Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-02-03

$4,000 COO and on the Covington and Ohio Rail.
road So 100000 The Virginia and Tennessee road
was partly built for commercial purposes, and the
road from Petersburg TO Norfolk for similar rea-
son. If Virginia now gives up all hope of CONNER
cial wealth, then let her change her policy, and give
charters for every Improvement as advocated, but
let the Legislature remember that in so doing they
retain the immense debt which has been already con-
tracted. Is there any reason that virginia should
despair Of commercial pre-eminence, when no one
cln dispute that she has the most direct commu-
nication with the great West and when
upon your desks there now lies a proposition
from foreign capitalists TO extend and improve TIE
James River Improvement Company that we may
have direct communication with the Ohio river. The
object of the bill very plain and, though inslg-
niticant in appearance it was like the cloud seen by
the prophet, which, at first though no larger than
mans hand increased until il enyeloped the whoe
heavens. Does anybody believe that the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad are going 10 build this road OF
eighteen miles merely for the road ltSeil, ana WIN
Interior designsl IL so, he is very immature IN
judgment. No argument has been offered IN It's Ia
vOr except the convenience of the people between
Winchester and Strasburg, and, upon argulnentl-
ton such this, the Legislature is asked to enable
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to extend their
road first tn Strasburg and then 10 Harrisonburg,
and then, upon the same principle, they VIII get
permission to construct the road thence TO salem
and, as consequence, the whole southwest
will become tributary TO Baltimore. They then have
communication with COvingtOn.
Mr.. BALDWIN vacated the Chair and advocated
the bill lie thought that community was the
best judge OF what for their interest. The gen.
tlemen had applied this principle the other day to
private enterprises ana surely when applied 10
neghbOrhoOds and communities it holds equally
good. The parties presumed to know best what
is their interest the representatives of the Ma
nassas Gap road, the only road to be affected by the
road asked for are here anxiously awaiting the pas
sage of the bill. The gentleman from Richmond
says Virginia has a commercial policy. es, she
has HHC lila. In '36 she rejected the proposition
of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad which agreed Tor
the right of way through her territory, to give her
fifty cents per head upon all passengers, with the
additional privilege of tapping said road at any
point along its line. This was in pursuance of the
commercial policy alluded to, which amounted to
nothing more nor less than to make the entire agrl-
cultural and mineral wealth of the State tributary
to the city of Richmond. Next in urtherance OF the
same object which to keep Baltimore out of her
borders, she builds the Virginia and Tennessee and
COvingtOn and Ohio roads and then taps them ut
more than one point. Afterwards she constructs n
road from Gordonsville to Alexandria, and another
up the Valley to llarrisonburg, all at the
expense of the State, at least to the amount
of threc-lilths thus doing, ut an immense
expenditure what the Baltimore and Ohio road had
agreed to do for nothing The proposition OF
this road already referred TO- f had been accepted
by the State, wOnld have paid all the expenses OF
our State Government and would have built every
mile of railroad in Virginia. And now We have an
appeal from the city of Richmond at time when
the State is financially PROSTATE, TO continue tins
commercial policy, aud to defeat the bill, because,
forsoOth Baltimore is again to be kept out. While
he unwilling ID call any town one-horse town,
he thought it would be policy in the State to burn
many OF them, and pay for them, rather than that
they should continually stand in the way OF the de-
velopment of the great interests OF the state.
Mr. GRArTAN again got the floor, and spoke ear
ncSlly against the bill.
Mr. CLARK, of Danvile, was here to follow the
example OF Tunstall and Witcher, and, hence would
take great pleasure IN voting Tor this and all other
imiar bills.
Mr. HERNDoN thought that a vote on the bill
would not decide Il mere local question, but would
involve the question whether any and every conf
pany, asking no money, who came before the Legs
iature shall be given charter to build road. He
advocated the bill because it only allowed the Val
ley what it had right to demand, and would add
to the material wealth of the Commonwealth. This
idea of commercial development has been draw
back to the State for many years.
Mr. WHITE, of HenrcO, also advocated the pas
sage of the bill.
Mr. GARNETT said that he had no interest in the
matter except that of the State and only desired to
make the most of the great internal Improvements OF
Virginia built Mt u heavy expense. lie had more
intercourse with New York than with Richmond
and sent his crops to Baltimore but he intended To
vote for the good OF the whole Commonwealth. The
Valley is not the prime mover in this matter, but 1t
is the Baltimore and Ohio road, which is Il beacon
in its coils He thought that it wonld be determined
by the Finance Committee to sell the stocks and i'm
pr0vements of the State and the passage OF this bill
will materially affect the value of State securities
thus thrown into the market.
Mr. BALDWIN, having obtained the floor replied
humOrOusly tn the speech of Mr.. Garnett.
Mr. GARRETT had hoped that instead of an anec-
dotc that the distinguished gentleman from Au-
gusta would have removed his doubts upon very
grave subject. lie delied gentlemen to tell him how,
aha . n1I Ia tn tIn NJ
arteries of our internal improvements, would seri-
ously iniure the whole people of Virginia.
Mr. LEE, at three o'clock, moved an adjournment
which was not agreed to, when Mr.. Evans of Rich
mond took the floor, and opposed the bill with
force and ability, taking the ground
of Messrs. Grattan and Garrett. He addressed him
self particularly to the argument of Mr.. Baldwin.
rye regret that the length of the sketch of the de
bate already given, will not permit us to give an
extended SYNOPSIS of the speech of Mr.. EyanS,1
Mr. WALL said there had been much said by gen
tlemen about persons being thrown out in the cold,
but il is the opponents Of the bill who would throw
the Valley out into the cOd-the Valley which, for
the love OF Virginia. gave its children TO the sword
and its buildings to the flames. He had, rs mem
her of the Legislature, voted millions for the benefit
of Richmond, and now there is disposition to OPP
pose everything which will not enure to its benefit
At twenty minutes to four O'clock, the House re-
jccted the motion of Mr, Gbboney to adjourn,
Mr.. HOLMES called the pending question: upon
which Mr.. Bentley, Of Loudoun, demanded the
ayes and noes, which resuted-ayes 60, noes o.
The bill then passed by the following vote:
AYEs.-Messrs. Baylor, Bekem, Bently, Booker,
BraXton, Brown, Browning, Cabell \. j. Clark W.
Il. Clark, Childress, Davidson, Deskins Dickinson,
Huntington, Fields, GibbOney, Glendy, Graham,
Gray, Harris, HansbrOugh llarnsberger, Herndon,
Hurst Jackson, Kellam, Kendrick Lewis, Long,
Mann, Marshall Mcdonald, Magll, Miller, Moore,
Morgan, Newbeny, Parsons, Patterson, Pendeton,
Powell, Riggs, RiNcy, Scott, Strayer, j. Mcdowell
Taylor, Teeter, Thompson, Trout, Turner, Waddell
Wall, Watkins White Wilson, Volt, Wood,
Woodson Word and Mr.. Speaker-6l.
NOEs-MeSsrs Atkinson, Bowlcs, English, Evans,
Garrett Grattan, Graves, Hardy, Holmes, Joynes,
kilby, Lee, Merritt, Morris, Mosby, Owen, Pate,
Robertson, Stcarns, Straughan, and WOoldridge-2l.
On motion'the House adjourned.