Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-06
WARRINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

iHE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE RAILRoAD.-We
learned late Saturday last that the Stars recent
article upon this subject had been invidiously
commented upon before the House District of CO.
lumbia Committee on Wednesday or Thursday.
under the foolish pretence that II designed TO
designate the directors Of the virtually defunct
metropolitan Railroad scheme as lobby specula.
Tors only. we need hardly say that such an allie.
CATION was perhaps the only posi- BILE dodge bv
which an effort to break the force of the Stor,.
array OF facts In connection with the foreign spec
ulating opposition to the Senates Pennsvlvan;a.
avenue Railroad bill could be essayed
In answer to that assumption We have to saw that
'he nominal directors Of the Metropolitan paper
railroad scheme (for 1t has not amou nted to more
'hah paper railroad scheme worth speaking of
| are, most Of them, estimablc citizens, few Of
| "hom are apparently taking any part in the game
| OF securing charter for a Pennsylvania avenue
railroad for the benefit of operators around the
| loooies, who, for the most part, have no earthly
interest in District matters, except in so far as
| they can fasten themselves like leeches upon the
legislation Of Congress the action of the Execu
i've branch of the Government with reference to
| the District Of Columbia, out of which, as out of
other similar matters, such gentlemen can now
and then make good thing.
As Tar as We can perceive-and the impression
Is general In the District-the application for a
| pennsylvania avenue Railroad charter nominally
for the benefit Of the defunct Metropolitan Rail-
road scheme, is really for the benefit Of specula-
ting lobbyites. Some Of the latter are already
renowned as participants in the profits of the sale
Of the site Of the Brunswick, Ga, Navy Yard to
the Government; partners in the claim for a
million and half dollars from the treasury of the
United States for the privilege of using the water
| of the Potomac to supply the Government aoue-
/ A m axuitb
| to get charter from Congress for a new Gas COM
pany in this city. We need hardly say that though
they are believed to have in their pockets at this
moment sort of contract from the lobby ents or
| nominal directors of the Metropolitan Railroad
company TO construct their prospective Pennsyl-
vania avenue Railroad they have no more SUBJ
stantial interest in the District of Columbia than
any others Of the horde from distance who are
very active every winter in ear-wigging members
of Congress with reference to any and every bill
out Of which the lobby may posi- bly, feather their
nests.
The question of the propriety of granting to the
so-called Metropolitan Railroad Company the
right to construct and own the PENNSYLVANIA av-
enue railroad, aside from the gross Injustice of
the proposition to the District Of Columbia and
its Interests, is very easily disposed of Thus we
have to say that the Metropolitan Railroad Com
Pany have not got the first red cent i'm their treas
urv with which to construct yard of the railroad
Maryland some years ago authorized them to
build; and, further, that their charter gives the
company no pretence of right to raise money for
the construction of a railroad in the District of
Columbia by assessing the stockholders to that
end. So If the charter for the PENNSYLVANIA ay-
enue railroad be granted to them it will simply
be to enable them to sell out the franch to ont
side spectators.
hau
| Washington and Georgetown, with unexampled
unanimity, are opposed to mixing up the oues-
tiOn Of their accommodation by the construction
| of Pennsylvania avenue Railroad with the Me-
| tropoltan Railroad speculation; bantlinp of the
| Maryland Legislature, that already exacts State
| tax Of fifty cents-we believe the amount js-from
| every passenger who comes to goes from Wash
ington via the Washington and Baltimore Rail-
road; and may as Justly, through its control of
the Metropolitan Railroad, if ever built demand
of every man, woman, and CHILD who rides on
| OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Railroad, tax for that
privilege, for the benefit Of the MARYLAND State
| treasury.
That the Metropolitan Railroad will eve, he
| built, however, we do not believe; because I'D TO
this time all efforts to raise than fifty thou
| sdno uolldrs tionS since spcmtJ In real money to
| that end, have proved dead failures They have
so failed, among other reasons, because the road
If constructed, must prove financially a dead
unexpectedly, fifth wheel to a coach: there
| being already both railroad and canal communi.
| cation between Washington city and the Point of
ROCKS, the termini OF the once proposed Metro
| politan Railroad. And again, because since its
death, Virginia has been rapidly constructing the
| Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad, and now ha
that work nearly finished to the point from
| whence it must Of necessity monopolze the d.
| rect travel between the West and WASHINGTON
| which the Metropolitan Railroad abortion was
| conceived to accommodate. The Virginia rail-
road in question ito intersect the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad eighty-fve miles west of the Point
OF Rocks) may be regarded as thing accom-
plished; the lower section to Leesburg being run
| daily already, and the upper section being in a
| rapid state of experimentation having al
ready been expended upon it.
That it (the Metropolitan scheme) died long
| since, is thoroughly comprehended by all SEN
| sible persons in the District of Columbia: who
also know as well that its ghost would never have
appeared in their midst but for the fact that it has
literally been called by the chance of clutcbro
| "a good thing in getting possession of Penn
| sylvania avenue railroad charter nominalIy as a
| pretended tender to it.
| The people of the District comprehend thor
| oughly from sad experience what SO far al their
Interests are terned, they have to expect from
placing those interests directly Indirectly under
the control Of any company holding its charte,
| from the State of Maryland; for they remember
| well what the Maryland Legislature has done for
| them in legislating concerning the Chesapeake
| and Ohio Canal, and in compelling every citizen
| of the District or stranger on going to or from
this city on the Baltimore and Washington Rail-
road to paw to the State Of Maryland tax of fftv
cents for the rvilege of making each such trip.
Hence the universal repugnance of all of them
who see through the dodge, to having an i'm.
portant District Of Columbia interest literally
donated to Maryland and other foreign specula
tors.
The ALMosT-A-G ENERALFIGHT IN THE HOUSE
HALL 1EsrERDAY-We have few remarks to
make upon the last scene of disorder that occurred
yesterday i'm the House Hall. 1t arose out of a
very abusive and intensely violent speech made
by Mr.. Lovejoy, Of Illinois, in which he charac-
terised all shareholders IS being, If possible.