Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-18

r., ,. p,..;.f. al and Uir,"f"s- "t The .i|'|"""r'd,
LonJo,n and Hrmp.hirc Hriirord r"mP""g.
In the Gazette Of Saturday morning. appears an
,rtiel, from Lewis Mrkcuzir. esq. President OF the
Al.yandria. Loudouu and Hampshire Railroad
COMPANY. referring I" Il LAT" resolution III '"c
Washington aud Alexandria Turnpike COMPANY
which claims a reply.
rio ;IIe,,I ,,j iisrourteou. act lately pcfpctrl-
ted by thu Comranv. against the Washington aud
Alcxandria Turnpike Company. Mr.. MchcnHlc az
;cmpr. to shift the responsibility Hi. and Z" place II
an N.ssrs. Richard Randolph. Division Engineer.
and D. Funston. and George W. Brent. conhse' oi
said Company. This in no way alters the case
whoever were the advisers. il renders the act none
the less illegal. ar discourteous. II was PerPcta-
ted under the authority. aud IN the name "l thc Al
cyandria. Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad 'om-
p,ny. and as such they are responsible for II. Inc
wrong was done while certainly the President ana
one Of the counsel. if not some Of the Directory
knew that the larger parto / the stoch oi tue urn
pike Company had been transferred To secure II
debt due Messrs. Fowlc Il S~nowden. and was now
hcld bv them as security for the ZANE. lou di'
not apprisc Mr.. Fowlc. a Director III the Company
and interested A. above stated of your intention TO
lessen the value of his security, aud leave him Tor
redrcs. 4 trcs>pass suit against your Company Tor
damages. Did not his position i'll the Company,
and interest in the road. and being "ithal II near
ncighbor of some of You, demand OF You at least
a notice Of your purpose. unless You intended an
act of discourtcsy!
If YOU really desired to consult the Turnpike
Company. could you not have requested Mr.. no
gers, the Treasurer and Secretary of the Company,
10 call a meeting 10 receive the propositions you
might desire to submit: or have asked Mr.. fowie
or Mr.. French To hayei it called? They are all citI-
z.ps Of Alexandria. and YOU could have had no
difficulty in finding them: but | am constrained Z"
believe that YOU never intended to consult their
wishes. Won had determined to take their lands, and
leave them the redress Ut Il trcspasS SUIT. ana you
did NOT deem il necessary to call them together,
merely 10 announce a determined purpose. No
other supposition accounts for your discourtesy.
When SOME weeks before the obstruction was
placed on the Turnpike Road. Mr.. Randolph called
Oh me. and showed me Il diagram. exhibiting how
il had been decided that his road should cross the
Turnpike Road. and where he was going to place
n pier. Ethe solid cmbankmcnt OH the Turnpike
since made. was not shown or alluded to- he asked
no consent. offered no compensation, proposed no
compromise. referred to no conversation which had
taken place between Us on the subject, "more than
a yeur nyo." a. he says. but simply announced a
burmese formed. and to he executed by his COmpa-
ny. There was nothing conclllatory IN his man
ncr, and what more could II law abiding citizen do
than refer him to the law. and ask him TO comply
with its provisions, and he would interpose no dill
Guilty. This | did. then and there.
