Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-07
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In continuation Of our remarks on this
subject, we will ressr our readers to an
Ac, in the statute book of 1854 page s7o'
entitled an Act to encourage the eo~nstruc-
ton of a telegraph line to unionViile and
Star CITY. The right was granted to
John b. Watson, his heirs and assigns, and
authorized him to construct and put in
operation a line Of telegraph from Union
Vile and Star City to the city Of San Fran
cisco, by way of Austin, Virginia, Gold
Hill, Carson. Nevada, M~arysville, Sacra.
mento, etc. The Act was all fright enough,
W or three clauses, which GER
tainly were unjust to the people of this
State, and which will hardly stand a legal
test in any respectable Court. We allude
to that clause in the law which says that
"other lines shall not be constructed, nor
Offices established SO as to do business by
telegraph between the places Aforesaid
And again: "This Act shall be irrepeal-
able for the period Of five years from the
time Of the completion of the line herein
provided for" Here, then, is the big
"nigger in the fence" that has been
rooted out BY the persons who would like
to see the telegraph bill o before the
Legislature defeated upon the ground-that
it conflicts with "vested rights" The
persons who engineered that bill through
the Legislature were G.. D. Hall, in Coun-
Gil, and William H. Clagett, in the House.
We have good authority in stating that it
was rushed through both Houses at
almost lightning speed being passed
under u suspension Of the rules-with-
out its reference to any committee in
either branch-and receiving the Cover
nor's signature within fifteen minutes after
its passage! Why such extraordinary
haste, if the Bill was honest and fair and
squar towards the interests Of the people
OF Nevada. The fact is, the whole project
Of this telegraphie monopoly was con-
ceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity.
John B. Watson was only a stool-pigeon
for Mr.. Carpenter. to whom this fran
chise was granted almost as soon as the
ink in the Governors signature was dry
on the paper. But it is a law, Of its Kind,
on the statute book. and it is for the
Courts to pass upon its legality-of which
fact. our Lawmakers are just as well aware
as we are. The clause in the Act which
says "o,her lines shall not be constructed"
is decidedly rich-and is well worthy the
craftsmanship Of the engineers" who
brought forth the bantling, and held it up
in terroruns over the heads Of future State
Legislatures. or course, "other lines
shall not be constructed" without author
i,y from the Legislature. and nobody Is
desirous of doing so rithoas legislative au-
Mori.y.
The United States Telegraph Company
have lines and Offices in the principal
States in the Union, and without any
Government aid whatever they intend to
extend their business from the east to the
shores Of the Pacific. In furtherance Of
which object they have already construct
ed from San Francisco to u State, and
on to near Austin. a line that is superior
to any yet built in California or Nevada.
Unlike the little branch from Unionville
to Star City, it comes into u towns and
cities. The Humboldt branch goes neither
to Austin, to Gold Hill, nor to Carson.
As a journalist, we are not aware Of having
ever received q telegram from any direction
over it. There is not enough Of business
going over the wires from Virginia City to
the Humboldt country to pay the ex-
penses Of the batteries necessary to create
the electric current. The new telegraph
line comes here to cheaper the expenses
Of the people whose business requires tel
egraphing-and we feel like most other
people feel upon this subject, that "com-
petition is the life Of trade" and we are
all interested in having it among US no
matter what business we may follow.
The Bill which comes up in the Senate
tomorrow is entitled IAN Act to pro-
vide for constructing and maintaining
Telegraph lines in the State Of Nevada"
and gives telegraphic competition a full
sway wherever business requires it-and
knocks the devil out Of telegraphic mo-
nopoly by any one or W lines-or lines
consolidated into one company. We hope
to hear that this Bill has become a law be-
fore the expiration Of this week.