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

tterm consolidation" 1t was true he
was not raised in the school Of the strict
constructionists of '9s and 30 but he
was too much of a constitutionaliyt 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. :.
Mr.. Staples complained that no schedule
of details with reference TO the terms OF
consolidation had been presented. He
would like to know something of the man.
ncr in which the authority Of the head OF
the consolidation was to be exertcd, 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, he 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. He denounced this
arrangement as ruinous to the very city
General Malone professed to desire topro-
tect; and yet the combination under
which the present discriminating rates
were established was a consolidation Z" to
all intcnts and purposes. He asked, with
emphasis, how it was that consolidation
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-
tions and securing equality! General
Malone profcssed now to desire to relieve
the Virginia cities from these diScrimina-
tions. Mr.. Staples asked, with great earn
estneSs, why he had not done this in the
contract which hc and others had made
On the contrary, they had agreed to the
most olious 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 consoli-
dation, and he did not believe she would
be a participator in its benefits unless un-
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 i'll the ar
rangement of consolidation"
Governor Peirpoint said that there was
clause in the charter of the Danville
railroad which provided that its rates on
! freight, &c., could not he restricted until
it declared dividend of fifteen per cent.
1t was therefore out of the ring.
Mr.. Shcilcy 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.. Staples cUullnued.-wlllcd dencrai
Malone tells us what he can do land Mr..
S. did not doubt the sincerity OF his Inten-
tions), we have the extraordinary eNhlbl-
ton of the determinations against Rich-
mond under the partial consolidation with
which he was connected. How could VIC
look for change of policy under the more
thorough consolidation! In vain may we
demonstrate against its continuance. Even
though the schedule and rules might abol-
ish discrimination, it would be practised in
thousand forms where trade and interest
were involved.
Mr.. Stables considered that there was
such thing as faith still extant in Vlr-
rinia. Richmond had subscribed S200,0O0
to the Virginia and Tennessee railroad. 1t
was not good faith to Richmond to form
consolidation" by which Richmond would
be cut off altogether from the trade
brought over the road she had so libcrauy
helped to build. He inveighed against the
policy which had cut her OIL from the
trade of the West, and threatened to con-
tinue her position Of ISOLATION from the
benefits and advantages of the railroad
system. ,., r,
The advocates of consolidation talked
about building up Virginia cities. What
cities, Was Richmond one of them! lie
believed no man would assert it. Lynch
burg, he contendcd, was not the object OF
special regard. Alexandria, no man pre-
| tended was one ofthose to be Eullt up by inc
consolidation, while such had been the po-
licy towards Petersburg and NorfolB ny 'hc
roads General Malone controlled that we
could hardly expect tie former 10 DC
benefited, while the latter would proDapiy
be still mere shipping point: N0riolk,
indeed, at this time paid more for paic VI
cotton from Memphis than New York. She
paid forty cents per 100 pounds more from
Coriuth than New York, which was reached
by steam line-at present portion OF
General Mahone's partly consolidated line.
Mr.. Staples asked if this was the way to
build up Norfolk :? and would consolids-
ton" make her situation better!
| lie entered into an argument 10 sno"
the Injustice and Inconvenience 70 the VIZ
einia and Tennessee railroad OF empioylIE
It's rolling stock on the Southside road sha
vet the only effective argument in favor o
.consolidation" was the employment ol t'ie
cars of one railroad upon ano.her 10 avoiu t.
dciay and the breaking Of bulk. The VIZ
cinia and Tennessee railroad hau tme" oso
nine engines, eighteen passenger csfS' TSo rSo
freight cars, snd seven mail cars: Inc
So,ltbside railroad had only e'ghty cars
AGAINST 26O. The consolidation, he con-
tendcd would be diyerting this large num-
,'ar % of .sars from their legitimate pur-
uosas upon the Virginia and Tennessee
rfailroad to the Southside and Norfolk ana
Petersburg railroads to the injury Of the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad ana the