Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-02-14
Express Transportation.

A bill passed the Senate on Saturday last,
which, should it pass the House and become a
law, Will materially affect the business Of Ex-
press Transportation, by regulating and re-
ducing charges, and, possibly, destroying the
present Express Companies, and transferring
their business, with its profits, TO the railroad
companies. MonopOlies are odiOus great cor
pOrations are great evils but when necessary,
as they sometimes are, they should be under
the control Of the State in which they exist, and
be so managed as to enUre to the benefit OF the
people who support them. There are (nomi-
nally) no less than four Express Companies
now operating in Virginia. One Of these COM
panies enjoys vast revenues all of them are
supposed to be in prosperous circumstances
They have no foundation of their own, no in
dependent source of existence. They are
based upon, and appendages fungi and para
sites) to, Our'railroads. What they do the rail-
roads ought to do; what they make the rail
roads ought to make. More enterprising
and energetic than the railroad companies,
they pay them so much for carrying freights
and realize large profits by the operation
Inc laws ACoAAANN AAN NANA9 AA NN~A 49,
charges, and the Express Company, to whom
the restriction is held, by an evasion Of law,
not to apply, come TO the railroads and say,
let us use your road, your cars, your engine and
your hands, to transport freight, and We wi'lpay
YOU more than the law allows You to charge in
dividuals. The railroad ~asseuts, the bargain Is
struck, and the Express Company begins opera
tions. What is the consequence The most
material consequence is that individuals have
to pay the difference between what the law al
lows the railroads and what they receive from
the Express Company, with the Superaddition
Of the amount charged by the latter. The
profits realized by Express Companies con-
stitute an unnecessary tax upon the people
Any arrangement that would cheaper trans
portation to the public, render IL as certain and
rapid as it is under the management Of Express
Companies, secure to the railroads the profits
now realized by the Express Companies, or
something like, and leave the subject Of trans
p~ortation under State jurisdiction, appears to US
10 be the most desirable arrangement that can be
made. The profits realized would assume the
shape of dividends, and be distributed among
the stockholders, including the State. The
people of the State, and not strangers, would be
the beneAciarieS.
The bill we have referred to, Senate bill No.
7s), proposes to do this. The bnl is as fol-
lows;
IL Be II enacted By the GeReral Assembly II
Virginia. That il shall be lawful for any Railroad
company in this Commonwealth to do an express
business over its road. or 70 unite with any other
Railroad company or companies, in or out OF IN
Commonwealth, IN establishing an agency or JOINT
stack company, upon such terms as such companies
may determine, for the purpose Of doing an express
business over their roads, or TO become a stock
holder, by subscription or otherwise, in any EN-
press company doing business over its road pro-
-vlded' that the sum invested by such Railroad COM
pahys III any such a1ency or Joint stock company, or
IL any sach Express company, shall not exceed
ten per cent, Of the capital stock Of such Railroad
company. Sha provided also, that 10 Railroad COM
P1ny, es ~ any such agency or joint stock
company, shah De table on account thereof, beyond
the sad limh.
- ANY agency or joint stock COMPANY es:ab.
hsneG uhueI 'nis az nay De sued in any court 10
which any Railroad company Interested bsrsin may
be sued, and IL shall be sufficient \, - ~ ~
cess upon such Railroad company, IN he meme,
provided by law and an execution against snrb
agency or joint stock company may be Level ~
the property Of such Railroad company 10 ~. -
tent Of its liability as prescribed by the inst section
Of this act
80 3. ANY hallrOaQ company uOlng an eNprao,
business over its own road, or in conjunction Wo,'
other roads in the manner aforesaid, may charge no
exceeding double the rate the said company is nov
or nav hereafter be authorized by law TO charge %
first class freightS, except upon packages weighin
less than one hundred pounds, upon which they ma
charge not exceeding fifty cents per package p
one hundred miles, and for all fractional parts
that distance; and any other Express company q
like agency doing anexpress business over any {
The railroads. OF this Commonwealth, shall not b
allowed % charge any higher rates than herein pr
scuoed; provided, that the rates and restriction
aforesaid shall not apply 10 packages Of mOnel
bills OF value, silver plate, jewelry. and the nix
articles but that the transportation Of the same ha
be subject to special contract by such RaiIr,ad q
other company doing an express business within m
limits OF hS State provided further thai an r.
press companies, other than any snch AGENCY q
company which may be formed by the Ra,ISosJs y
herein provided, shall be liable to be sns5 anJ ~
eeeded against as herein provided IN the case of an
Railroad express organization. authorized 20 \
formed by this act: provided, that notbing in az
act contained shall allow any Railroad co1na,H !.
abandon its regular f~reighting business Al ~ -,
prescribed BY law, but it shall remain optional ~,
shippers to ship by regular freight trains or by 3,
press.
"A. This act shall be in force from its passage
This bill places the power Of controlling ex