, 1863-04-09
Qbitago @ribn11e.


| OGA h1StVAHlN LETTER.
Railroad Legislation Inside Views
1eea,ioM>y ant Isrtjudice-1Iosv somt
Left Undone-Sundry other Ti,in.s.
From Our Own Corrcerondent1
| MADISON. April i, 1863
a review OF what has been attempted and
what LAS been dorc, what has been carried
and What prevented in the way Of railroad
matters at the regent session Of our Lcnisl,.
( tusc, may be Of some interest to your readers
1t las ben i matter Of surprise that certain
flcts herein set forth laye hot been developed
By eomeastute Muwaukecans before it could
te expected that 4 Chicago correspondent
| would make them public.
During the last mouth Of the session there
was considerable lobby here from our me.
trtpolitan city, almost constantly to urge
| or 10 fight various railroad projects.
! The greet Prize for which there ,ras the most
| fierce contention was the possession Of the
"esttrn division Of tie Lacrosse Railroad,
famous in tie days Of land grant corruption.
TLc EoId holders wanted to get hold Of it,
! AID oth.r parties were not without hope that
the l. gisltuyc would put it in their hands.
and it Was reckoned that the 100000 in
VOWED would be i nice thing to have.
Tie first bill on the subject was, belieye,
introc uccd il the Assembly by Mr. Slarpstcin,
AID il mi=take not, provided that an7 three
lersohs might form 4 company for the pur-
chase Of the Western division of the Ii Crosse
ard milwaukee, or Milwaukee and Minnesota
RAILROAD, and could also consolidate with the
Eastern division, with the Milwaukee s; uori.
con Rail- head, and do divers other things too
numerous to meution.'' This bill vas no.
printed and WAS speedily witldrlwp.
I llc next attack was made il tic San:fe.
where Sat. CLARK introduced bill "to incor-
porate the bond HOLDERS Of the Lacrosse and
Aecsrs. Isaac Seymour, N. 4 Cowdnys HnT.
ace GalI'ln, ". Gould, u. II. IIuyhe=. F. p
Jansts, Il. Sage and Geo S't;ith IF New York.
n'sN: l. Mnl'cnsll, nI,t wV;,,-Crocker, Finch aud
b rla!l OF Ohio. Tl4i= Hill coutai,lyd ya1iou;
general provisions designed to facilitate its
object OF cutting the Gurd;an knot Of lcr,l
dtci:;cns, lnjuuctions, mortgages, Nc., and e..
1tclalIy authorized the above corporaturs to
laf1SIasc the milwaukee aud Western Rail
Icad, and complete its road from Columbus n,
Portage and to Madison. This bill was iudef
ltittly postponed by good majority.
Tn tie 18th It March, A1r. Larliu ;rtroduc.
cd Il bill III the Assembly to "iucorpotatf tl,c
bondhodcrs Of tho Western Division Of the
LaCtosse aud Milwaukee Railroad Cs,arany.1
Hhlel nalllsd the saline corporators as tho Sen
att bill. This bill WAS much shorter ind s;m.
l!cr tl'an lie others, lc;:yin3 many THINGS
which weie cNprtssed in them ouly imnlie1i,
authorizing the corisoritors in general f1rms
top1fctase and hold Ill property which NAV
ts necessary, III addition to the Western Di-
Vision of the Lacrosse Railroad, and Confer
ring OIL item ali the franchises CONNECTED viii
tlc 1Iortgagc under which the road is ntytr.
tiEed to te sold. A tremendous ctturt was
made 10 carry through this bill, which was
known As :" Finch's bill.'' Nearly all the
prominent lawyers Ut Milwaukee were brought t
ont here to argue the matter bcfore the r1jI !
roadcomlnittec, aud deputatious from the Mi, !
WauIcc Chamber Of Commerce and Board Of |
lrade, with other prominent men, were here |
urging the passage Of the bill, and cluir1in1
that tEe salvation Of Milwaukee, dependcl |
VI omit.
