Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-05
For the Standard.

TOT the StanQafO.
To j. IL Norehead, Esq.,:
have just seen the minority report of the COM
mittee on the bill 70 incorporate the Greensboro
and Danvie Railroad Company" and as l take it
for granted you the author of the report have
taken the liberty of addressing this communication
to you. The report as consider, and as | expect
to show, does great injustice to those who at pres
ent have the direction of the North Carolina road
and as one of that Directory do not feel disposed
to submit, in silence to some of your statements.
Before pointing out the statements of which COM
plain, you will allow me to attend to some matters
which may not be irrelevant to the subject of the
report You say, "the bill proposes to build the
road by individual subscription without State aid
and you seem to consider it monstrous, that the
State should refuse to grant this poor privilege"
when you well know neither this State any other,
will grant such privilege, except in in which
the Legislature shall be fully satisfied it is to the
interests of its citizens and not against its
works of improvement And that it was the duty
of those who advocate the bill to>show that such
would moi be its effect yet you seek to throw the
error on those who oppose it. l deceive myself
greatly, should fail in establishing the fact that
such result and that of the most disastrous char
acter, would necessarily follow Every independent
State claims to exercise jurisdiction over its own
soil, and to forbid its citizens, much less for
egners to interfere with that jurisdiction. Such is
the policy which denies to any company, whatever
its Object railroad mining or any other company,
the privilege of an Incorporation without the ex-
press authority Of the Legislature. And whilst one
would be induced to infer from your report the pro-
posed road must be built by our own citizens, yet
all know this connection if ever made, will be by
the aid of those who interested in the Danville
road, beyond the limits of the State. In the first
place, say, the passage of this BILL would be in d.
rect violation of public faith, and against those
promises held out to the people of the East, when
the charter of the North Carolina road was granted.
We all know, the charter for this road was intro
duced into the Legislature, and passed for the pur
pose of defeating, and substitute for this very
Danville scheme. The charter of the North Carroll
ma road was granted, and most Of its stock taken,
under the agreement that it was to be great State
work, intended to advance the agricultural interest
of our people, and to foster and encourage our own
merchants. So we were told when the location of
the road was under discussion, it was important to
carry as far North as practicable, in order to
mand this Dan river trade, about which we now
hear so much. And, if mistake not, char
ter was granted by the Legislature for Plank road
from Greensborough to Dan river, and which was
to be built as one of the principal feeders to the
North Carolina road. Now, the argument is, that
the road must go to the produce, and not the pro-
duce be brought to the road will not say, but