Surely. neither the Alexandria, Loudoun and
Hampshire Railroad Company, nor any Of It's 9TH
GERS can regard it as 4 cause Of complaint. that
they should be requested to comply with the provi-
sions of the law. But | went furthcr-l got the
Code, and showed him how it provides for his ease;
but he admitted no right on the part OF the Turn
pike Company Ia object to the building OF the
pier: a question which | stated | bad neither the
disposition nor time to discuss: not thinking he
Ill /. ll.l. o., ,,.,n,a ma that his I',mE1ny
which had been constantly warning on me. had Il
right to take my property for their use. without
compensation. Mr.. Randolph and myself boarded
mt the same hotel, and he must pardon me for not
being able TO recoliect positively all the converse
tions which occurred between Us "mor" m0a a
ysm. ngo. ut q public hotel. | remember his
showing me- Il diagram, with 4 pier on 1t. within
the Turnpike, road, and close by the Railroad. 10
which / objected: and | may have stated that n
pier in one place. would Ice less injurious than II
pier in another; but | am sure | would never have
acouiesced in any proposed obstruction Of the
Turnpike road. by the Alexandria, LOudOun and
Hampshire Railroad Company, inasmuch rs |
have never thought il necessary; and tor acts oi
favor. that Company has no claims on me. But
suppose, that mar" M"n " y"dr "9" expressed an
opinion IN c1nrrrsdnom. can it be pretended that |
have 10 right 10 change il. but that q party may
now act on it, without giving mo any notice. and
claim that | an bound by it, | have reviewed the
relations Of my company for several years back
with the Alexandria. L0udoun and hampshire
Railroad Company. Ia see if could find a single
point of time. in which il was freed from the ac-
i've and overt hostility of Mr.. Mckenzie: hut |
can find none. | have submitted for n year nj -
time 10 very illlbcral attacks. and n ceasciess OPP
position on hi. part to the enterprise i'll which ] am
engaged. without Il line in reply. Under these
circumstances | have sought an interview with him.
and urged him a. far ~ self-rcspcct would permit,
To dcSist from the course hc was pursuing: for
while il would iniurc me. II could not benefit him.
rudcayOrcd to convince him Of the impulicy If
warning on all the other companies around him.
creating hostility to h- enterprise. when there was
no necessity for il. | asked him t. let the Alex
auiria and Washington Railroad alone, and ahap-
don hi, opposition to the Long Bridge. and that
81 far a, we could. W. would chccriully aid him
in hi, cutcrprisc-that wc had no objection 10 his
branching oil to t'cOrgctJwn-aii that our c"inri-
ny asked. was Ia be- let alone. The conduct Of
Mr. Mckenzie had prccludcd for some time all iu-
tcrcour-c between Us. and with II hope OF renewing
il. | sought The interview mentioned. which took
place on Il steamboat going up to Washington. |
invited him t" walk with me from the cabin 10 the
deck. tina; We might converse without interruption.
and frankly and plainly a. ] knew how. for ! re-
counted to him many thing OF which ] had 4
right to complain, did ] address him. We parted,
thinking he was convinced Ui the ImpOllcy oi
his course. and ! hoped for the most friendly rcla-
tions between u. The delusion did not last 4
week. deem II Lur - my.-!f 10 make this state.
mont.
L. it probable. therefore, that under these cir
cum.tamcrs ] ever agreed vn the plan which now
obstruct- the Turnpike road.
In stating. therefore. To- Mr.. Randolph that his
company was iuimicrl to mc. but repeated what
every body knows: and If there hc any doubt en-
the subject. | Wouit refer Ion proof To that place
of all others. where il should not he found, name
is. To the action Of Lewis Mckenzie 4 Co., in the
City Council. II body supposed to he appointed.
and clothed with power to lcgislate for. and pro-
mote the interests Of the city. and not for the pur-
pose of gratifying personal feelings. or promoting
selfish interests.
The card. Of your counsel do not meet the issue
made with You by the Turnpike Company, maine
Is. that your action was discourtcpu. and illegal.
Moreover. they assert that ia. Turnpike Company
has . mere right u way, ana Is not tenant Of the
freehold. u mere assertion entitled 10 no weight,
because the question has not been adjudica'cd, and
case brought hr Mr. Brent in the Circuit Court
Of TIL. county i now pending. and has been for Il
long time. in which thi, very question Is raised.
How then asscr; il a.. a question settled. when The
counsel brings Il suit to to -cttlc i. Bat again it
follows. If The aSt:.!. IL Tho alexandria, L.ad9un
and Hampshire Railroad Company was legal, then
an easement il not the subject OF legal protection
"A proposition the mere announcement Of which
i proof OF il. fallary-Chaptcr &c of the Code. to
which reference l. made by your counsel, contains