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

away to Baltimore. Recently he went
with committee to southwestern yir-
ginia, and he believed that majority of
A the people there were In favor of the con-
solidatiOn. In Bedford he saw only one
man who was opposed to it. In Roanoke
the people had not been prepared for the
movement and for the county of Smyth he
would let other gentlemen answer.
In conclusion, he begged the Board not
to send proxies to the meeting of the
stockholders Of the Virginia and Tennessee
composed Of men packed to vote. against
this great measure. He had hcSsA men
in the Southwest say that they would go
to the meeting of stockholders If they did
not think the Board of Public Works
would pack the proxies.
Walter X. Staples, Of Montgomery, said
he understood the last speaker to desire
the Board of Public Works to instruct
the proxies to vote for consolidation. All
he wanted was that they should 60 as
stockholders, uninstructed, and empOw-
cred to vote as they chose. AS to the
matter Of localities, he hoped the Board
would recolcct that the opponents of con-
solidation had not brought forward locali-
ties; still, when "localities commanded
all the trade of the State. they ceased to
be localities. Who commenced this move
ment but the localities of the Norfolk and
Petersburg and Southside railroads
Lynchburg had spoken through her coun-
Gil, press, and public meetings, against the
consolidation. AS far as he knew Of Pu-
laski, Roanoke, and Montgomery, he knew
Of no man Of respectable position
who favored this scheme. The gentleman
(Mr. Goode) and General Malone must
have made friends and advocates among q
people who had never heard of the ques-
ton before. When the Southwest is heard,
it will give q majority of nine -tenths
against the wrong attempted to be per-
petrated OH the road running through it..
With regard to President Owen, he
thought that many of the complaints which
are always made against those in such po-
sitions had been made against him. The
same had probably been made against &C.
neral Malone. But even if there had been
mismanagcmcnt on any one railroad, that
could not he used as an argument in favor
of consolidation, when the mismanagcmcnt
might extend to all.
General Mahone.-Was this meeting of
the Board called at the request of the Fir-
ginia and Tennessee railroad
| Governor cirpoint.-President Owen
desired to lie heard before the Board before
any action was taken OH this subject. He
came to the State Auditor (Mr. Taylor),
who said he desired to hear both sides of
the question.
General Mahone.-I only desired to
show that the friends Of consolidation did
not ask for this meeting.
Mr.. Staples.-I understand that propo-
sition was made to instruct the proxies ap-
pointed by the Board of Public Works.
The report was current in my county.
| Governor Peirpoint.-l can remove that
difficulty. wish to remove all doubts on
that subject. | am unqualifiedly in favor
of the scheme of consolidation, and what
ever may have been attributed to Mr.. Tly-
lor or Mr.. Calvert on that point may be
laid to my account.
Mr.. Staplcs.-Wc only wish, as the gen
tlcman on the other side says, an open
field and fair fight. We do not want
proxies to bc instructed to vote either way.
The speaker denied that the State ever
contemplated favoring a connection with
the Mississippi Valley by amy particular
line. So far from it that it was once pro-
posed to debouche that trade into York
river, and that was long before the South
side railroad was built. If we can con-
solidatc the Southsidc railroad, then why
| not consolidate the Richmond and Danville
railroad and James River and Kanawha
canal, and put them all under the presi-
dencv OF General Malone. The bill char
tcring the Virginia and Tennessee railroad
only meant association" not consolida-
tion. The English railroads mentioned by
Mr.. Goode had their own presidents, and
were not consolidated under one president.
The roads in Virginia cannot be consoli-
dated except by h'c, nor should any lines
have the advantage" Of consolidation I'M
less all have it.
Mr.. Staples continued. prove "con-
soldaton' worth anything, all other lines
save the consolidated line must be thrown.
out, and freight must be confined to that
single line-that must keep the freight, en-
cluding all others. His friend Mr.. Goode
had said that railroad presidents could not
agree that they were ever differing and
cOntending about the interests OF the roads
and the localities they represented. So
must it be with consolidation. The
same principle would prevail in that, too.
The controller Of the consolidated line
would devote himself to that line. And
what could then protect other routes
Where the balm in Gilead to protect the
Danville railroad, the Orange and Alex
andria railroad, and the James River and
Kanawha canal2 He could not see. The
consolidated line would be managed with
special reference to its own interests, to
the exclusion of all others. 1t would he
the very organ of discrimination, and
would take to itself the whole trade OF the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad. lie
considered such monopoly of transporta-
ton disastrous to the interests Of the State.
The power thus proposed to be placed in
| the hands of one man was most dangerous
and insidious. If General Malone were
more than man, he would fall into the in
tercsts of the line he represented and he
would be less than man if he did not. lie
would trust General Malone as soon as any
| other man. But he would trust no man
with such power any more than he would
ruler of the nation without written
constitution. And though General Malone
were the most perfectly reliable and trust
worthy of men, he had no lease on life, or
rather on his office and his own pledges, or
his character were not sufficient security
in making such a change as that proposed.
But determinations would be made the
world over, and he was poor judge OF
human nature who could believe that the
most trusted of men would not fall under
the influence Of the local or corporatlr,
interests he represented. Contendlne Sn"s