The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-15


THE ISLAND FOLKS AND THE BRIDGE.
We made mention yesterday morn
ing in our report Of Council proceed
ings of petition having been received
from the citizens of the Island asking
that they be exempted from the pay
ment of toll on the bridge, The grounds
ON which this petition is based are, that
even on the payment of their regular
dues and taxes (amountiuS to about
$4,000 per nnnuml they are cut off not
only from water aud gasprivileges, but,
by The payment OF toll, are deprived of
tho free use of the streets and alleys OF
the city. This is apparently fine
point, but one which Will, they think,
bear Investigation. The Island petit
TONERS do not ask, we believe, the city
TO pay their toll. or that they alone OF
tho city residents beexompted from the
pnyment OF bridge toll. If such were
The case residents on this side OF the
river who wish to so over to the Island
might Just us reasonably complain, on
payment OF toll, that they suffered the
same deprivation. What the Island
folks wish Is that nil foot passengers be
exempted from the payment OF toll
over the bridge. In support of their
request they Rdduce considerable of an
argument, and by showing, ut least to
their own satisfaction, that tho bridge
Is properly post route, claim that the
bridge company has no right to exact
toll OF foot passengers. They rectte that
after the erection of the bridge II WINS
complained of as nuisance, and suit
entered for its abatement. BY decision
of the United States Supreme Court the
bridge was declared a nuisance, and II
WAS ordered to be taken down or raised
fourteen feet. BEFORE either provision
was complied with, and when u was
probable that the first one would OF
necessity be adopted, Congress by act
declared the bridge post route. While
this saved the bridge company much
trouble, Il Is INSERTED by Your peu-
TONERS, who shalleSer pray, that II de-
privcd them of considerable power and
many rights which they might other
wise have exercised. According TO the
interpretation placed on the law by the
contestants In this case, post routes
have no authority for charging toll TO
foot passengers or to curriers' OF the
mail-they being Hunted in their right
tocharge 70 vetteles, horses and cattle
not mail carriers. This view. OF
the case resolves tho matter into
two Questions, viz: list, whether or
not the bridge is u post route; and I'd,
whether or not post routes, under any
circumstances, have n right TO charge
foot passengers. Inc Island iolks, We
understand, have consulted counsel in
the matter, and are going to push IL TO
an issue Its Introduction into the first
i,raneh of the Council, on Tuesday
evening, caused quite stir among
those present, some of whom are inter-
ested in the bridge company. We sup
nose TINT the matter will be putthrough
soon. We indulge in no expression OF
opinion ON the subject, either pro or
con. rs we have not given it that e&atnl-
tioII due before committing ourselves.
we have sought only 10 give correct
statement ofithe case as itcomes to us,
and shall now leave It with those more
directly interested; expecting to see the
subject soon discussed fully, as itshonId
he IN ider,ltion of its weighty char
aeier. and noless peculiar than weighty.