Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1860-03-25
RAILWAYS AND THE CITY
CnUECEL.

.EH
sion. adefned its position on the subject Q
the business relations existing between th
city and the passenger street railroad CON
panv. Tue resolutions passed BY the boar
are 70 the effect that the railroad shall not b
permitted to occupy Main street, the use 9
,rh.ch, for railroad purposes, had been Pre-
ri1lslv granted BY the bosrd-snd further
hat the board recognizes No legal wrong don
h the company By the withdrawal Of a priv
iiegs officially and formally granted to then
There is something peculiar, at least in thi
preceding, and sufficiently 50 to make an in
/ euiry iuto the matter proper and right. "
have in this inquiry three separate parties I
eonsider-ths street railway eonPany-th
city council, and the residents and proper.
holders on Main street
N speaking Of he position occupied BY ID
street railway company, We must call atten
ton to one Circumstance; in cities wher
street railways have been built, it has usually
W. be'ieve universally, been The case tbst thl
railroad companies themselves have made thr
applications to incorporated bodies FOR rail
way privileges in TIE case before Us, the ctr
Of Memphis-not the railway company-took
the initiative, the city council directing adFer.
EASEMENTS to be inserted in certain newspaper
inviting bids for the privilege Of laying down
rails on certain streets Among others, T..
peoples passenger company. represented BY
Messrs. kick, SNAIL and others, sent in bid
in accordance with The invitation Of council.
Their bids were reported BY he committs,
upon the subject 10 be, along with hose Of
Messrs. PATTEEsoE & GErDER, the best
Passing BY the latter, the board accepted the
former. ana passed a resolution that the mayor
and city attorney should close c o0Htrad with
Lhem. This being done, council On the 29th
Of December. passed a resolution "that the
permission Of TIE board is hereby given
% the parties 70 have
thernselge incorporated. The Managers
Of the company went to Nashville and OBJ
tainea charter. which instrument has
met with =, objection in council. At thesame
meeting KrEk. Snail & CO. sent in their ac-
oeptanoe Of the terms offered by the board.
IN ftis. it will BE- observed. the railroad
company play little more than a passive part'
council beg inning, carrying on, and concluding
nearly the whole business. That any csnsur-
abls or u~nwauautable step has been taken b.
re company in the course Of these transsc-
dons has never been asserted OF insinuated-
re say this nueh in justice 10 the gentlemen
the company.
On anafy-ing TIE action Of council We shall
not ind De same freedom rom blame. Their
froceeifazs have been msrked bF weak
ness and vscllaHon. There have not been
wanting, however, individual members who
have not been consistent in their proceedings,
AID WHO have en5ssrored TO iufuse wisdom and
fruness into The councils Of the rest. Alta
nsearg held November Il, the street railroad
ordnance was nsssed. Front Row was named
81 one If The locations for tie railroad Main
street was rot msntiones. On the 18Th Of the
came month a resolution offered by Alder
man LorLsND. was adopted, striking out
F-ou- Row and substituting Main street r. IFS
place. aid Main street has REMAND as the spot
where TIE first railroad was TO Be laid down
council requiring It's completion before that
Of the other s. rect roads The board evidently
became very frm on he s%abiect, and although
o. re I2th Of November Alderman PEEEIys
offred The celebrated cmonstrsuce against the
road being laid doEn on that street, council,
sfer an animated debate. determined thst It
sIuaF-astu aaora-on this occasion Alder
man KoETKEcHT moved that a proviso should
BE- added, making the consent Of the company
necessary before the change c-uld be made.
Alderman TleHE, at the meeting where kirk,
So a. - ia --.--.-.F-.g -,-,E - -
The subject TO the people, but the motion was
voted down. On this evening the debate was
on Of those peculiar efforts vel known 70 the
Tegu ar stteniaats a. the sitting Of the board.
