nm moved The road ought to be constructed; #
Le then, when the 81 100000 are expended, We sha
rlr have continuous line of road, as far as re
h. reach and be under no necessity Of increasing ii
To public debt to "cut out money buried In Il
r. mountains"
On But these sections required 10 be of SUI
=, length as can be constructed for S9OOOO0, Il
"a State subscribing 100000, upon individu
N subscription of 100000. The bill now befo
TX the Senate proposes to diminish the length of the
ers sections by providing that, instead of requiri'
nj subscriptions on such large SCALE the State sh'
NY subscribe 500 GOO upon each private subscrpt
nc of $4,000, and that the sections MAJ be put
II der contract from time to time, of such length
sl5OOOO will complete. but still requiring ea
CTS section to begin where the preceding one tern
, mated The words Of the bill are, and the sd
n portions of the road so put under contract, sh
iu' commence at Morganton, the terminus of the fiji
section Of said road, and extend west IN the dire