The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-03

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was not raised in the school Of the strict
constructionists Of '9S and 80; but he
was too much Of constitutionalist to run
into the other extreme. The term "con-
solidation" had too much of northern
origin, both in regard to government and
railroads. II smacked Of oppression with
reference to both, and was to him most re-
pulsive. ,,.-.... :,
of details with reference to the terms of
consolidation had been presented. He
would like to know something of the man
ner in which the authority of the head Of
the consolidation was to he exerted, and
the relations of the different corporations,
before the Virginia and Tennessee railroad
was surrendered, bound hand and foot, to
the consolidation" He acknowledged
his apprchcnsions, in the absence of any
disclosed plan or system of details. As
Mr.. Goode had said, he believed every rail-
road president considered himself "mo-
march of all he surveyed" and inclined to
arbitrary power. With every respect for
General Malone, and every confidence in
him as a man of integrity, lie would not
trust him as the head of the consolidation,
and as president of the Virginia and Ten
nessee railroad, without clear and ex-
plicit contract and proper guarantees.
Nothing of the kind had been offered.
Mr.. Staples next criticised the tariff of
tolls under the present arrangement of the
line connecting Lynchburg with New York
by steam line from Norfolk. He showed
that freight from the Southwest was forty
cents per hundred weight less to New
| York than to Norfolk. lie denounced this
arrangement as ruinous to the very city
General Malone prOfessed to desire to pro-
tect; and yet the combination under
which the present discriminating rates
were established was consolidation to
all intcnts and purposes. He asked, with
emphasis, how il was that consolidation I"
had not relieved the State from ruinous
determinations, such as this he had cited !;
and with what reason could we expect that
the proposed consolidation would be any
more successful in preventing discrimina-
tons and securing cqualityY General
Malone protested now to desire to relieve
the Virginia cities from these discrimina-
tons. Mr.. Staples asked, with great earn
cstneSs, why he had not done this in the
contract which he and others had made !
On the contrary, they had agreed to the
most odious and injurious determinations.
He expressed his great doubt whether
another consolidation would cure the evil
and the expressions Of the consolidation
already in existence. Richmond would be
out of the sphere of the proposed CONSOLE
dation, and he did not believe she would
be participation in its benefits unless I'M
der the provisions of law; and why not
leave the whole system to be controlled by
law? Richmond would certainly be no
participator in the alleged benefits of " con-
solidation" unless the canal and the Dam
vile railroad were included in the ar
rangcment of consolidation
Governor Peirpoint said that there was
Il clause in the charter of the Danville
railroad which provided that its rates on
freight, &C., could not be restricted until
it declared dividend of fifteen per cent.
1t was therefore out of the ring.
Mr.. Shelley stated that precisely the
same clause was incorporated in the char
ter of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad,
and that upon that grouud it was as much
out of the ring as the Danvillc railroad.
Mr., STABLES coulinued.-Nnllc Gencrai
Malone tells us what he can do land Mr..
S. did not doubt the sincerity of his Inten-
tions), we have the extraordinary exhibit
ton of the determinations against Rich
mond under the partial consolidation with
which he was connected. How could VIC
look for a change of policy under the more
thorough constellation, In vain may we
demonstrate against its continuance. Even
though the schedule and rules might aDol-
ish discrimination, it would be practlsed IN
thousand fprms where trade and interest
were involved.
Mr.. Staples considered that there was
such a thing as faith still eXtant in Vir-
ginia. Richmond had subscribed 500, 600
to the Virginia and Tennessee railroad. 1t
was not good faith to Richmond to form
60 constellation by which Richmond would
be cut off altogether from the trade
brought over the road she had so Literally
helpcd to build. He inveghcd against the
policy which had cut her off from the
trade of the West, and threatened to con-
tinue her position Of isolation from the
benefits and advantages Of the railroad
system.
The advocates of consolidation talked
about building up Virginia cities. What
cities? Was Richmond one OF them! lie
believed no man would assert 1t. Lynch-
burg, he contendcd, was not the object OF
special regard. Alexandria, no man pre-
tended was one ofthose to be built up by fhe
consolidation, while such had been the po-
licy towards Petersburg and Norfolk ny inc
roads General Malone controlled that we
could hardly expect tie former 10 pe
benefited, while the latter would proDaDiy
he still mere shipping point. Norfolk,
indeed, at this time paid more Tor pare VI
cotton from Memphis than New YORK. one
paid forty cents per 100 pounds more from
Corinth than New FORK, which was reached
by a steam lne-at present a portion OF
General Malone's partly consolidated llne.
Mr.. Staples asked if this was the way 10
build up Norfolk and would "consolida-
ton " make her situation better!
lie entered into an argument u sno"
the Injustice and inconvenience to the VIZ
oinia and Tennessee railroad of employing
IFS rolling stock on the Southside road sha
vet the only effective argument in favor Oh
:.consolfdation" was the employment Oh tne
cars of one railroad upon another to avoid
delay and the breaking OF BULK. Inc w
pinia and Tennessee Railroad had twen.s
nine engines, eighteen passenger cars Loo
fro;1ht cars ard seven mail cars. Inc
Somtbs;de railroad had only eighty cars
inst 960. The consolidation, he con-
.sndoJ would be diverting this large num-
i'ar ~ sars from their legitimate pur-
moss upon the Virginia and tennessee
railroad to the Southside and Norfolk ana
Petersburg railroads to the injury OF the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad and the
= A.. ,srt,t and