Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-18

~ VI h'S ""
vote present. $3.50
Total ........-.-... Aoof-
being a majority of the votes that could be
given on all the stock Of the company as al
present held.
On motion Of Gen. Taliaferro, the meeting
was organized BY the appointment Of Gustavus
A. MYERS, Esq, Of Richmond, us Chairman
WIN. 2. Munfurd, the Secretary OF the COIL
pany, attending as clerk.
Col. Thomas IL. Ellis, the President OF the
company. then delivered an oral address, with
an apology for not being prepared with u writ
ten report. =,
On motion OF Mr.. Grattan, the President
was requested to write out his remarks, which
he subsequently did, as follows:
Nr. Chairman, and Gentlemen Stockholders:
Before entering upon the purpose Tor when
this general meeting has been called, deeIn II
proper TO inform you that a receipt IN iull lot
the several debts due by the Company to the
State, and u proper deed, duly approved, re-
leasing to the company all liens, whether 6y
deeds Of trust, mortgage or otherwise, held by
the State upon the works and property Of the
company, to secure eny debt duo 10 the State,
or guaranteed by the State, were duly executed,
acknowledged and recorded, soon alter your
called meeting in April last. Subsequently, al
the request of the kanawha Board, executed
to the Commonwealth a mortgage upon the
works, property and net revenue OF the Rama
wha IMPROVEMENT from the mouth thereof TO
Loup creek shoals, for the payment Of the
principal and interest Of the sum of three hun
dred thousand dollars loaned to the company
by the State for the improvement Of the navi-
-. r A. vo,ou.Iu r,-ar ,,rHlp Yha Trn.
visions of the act of assembly Of the Esd Of
March, 1860.
Some days after the passage Of that act, re-
cclved 4 visit from Mr.. Ernest de Bellot des
MiniereS, who expressed 4 desire to renew the
negotiations which under views OF policy en-
tertaincd by him had been brought TO q close
in the latter part Of January. The scheme
which he proposed to submit differed material
" from that embraced in my letter to Mr.. Oil
vari and himself of the Sd of December, 1859,
aud upon which the bill reported in the House
of Delegates from the committee of roads and
internal navigation on the 2lSt OF December,
was based. In order 10 satisfy my mind rs to
the existence of an association formed for the
purpose of undertaking the completion OF this
Improvement, and rs TO the character and SOL
vency Of the associates, and his authority to
act for them, he exhibited and read TO me n
number of letters, certificates and other writ.
lugS containing Information and evidence which
appeared to lne conclusive. From these sources
[ gathered that several members OF the family
of Bellot dcs MiniercS, Of Bordeaux, France,
and several partners VI associates with them,
became int, ested in the Swan lands" which
by an act CT the General Assembly OF Virginia
relating to delinquent lands and Western titles,
passed March 18th, 1888, were released FROM
forfeiture. 10 tina State, discharged from all
taxes und damages charged or chargeable
thereon up to a particular day, and vested in
John Peter Dumas, IL trust, for the use and
benefit OF the creditors Of Colonel James
Swan, an officer in the American service du'
ring our revolutionary struggle. The title OF
these gentlemen 10 three hundred thousand
acres oil these lands was confirmed Ivy a decree
Of the Circuit Court Of kanawha county, pro.
nourced in January, 1859, and they are prose
cutting if they nave not established u claim TO
a much larger portion Of the original Swan
lands.
Thus interested in a region, which is admit
cd BY all to he one of the most remarkable in
Virginia, By reason of the variety, character
and extent of its mineral and agricultural re.
sources, and seeing plainly the enhancement in
the value Of their lands which would result
from the completion Of the james river and
kanawha canal upon an enlarged plan, they
have formed in France, an association, OF which
they are members, for the purpose Of under
taking the completion Of the Improvement.
Among the documents exhibited to me was q
certificate from Mr.. Calhoun, Charge d Attaires
Of the United States in Paris after the death oil
Judge Mason, setting forth that the parties
therein named had appeared before him and
requested him to certify this fact in their be-
half; the actual position Of the parties as stated,
is verified by him; and the certificate is signed
and duly acknowledged by them. Subsequent
to the date Of this certificate other associates
were admitted.
| do not understand this association to be Il
corporation under the laws of Franco; in adj
vance of an agreement here, it would be pre-
maturc--o or at least extremely onerous on their
part, to organize as q body politic-because, as
l am advised, a corporation aggregate cant:ot
exist in France until the whole capital stock
has been subscribed, two-tlIirds OF the capital
paid in, and certificate made in due form to the
government.
The affairs Of the association are managed
by a COMMITTEE of six, whose names have
been furnished INC. From the reputation, cha
racter and position of these gentlemen several
". I cannot be mistaken in believing that they
possess great influence, political, social and
financial. Their official correspondence with
Mr.. Ernest de Bcllot dcs Miniercs, conducted
bv one who has occupied the position OF Min
istcr OF Finance, and also that Of Project Of the
Police of France, as we'll rs that of Project OIL
Paris and the Department OF the Seine, has
been from time to time unrcseryedly laid before
me for p~erusal, and has always made upon my
mind the impression that 1t was founded in
good faith, and that the engagements which it
held out to us would be honorably fulfilled.
In the month Of May, l received Il visit from
Mr.. Paul, consul Of France for the city of
Richmond, who said, al come, sir, TO make
YOU an official visit-to say that my govern.
ment is beginning to feel an interest in the
scheme which | understand you have in hand,
and that | have received a despatch from the
Minister Of Foreign Relations, written at the
command Of the Emperor, directing inc to re-
port upon its meritS-and particularly, upon
its relation to the increase and establishment
of direct trade between France and Virginia.
need hardly say 20 You. sir. that there Is
much significance in this fact: It means, first,
that the parties who are negotiating with you
arc perfectly reliable: my government, in such
Il case as this, would never connect itself in
the rcmo,cst degree with any party or ~assccia-
ton no, entitled to the highest credit but
more than This, | know personally Or hy repu-
tation a number of the gentlemen who are
said to be engaged in the proposed underta-
king, and | know them to BE- Of as high char
acter, social, political and financial. as any in
Europe"
A report was made by Mr.. Paul, in obedi-
ence to his instructions, and h fortnight ago he
came again 10 make me IN official visit. On
this occasion he exhibited ard read a dispatch
from the Minister Of Foreign RELATIONSHIPS
ting that his report had been received. and had
been transmitted to the Minister OF Agricul-
ture, Commerce ami Public Works, to whose
department it appropriately belonged-that it
had been read with much interest, and its ahil-
ity WAS highly complimen:ed-that the thanks