The Assembly, however, refused to consider
it, ard it failed without eyen achic1inr ihe |
distinction Of being voted down,
Ahofher bill, under which 1t was intended |
10 elect 1hc same object, by q general law
amending iAG statutes regulating railroads,
"as indefinitely postponed. Thus This scheme
on Which ullny castle in the air was found
cd, utterly filled.
great fight. was made against the North
western Ra'i'uad, on the ground, as cIai1ncd
~ mos tnose WIG itts'glrc the State ruined if any
hnilt, or, being built, obtains any hvor-tuas
II was "a glasplDg Chicago railroad nlonopo-
~ The bill 10 authorize the road ..to
Issue preferred stock, and exchange for its
second mortgage bonds, and to consolidate
with other companies" was violently attack
I'd, and when The consolidation SECTION wa
struck out, the enemies Of the Northwestern
11olgLt they lat achieved great victory,
However, TIC friends Of the Northwestern
falIroad did not seem sufficiently downcast
over their defeat, and Milwaukceans and
meal somewhere. Su, when the bill to ..f1.
cllitatc aud authenticate the formation Of q
Corporation by tic purchasers OF future
u"ncis Of the Racine aud hIi:sissippi
1'aatul9., haa'lvaa, eaine , up, that was We
honsh lucy eopga ogHaifa no exas,v a1 see sSsReo
covered up in the power given the holders Of
the Wisconsin md uf the said road to con>n1.
tdate with the Northern Illinois end. there
was ching that ,sonld help tho North
"estvrn hailroad. Nraaps there was. Not
con1s Mt with failing to defeat tile Raciue blll
IN tie Legislature, 4 strong pressure was
b:ought to bear en- the Goye1nor to infucr
l'l'it to veto tlc bill rs coa:rtry to s.tnc true
Ioliey of eur State" (Sla.r in t!4is c,uncc.
iion meaui.E aii}*aukec.> Cav. Salomon,
chose 10 sIgn The BILL
The A1ilWaukceans claim that Mr.. P. IT.
Smith, the representative of the Northwest
crn Railroad, Vas defeated in al aitcmpt to
Place the State If Wisconsin In tile power Of
g1a:rsng Chicago 1;'il.ona monopoly, By All
auIoit J. gtslaliyc trick" Yet they somehow
feel as if 1liey lad been outwittvd, and curse
each other because they '*can't see it.' Per-
hals they may thank NC for cnlirhtcuinc
ti'm by saying that Sections and : If Chap.
ter ~ Of tue Revised Statutes hive never been
repealed. though the contrary las been ge,,-
crali y supposed, and the Chicago and North
western Railroad. or any othrr road, can con
solilatc and make running connections IN
their hearts desire, under said sections. Mil
"aukee eyes were not sharp enough to dis
soysr s'o tbs, and Il they suffer thereby mo
understand that such arrangements have
bet n made that the Racine and Mississippi.
and Northwestern Railroad Companies, viii
take hold Of the Sugar River Valley Railroad,
and ensure its speedy completion from Durand
10 this place, Whclcc it will run to Portage
City, bctWeen which place and this tho grad
Ing is already in good state Of torwardness,
with prospect that the road will bc in run
ming order carly next winter.
ultimately connected with this is the bill
which PASSED, after much opposition, charter
11ng 15gs, raiifoad ~ from Tomah, or the Lacrosse
through part Of the lands heretofore granted
TO the Lacrosse and Milwaukee, Rlilroad. !
II is not certain, SO fir as know, whether tue
Northwestern or Galcna Railroad will nut
this road through.
charter was obtaincd at this session for a
road from Monroe, in Green county, to River
side, in Lafayette county, which, if Completed,
will give Chicago and Milwaukee = more
direct connection than heretofore with the
Wisconsin lead mines.
OF some proper railroad schemes of less
Importance, have not time to right now.
The Milwaukee, papers appear to be fear.
FULLY exercised about the appointment of
Perry 4. Smith, Of Appleton, Us ore OF tic
delegation from this State to confer with tue
Canadian authorities in regard to the cnlarec-
nlcnt Of the present facilities Of water trans.
rortation, abusing him and the Governor ter
Eibly because Of his appointment, alleging
tha. he is 20 thoroughly identified with Chi.
cago that he Is not fit representative Of Wis.,
cunsin Interests Hany man has shown more
interest in Wisconsin matters, done more to
relieve the anxicties Of those at home, and
the suffering Of our soldiers iu the field, after
the great battles In the West, than p. Ii.
Smith, considering his position, do not
know who be is. Furthermore, bis residence
and place Of voting is 1t Appleton, and no
man knows better what the State wants and
needs; few men nre better known in CONNER.
cial circles or have moro influence. What
diversity Of interest Mflwnuktn t,r Hh;r,u,, |