We wrote upon that occasion; "a yev
lengthy debate took place in which light,
more light stiI' was evidently and glsringly a
great want
Tho nature e the proceedings may Be
-esssi AZ from he words AID. DoveLAss used
OF the occasion. He assured the board thai
housh the offers made for street railroad
privileges usrs far abors al reasonable czpecle-
fioa tks @ zanPfr sszgsf the yIgt-Bloo5
ofHs applicants, aadHHssa yozng bird Il opeasd
q uidc bU for q get grssiiT prey.
On this occasion srssolution, offered bv Aid.
NE1soS, was adopted. u commences as
Fellows
ResoIref, By the board o. mayer and alder
nsp Of the city q Memphis, that the mayor
and city attorney be authorized to close Z con
frscf. subject to the confirmation hereinafter
provided, with Messrs. Kirk, Small and others,
- make railroads on al the principal streets
named r. the railroad ordinance, and on
auction street and the Raleigh road, from The
Promenade to the corporation line, they pay
ing the sum o. Sl27 900 FOR the same.
The resolution ended BY requiring The con-
pany to give bona in s25, 900, to indemnity the
city FOR any dsmsge to person OF property hat
result from running the cars, or building
The road.
The reader has here presented a very brief
account OF the PROCEEDINGS Of council upon
the railroad question, especially As It regarded
Bisin street They are marked by a spirit /
has called down whitening rebuke from
is own members, and By an unstsadinsss Of
purpose that has rsaited in the u~ndisguised
repudisHon Of a solemn contract. The con-
nsnv have 80 conducted themselves TIA not a
lneie matter Of repnoach is brought against
them by any member o. the council, vet
'huagh council invited End accepted their bids;
sndered a contract to Be made with the CON
paur; and sanctioned their application to the
legislature Of the safe for a charter o. Moor
porsaon-ia all this It recognizes 10 legal o5-
irelion
IL The debate on Thursday night, members
even went 50 far az 10 saw The rights of the
would be forfeited By their failure 70 1
b.re tie cars ruDning in the specified time.
Tier va 2 delay Fhiie obtaining The charter /
b. Incorporation. but a formal resolution Of
courci sanctioned the application for Tho
-hartsr There was another delay at the re-
pest 81 coaneii, while the mayors OF various
i~s were written to inquirine how the street
iroads worked there. ls it bonorsbls-is q
D good faith for coencil 70 take advantage Of
: own acts 70 claim a forfeiture IN the man
81 sugge-fsd? The company DELAYED until
estimouv could b. obtained from other cities
hal testimony was favcrsbis to their project
~ g. TIE whole debate on Tbursdsy riehi not
rori OF Il was allowed to tel in it's favor
/ WIS az ignored and council "rscedei
One member. with an honesty n expression
81 icf, room FOR no disguise. said II an a
Nississ ppi repudiator. and think they done
ight. md 90 in for rsrudiating now what
ss thus clearly expressed was fully eompre-
euded in the resolution adopted b. the board ;
hi ne poiisbed pen Of The gentleman who
hew It up-lhe president of she board
stitutod for the rough word arepudiste,@
IS mfIa expression "rccsier1"That this
sasr6 rsosEes from its undertaking 10 have =
s.st road 90 Main street, We expect this
sidwU in future be known as ne r~ece3irg
~ rri 2 The rights Of tue street railway
.sltb. 9 are ignored, and he engagements Of
ia it's with them are "reeedei from. This
3 bsa. but is it all? How viii itsoand among
* sister cities 10 hsari & said, " Memphis does
osp good faith-she rsPudistes her con
acssg Shall this Be perntted2 Shall
sery Msmpbisn travel With q blot upon is
-cutcbeon? shall our young and rising city,
hat is destined to occupy 50 lofty q place in
hsse Uaisrd States, have Der name dragged 10
b. dust. and ner fame p~oIlated with the epi-
- Of reBnaiaffoa7 Fofbid It every drop Of