The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-04

Re
-
The Governors Position On Consolida-
! tion
Tho burden Of the Governors argument
1t the City Hall meeting was addressed to
point about which there Is no dispute
All admit that . railroad over 1000 miles
can be administered moro economically
under one head than IL divided into avc
, roads Of 500 miles each, under separate
Management. But that fact does not
affect the great public questions involved
In the particular consolidation proposed.
: L does not follow from this postulate that
all The roads in the United States, or oil
the roads in any one Of the States, or all
the roads on any one line, ought to be con-
.o,,dsted. The combined routes north o,
rs were instanced as examples in favor o!
: this policy. Bnt none apply to the case.
Let the Governor produce an instance
where common trunk runs from the in.
terror towards the seaboard and then divides
into diverging routes, tone say striking
for Philadelphia and one for Balti.
MORE and where there is q consolidation
between the common stem and one o;
these diverging routes. But even then, t.
mako the case similar, it must also appear
that all these roads were made by on,
people, out Of common purse, for the
common benefit, and that questions affect
ins them are involved, moro serious thar
apostolic saving Of expenses on section
Of these routes.
Whatever good may be the fruit Of con.
solidation, there must be harmonious action
to reap it. II 1t can only be put into ope-
ration under tho disadvantages of discord
and dispute, the evil results will be likely
TO exceed the benefit. The time is not pro-
pitious; the test of the policy Of combina-
tion cannot be fairly made now, and twill
be we'll at least to delay:
Tho stupendous evil of discrimination
against the people who made the roads,
hind of rebellion of children against their
fsthers, il at an end. On. all sides that
course is repudiated, and we have proba-
bly, seen the last of /: in Virginia. Now,
let the roads be held strictly to the doc
triue that if there is any distinction made
IN rates, or any leaning in any way, it
shall be in favor of our own ports and
markets; let their administration be placed
in entirely impartial hands to carry on,
this policy thoroughly; let the merchants
of the interior, in the same spirit, give pre-
ference wherever they can to the home
markets; then there will DO new life in
fused into the decaying cities of the State,
aud they will become prosperous marts OF
trade, returning, as they grow, into the
Ian of these roads the wealth they re-
ceived from them.
The roads may achieve all this good, so
far as they are concerned, by cooperative
effort and harmonious regulations, without
tae placing Of one man at the head OF a
half dozen or more railroads. The friends
Of consolidation in the debate of Monday
triumphantly produced the example of the
railroad system of England, under which q
box or package might be placed at any de-
Dot addressed to any other in the kingdom,
and its delivery would be prompt and GER
tain no matter how many lines of railway
there might be in the route. The road first
receiving it would give receipt for the
whole way to the point Of destination.
Such an example Of harmony and co6pe-
ration is indeed worthy of emulation, and
these gentlemen declared it to be the re-
suit of consolidation" But the argument
was turned upon them with redoubled
force in the reply of the opponents of con-
solidstion: that this great facility oftrans-
portation to all parts of the kingdom with
out the Intervention Of agencies or eek
presses" DO much to the convenience of
the public, was the result simply Of sys-
tenn Of cooperation and intercourse, grow
ing out of wise view Of the interests and
obligations of railroads. The English man
ayers, understanding their duties to them
selves and the public, knowing that freight
will increase with the facility and conve-
nience afforded in its transportation, have
mutually arranged between themselves
system which gives the most perfect salts
action to the public and contributes in
che highest degree TO the general benefit of
commerce. Aud yet, under this system,
each road has its separate president and
board Of directors.
Direct Road to Lynchburg.