The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-02-16
THE LEGISLATURE.

except the discussion in the Senate of the
Valley Rail Road Bill.
We are pleased to see that our energetic |
Senator, DIR Robinson, is making a gallant
fight against the attempted encroachments of
the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company.
We trust he will be sustained by majority |
of his fellow members and thus defeat bill |
aimed at the very vitals of the State.
During the discussion of the Valley Rail
Road bill, in the Senate on Wednesday, Dr.
Robinson said:
| deal with the facts as on the record, and
no explanation can remove them from that
record, and when ! find fact like that star
ing me in the face, and Mr.. CARROTS speech,
how can believe that this scheme is not for
the benefit of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. | stated sometime ago that | would
show the friendship of this Baltimore and
Ohio railroad for Virginia in the course they
have pursued in the last four years towards
the South. When General Lee crossed into
Maryland by whose aid was he defeated and
driven back ? BY the aid of this Baltimore
railroad. The President of that road was
called npon by the Secretary OF War to gath
er oil his powers to throw in front of Lee the
Federal troops, and IN that advance Lee was
buried back by the influence of these friends
Of ours, who patted Virginia on the back and
said, $50 it, Virginia; your dignity demands
it and we will back you and protect YOU -
Then again, at Gettysburg, these bosom
friends Of ours who were so anxious for our
success did their best to put the forces Of the
United States in front of Lee. When Early
marched into Maryland, defeating Hunter aud
driving him into the Kanawha valley, where
be was entirely poweress, it was these partic-
| ular friends OF Virginia, who now trying
to &c. all her trade and travel, who brought
those troops again from the kanawha valley
to oppose Early at Martiusburg, and SO caused
his defeat. 1t was the fact that the President
OF the Baltimore company got paid in full for
everything he had done during the war, that
now made that company wealthy 1t was
said three months ago that they had money ell
ough to buy up not only the Legislature of
Virginia, but the whole State; and though
have not yet seen any of it, yet know there
| has been good deal of lobbying and log
rolling but tell these gentlemen that neither
| lobbying or log-rolling shall drive me from
my purpose. sir, every man knows that the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad did more to de-
agency of the Government Their object was
the mighty dollar, and. every moment they
| got us entangled they were working TO make
| money out oil our mlstortules
Can Senators vote for building "A road under
| such circumstances as these? | think not. 1t
is our bounden duty to protect the interests of
Virginia and her Interests in the internal i'm
provemeuts within her limits Indulge me
for few moments more, while | ameal to
y brother Senators who have heard 70 much
to-day about the former glory and greatness
of our old Commonwealth. We have in this
Senate the name OF Washington the name of
Cabell, who was the father of that great canal
stretching from the Chesa peake to the Ohio
| that canal which was intended to bring
down the products OF that vast country to
that seaport city, of which all Virginlans
ought to be proud. And yet, there We're other
| Senators who asked them, instead of building
up that city, to build up another two buudred
miles from the seaboard, and blocked up by
ice three months in the year, 1t is strange
these gentlemen say that Virginia farmers
want to get to market and yet in the next
breath they say that they have no crops; they
don't want any improvements or immigration,
and yet they want another railroad, though
they have nothing to send to market We
hear about sectional prejudice, but was there
no sectional prejudice on the part of the adj
vocates Of this bill, and they have no right to
indulge that prejudice to the risk of thirty
| three million of money we have invested in
internal improvements
This very generous State Of Maryland had
resisted successfully every attempt to build an
air line from Washington to New York, be-
cause it would injure Baltimore The true
policy for Virginia is to encourage her at pre-
sent struggling roads, enable them to be put
in order, and 50 encourage the establishment
of direct line Of shipping to Europe. AL
ready letters have been received here stating
that SO soon as through communication can
be made between Norfolk and Lynchburg,
and the State of Tennessee, and the West that
a direct line of steamers would be put on,
running between Europe and the port of Nor
folk. Why should not this State get the
benefit of this scheme? Why? because Bal
tIlnore had raised the cry of beware" and
had determined to prevent any communica-
ton between Norfolk and Europe and to do
I this the great anaconda was called upon aud
be says Il can do it. | have ten million dol
lars, and the Virginia Legislature is poor, aud
the members are inexperienced, and will in
duce them to give me Il charter that shall
| stop all these improvements and carry their
trade to Baltimore at the head of the Chesa-
peake, two hundred miles from the, seaboard"
The Senator from l. udoun--I ask the hon.
orable Senator from Norfolk if he knows there
is any money here to bride the Senate if
there Is, have not seen any of it.
Dr. Robinson--I have not said So ! sim
ply say there are such reports. beard EN-
three months ago; but the real question for
us is, shall we build up great SEAPORT in
another State or one in our own borders.
There is more in this question than can tell
you; but as to Maryland, the through travel
through Baltimore brings more into the State
treasury than all the charges on the travel go
ing through the State of New Jersey