Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-10-05
BOARD OF PUBLIC Works. OF VIRGINIA. =

before tie Board Of Public Works Of Firsinia,
on Tuesday last
The advocates acd opponents OF Railroad
Consolidation mustered in great strength IN
the Senate Chamber on yesterday and present.
cd an 1nqs ual array Of ability and talent
Norfolk, Petersburg, Richmond, I4ync}lburg
Abingdon, Montgomery and other towns and
counties we're REPRESENTED by their ablcst men,
showing the interest which is felt in the qucS-
ton which has acknowledgements so much space
in the columns OF the press Of the State
rs the gentlemen who were present were
there. il is reported, by invitation OF Board
ofPublie Works which desired light upon the
question Of Railroad Consolidation the open:
inc address Of the President OF tho Board fell
like bombshcll in their midst. Speaking in
the name Of the Board, Governor Peirpont
threw very heavy aVordupOls weight upon
the side Of consolidation, and at first e1t upon
the minds Of his audience the impression that
the Board, although it had invited gentlemen
from all sections Of Virginia to discuss the
question OF consolidation, lad already decided
it in advance OF the very argument which had
been invited. His address: although not re-
| markable for force or lucidty, was IN argument
! in behalf of the very issue to be tried, and
placed the Board in = most disagrceable pre-
dicament, from which Colonel Calvert prompt
| ly cxtricated himself, by declaring that he was
ready to give the whole matter as fair and
! impartial u consideration rs sworn juror in
| the trial of a cause Tie extraordinary speech
of the President of the Board called forth from
Mr. Shelley, an able lawyer of Washington
county, some very earnest and emphatic re-
| marks upon the preju1glng OF aqucstlon which
gentlemen from the more remote sections OF
| the State had been invited to discuss Gov.
Peirpout thea, in his usually happy and fell
| citous style. declared that the Board was not
a "bamch Of dough" intimated a willingness to
give all parties concerned q fair hearing and,
| subsequently, gave very courteous hearing to
both sides. u On Wednesday, the discussion
| before the Board was continued Mr. James
| Barbour, the representative of the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad, continued the discussion.
He, like hlr. Sheffcy, took the ground that
the question Was one that the Board was not
competent to SETTLE 1t was a question to be
settled b. the Legislature, the makers of tie
law, ana not by a Board appointed to admni3-
| ter it. The people ought to be represented
! and protected in their rights.
Gov Pcirpoint-Mr Barbour. letmc remark
here that | convcrscd with many citizens of the
Southwest during my visit there, and every
one was III favor OF consolidation.
Mr. Barbour resumed that to that point his
remarks were tending. That is not the way to
| acquire Information upon 50 important point.
| Knowing his Excellency's opinions, the stran-
gers with whom he had casually convcrsci had
| deferred to it. He wished to wait sixty days,
unit! the meeting Of the Legislature, to let the
people utter formally their views on the sub
! iect. The gran!ors of the charters of these
| several railroads never contemplated the crca
| ton Of this vast corporation stretching It's
power from Bristol to Boston, He held it t.
be il breach Of faith 10 stockholders under thc
| chactcr for the State to use its ''thrcc 9Th"
power against them.
| Gov. Pcirpont Is uot the State vote Il
minority?
| Mr. Darbour-Ycs. sir, q minority, but it
requires Only onc.sxth Of the private vote to
make il = minority. The people put their
| compact between the Stale and them and the
| State has no right to violate it. You arc now
| asked 10 10 , thing which by lhc charter you
| are pledged not to do And this is to be done
| for what purpose. 70 accomplish that lavorite
! idea Of Virgni2rs, the building UP Of great
seaport towns. The facts show The policy Of
! this Norfolk raaps hut lilt!c benefit from il.
She must pay $ o. to >tCpa hundred pounds
Of tobacco there.
Gov. peirpont-How is il il it is stopped at
Gyachburg?
6Ir. B.-Lt is - - delivered in New York,
and s. 03 il delivered at Lynchburg
Governor I>--Wel, whose fault is that?
Mir. B.-it is tle fault Of these consolidation
influences.
Gov. Pho, sir, Constellation is fighting
| this thing jus. On that poinf, Mr Barbour.
will give you some useful information. The
very thing that mootcd this question was cur
merchants, wishing to ship freight from Rich
mond to Memphis. had TO pay So 03 per 100
| pounds; while they could ship through New
| York and Baltimore and get it to Memphis for
| 81 GG per 100 pounds. !twa:: to correct this
ell that The Board is sitting.
Mr. Barhour-iy ell, sir, it is q very strange
| way to do it. To take the property of the Viz,
| gnia and Tennessee railroad, and appropriate
| Boston.
Mr. Branch, Of Richmond, said: "EIow
will the moneys of the Virginia and Tennessee
railroad be appropriated. The moneys, credits
and obligations Of each company will be kept
separate. 1t will only be under one manage
ment. How can the moneys Of the company
be affected p
Mr. Barbour said he had farm in Cul pepper
| IF he were to consolidate with Beau Hickman,
and place the concern under his management,
he thought he would be loser
Mr. Branch--Is that an answer to my quos-
ton?
Mr. Barbour--It is an illustration.
Mr. Branch couldn't see it.
MIR. Barbour concluded by an appeal to the
Board TO delay its action, and to wait for the
assembling of the Legislature, which will con-
venc in sixty days.
The discussion to be resumed
G5- In one OF the items Of news in yoster-
days Daily Gazette, the word Panama was
omitted The paragraph should read that the
Legislature Of Panama had passed an act ia
vorins the separation of that State from the
General Confederation 10 which it is now at.