Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-08
winch the foIIowing ]. ne ath .ectIon see aots

which the following Is the stn secuon' See 4e's
1855, page 46A
h.ev sive ~ Sc cur and Nashville hsiiroAd Company
70 the Edgead Ksnueky nan esa Sop ny arc - Any
hs h-red b Stats Of Tennessee to mite in The
hereafter Grounds right way. other priv
palchAse % &c 10 unite upon su@h terms agreed
- 49, ssructon Of aconmen bridge across the Cumberland
70 'n n fh erection Of any bull ings and fixtures useful
e. transfer OF passengers aEd light from ons
road 70 another
coction IL. of the same act appropriates 100000
% mild a bridge across Cumberland River. Under
tS;s act. the L. 6 n E. d X. r. r. Companies pro-
saaded 10 build the said bridge and 1t was nearly
comnleted when the last Legislature met Ii appear
"a however that the sum Of $500 900 previously
granted, had proved insufficient by about S2s,00O,
10 complete the bridge and that this additional sum
must necessarily be voted. An act was accordingly
l passed III the following words
AN ACT tie bsnea Louisville Nashville end
Edgehed and KENTUCKY Railroad Companies and for
WEzRrAs 9 10th and lItl sections o, an passed
by the General Assembly Of the State OF Tennessee passed
I5dsy of December, 1855 fun and compete powers were
thereby given the Louisville and Nashville Klroai Company
to the Edgeheld and Kentucky Railroad Com and any
and all railroad anis chartered which might
be by state Of tennessee upon such
ter1 az mi h be agreed upon in the construction o.
bn3ge the Vumberlsnd river and the erection any
buildings and fixtures ueul for convenient transfer q
gers and freight from road another and wherea said
bridge was TO be built exclusively from meaLs appropriated
be appropriated TO that obi CT and that the thy miles the
section next Nashville to include said bridge only the
aon Of adequate neaus being furnished 100 Thar object and
whereas by the m Of saa act the sum Of two hun1red thou
applied said
bridge and whereas said bridge has en erected and IS now IN
use at cost thus far hundred end eleven thousand eight
hundred and ars Of eleven thousand
hundred and sixteen dollars over the amount appropriated
and which the two eonpaaes now owe nd Whereas 70 Proct
and thoroughly bridge in al respects, will require
therefore,
os 7 eeee That The Of twenty eight thousand doiiars
hereby appropriated for the Of paying tie said sun Of
and also to complete the remaining work necessary on SAFE
bridge for which the Governor Of the state hereby author
Of thousand dollars each, at thirty years. TO any
agent Of said companies upon proof Of tss Is 10
be applied alone tie paying for and erection and completion
Of said bridge.
1t will be seen Mr.. President that it was the lie
gislature of 1856, of which was not member,
granted to these companies tie supposed right to
run their track through our city and connect IN
common depot. The act of the last session ABOVE
quoted, and for Which voted, merely states IN the
preamble what former Legislature had done, and
sir Ia the exact lpords of the former act The object
of this preamble was neither TO abridge nor enlarge
nor even TO define any right formerly granted, but
merely % restate what had already been done, as
showing the necessity for voting the additional
S2S,00O The object of this preamble could not have
been TO enlarge or define any right formerly given,
for the precise words Of the former statute are
again used in the preamble; andlt would certainly
be anomaly in legislation TO attempt to amend or
construe former statute by It's reenactment IN the
precise words of the original Neither could it have
been the intention of the Legislature to abrdge any
right formerly granted, for this would not have
been within their power. The act of 1856, con-
ferred rights which no subsequent Legislature
could annui or in any way affect, except by the
consent of the Railroad Companies. The right of
the Northwestern Railroad Company then to run
through city, if indeed 1t has that right at ALL
was vested right in them TOR years before ever
became a member of the Legislature. and if had
been ever so DESTROYS of diyesting them of this sup
posed right could not have done No legislation
could have repealed the former statute, because it
was irrepealable. My whole legislative record on
this subject, therefore, consists in having stated
in preamble what former Legislature had en-
acted There Is it seems to ne amaterial difference
between voting to grant obnoxious power, and
merely saying jhata former Legislature had granted
that power. Such legal logic by which am sought
10 be convicted of inconsistency, would make him
the Judge who constructs law; and even the printer
who prints it is responsible for its provisions, the
legislator who enacts it. have made these remarks
in justice myself, aud 10 show how unjust and
uni0uLdcl the charges that have brought against
me.
Mr.. HAMILTON presented communication from
Nashville Fire Company, NJ. l. Offering for sale the
Company's interest in their apparatus and machine
ry, at $500; also, presenting sunlrv accounts
amounting to S2Gl.SO, for improvements Oh their
engine house, and requesting the payment Of the
sam4 The communication referred to the
Committee on Finance.
The motion to reconsider the vote passi ~ the bill
to purchase the Gordon Wharf Property taken
up, the vote was reconsijered, and the bill then re-
jected.
The resolution from the Common Council to inn
prove Black Horse (Printers'l Alley, taken up
and concurred in.
Mr.. Cox offered a resolution confirming the APP
pointmeHt Of officers and privates TO the two steam
engines, which was adopted.
Mr.. Cox offered a resolution providing for pub
fishing in the daily papers the opinion OF Messrs
FoGG, BRowY and MEIGS. which was adopted
The resolution directing the Mayor to notify the
Nashville and Northwestern Railroad Company t.
desist from running their Raek into tue city, was
taken up
Mr. Cox moved its indefinite postpOnement which
motion prevailed