The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-03

what ] regard as an uni lust n ID ,-....,r..
iWhab.doest this lproposed {, bill claim4
DOeseis hoBaskt you to. barter away the
great future interests of this State for
one {l5 milLper mile for each passen=
gercafried over the Baltimore road, iand
for the paltry sum of S25,000, in lieu of
aIlsthat isnowduee by that road to the
State. For these payments the road Is
to be exempt from all future taxati9na
Will it paw us to thus, tnke care OF the
best interests of our State?
i have been told by gentleman OF
this city-6 6pe ,of ack nowlepge Legal
abiliLy-who is more fami lar w ith this
subjectthan nyEmemberofl lhis House,
that he would not take 500, 600 for the
privileges asked for by the railroad
Company in,thts bill. From my tnyes-
tigation of the whole matter, am
fred 30 lSaY that GIE would not take
"a great deal more than that amount. amount
informs me tina the has not the slightest
doubt that the road cansbe compelled
to Ipay the taxes assessed against It un-
der the old charter. The SoInphn have
deelared over six per cent. tdlNldends
more than once. In the year 1854 they.
declared eight per cent Thus, by the
terms of their charter, they are liable
for these asSesslhe . a few years ago
the stock of the Company WAS selling Tor
fiftytoi sixty dollars per share of 500.
Last year the stock sold upto shy and
is even now quoted at Sl12.' take it
that those who buy the stock know its
yalue: and are not in the dark as to the
fact that the road is earning satisfactory
diyidends., Is il a hardship, under the
circumstances, to demand The taxes 70
which the State is entitled 2illsags.l tfn.f
Hhsthe Baltimore and Ohio railroad
company ever shown anything nke IA, IA
"a, rfnCt NngUnHn
people OF this State, on (which to- found
a claim forthe e2empdpDslaskedf for IN
this bill? / say not.-1t has been as
serted with truth, and iie has mot been
denied on the floor of this House, that
freight can be shipped from CincinnatI
to Philadelphia and New York at the
same and often times for lower rates,
than are asked from this city, and from
other points on the road, to those cities.
By this discrimination against our fpeo-
pie constant injury is doneto the State!
am willing to give the road all the
advantages to which it entitled unaer
its charter, and certainly 90 not IN,
tend to vote in such a way. as to .retard
its progress. Neither, on the other
hand, do / intend 10 vote to elevate tho
Interests ofthnt company abOEe the in
terests ofthe State. Iiwish that road to
contribute only its fair quota towards
the common treasury, for which weare
all taxed! / wish IL to bear only the
same burdens as are borne by like cor-
porations in other States The Central
Pennsylvania Ioilroad pays a certain
per cent. of all its earnings from. both
freipEts and passenger into the treas
urV of that Slate. Why Should not our
great road contribute in like mannerto
West Virginia?i ui s'ltsiet ~ - -.aft4i
Gentlemen, the question to ask our
selves is, are we. doing Justice TO. our
constituents in voting for this bill? Is
the voice of our people heard or repre-.
sented in this bill7T make, bold to say,
that not one in ten of the business men
of this city have been apprlsed otothts
billuntii. the ,lastihour as IL were. Can
we thus vote il through without hearing
those who are vitally interested in its
operations upon. the trade and prosperi-
ty OF the State2 I ask that we postpone
IL ford he time Sbelng.6iI u am confident.
that at the next session of the Leg
islature gaa hilli can be- matured and
passed that viii dojustiee to all parties
The gent from Marshall county
(Air. TfainerO has suddenly and unac-
countably changed his base on this
Question. From hitherto opposing he
has become the ADVOCATE of the bill.-
Does he feel that in thus changing he is
promoting the Interests of his people in
preference to those of the railroad COM
pany?TsHe may be expecting to receive
c6nrrity,. . But even If he should receive,
them. after that time, audfor all fnture
time; his constituents would pc on "a
level with the other counties of1the
State. 5HI do not profess to understand
all'thsihf1hence that have operated on
gentlemen in suppo ortlng, q measure 50
plainly againstthe interests Stale.
They may be able to see their ljustifica-
tion4in the terms offered by the railroad
company. but am mot of that NUMBER.
Many of YOU areiaWaIe ofthe influences
this road brought to bear on the S1r-
ginia legislaturefto to accompltSh ltS ends
Years ago. I hope the same influence
Is not here to draw US away from the
Interests, Of nurlState and people. tI}
Towards the managers of the compa-
nv. personally, l have no remarks 10
make. In what say mean no hos
tility to them or thef read oyer which ll
they SO sefi ciehtly preside. II ihaveA ex-
lion at their hands at all times. Espe-
ceially has this been the case with the
General Shpefinte at this end of
the road, Mr.. Ford, whom have al
ways founds TO. be a gentleman OF liberal
views ;stiesirOus by every IN ms
power TO pro mote the interests of those
whom pserved as agent for the State of
this OCCASION to bear witness to his con-.
stant kindness and courtesy as an offt-
Ger of the road, during all that trying
period. NV efforts to be of service to
the needy and suffering of our army
were in every instance supported by
him. But, Mr. Speaker while thus
tlisclaiming AFT personal feeling in my
remarks, L beg to Impress upon the
minds Of gentlemen Of this House my
certain conviction that this bill ought
not to pass, becAuse it will prove to
br great aryfnjury to the State
Eds. InteIIigeneer: ~
/ III see in Some quarters q disposition to
multiply sanitary laws inioir city, =. =, e e. !