The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-10-04
9irllmond Qispatth.
THURSDAY........OCTOBER 4, 1866.
LOCAL MATTERS.

Works took place in the Senate chamber
of the capitol on yesterday, commencing
at Q o'clock.
A conversational discussion about the
order of speaking took place, at tlfSe eon-
clusiun Of which it was agreed that the
speakers on the different sides of the con-
sOldatiOn question should follow each other
alternately.
Governor Peirpoint called attention to a
report in the Richmond Times newspaper
which contained inaccuracies, and which
utterly misreprcsented some OF the state
mcnts he had made the day bciorr.
Colonel August said correct report had
appeared in the Dispatch.
Mr.. Preston, of Washington, arose to
participate in the discussion of the consoli-
dation question before the Board. He said
that there were questions of private feel
ing agitatcd which lave no connection
with this matter. The connection of Mr..
Owen or General Malone with these roads
has nothing TO do with this question. 1t
matters not whether they have worn armor
on the battlefield or not, for, III my hum
BILE opinion, after both are dead, the sun
will continue to rise and set as usual. This
personal question is too small. If these
men cannot agree, then get men who can.
What interest is it that asks that the policy
of the past shall be ignored You are all
familiar with the fact that anti-internal
improvement once rci.ned in Virginia. 1t
stood separate and apart from the people,
and, like the PhariScc Of old, thanked God
it was not as other men. 1t comes now to
take us i'm its arm- and embrace It's whether
we will or not. But adhere to the old
system OF Improvements. 1T turns ont that
, ,rc were seeking for an outlet to the sea,
and We're opposed hy them; !; and yet we are
| now asked to take them to our bosom. We
contend that such road has its own direc.
tors, president, and stockholders Ia
itself. deny that the policy OF
Virginia is 10 give growth to particu-
lar cities, and contend that the re-
venues from its great resources arc to
he added 10 the wealth of the whole State.
Read the preamble to the charter Of the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad. and y"r
will see its great resources were intended
to be added to the wealth Of the whole
State. He disagreed with the views cN-
pressed by the President of the Board OF
Public Works they were is full Of mis-
chief Il, Pandora's box. He denied their
correctness. Nirginia'S policy has been al
ways to be faithful and true to the pledges
she has made. There are charter and
vested rights which this Board is bound Ia
respect. Are we to be told that "voX
populi yoX Del" Sir, | respect the feel
ingS of the people, but | know that the
Constitution and the law have proved not
strong enough TO prevent wrong and out
rage. The Virginia internal improvement
policy has ignored the onr-man power
the Governor of Virginia has never been
allowed the veto power. Who are the
people to whom power belongs Are they
the people who reside along the line oi
the SouthSidr and Norfolk and Petersburg
railroads The people Of the Southwest
are opposed to it, and so are the people on
the Orange and Alexandria and Virginia
| Central railroads. And yet you are asked,
within two months time of the meet
ing of the Legislature, to inarguratc
Il new system for the benefit Of
Norfolk. Why. Norfolk does not occupy
the position of a respectable depot on the
route from Memphis to New York. And
yet Norfolk is Disseminated against, and
Richmond too. With Petersburg ii is Diff
1crcnt and better. for She is situated on
the line that trade must take. There i
another thing. The enormous debt that
Virginia contracted for internal improve
mcntS was not contracted with view OF
operating against cities which command
trade-and yet this will be the effect OF
consolidation.
This discrimination has been made in
the green tree. What will it be in the
dry-what will it he when the consolda-
tion askcd,for is completed. The con.
solilation scheme is novel one, and not
born on Virginia soil, nor will it live here
Mr.. Goode, OF Norfolk, had insisted that
this consolidation would aid Virginia cities
The speaker disagreed with him. The idea
is not merely harmless mistakc-it is q
destructive one. 1t is directly opposed to
the policy Of Virginia, which has, been to
leave these questions with those whose
money has been invested in the works
The State has sl4O0,O00 in the James
River and Kanawha canal, and other
works 10 heavy amount; yet you are
asked to favor works which arc not worth
onc-third of the amount. 1t is certain that
whatever OF ability may have been dis
played in forwarding this scheme, there
! has not been much Of mGdesty.
/ In view of these and other facts, he asked
that Just before the meeting of the LcgiS-
lature the Board would not sanction
placing this trade at the disposal of Il
steamship company at Norfolk. Who they
were he did not know, but he was certain
they would fleece the State. Why should
the past policy of the State be ignored for
all imaginary benefit, which, unreal as il
was, no one dreamed would rebound to the
benefit OF Virginia cities, and which would
actually be subvcrsiyc Of their interests.
Shall YOU listen to demand from quar-
ter where these wrongs are to be pcrpc-
trated, or will YOU listen to the voice OF q
majority of the people of Virginia.
General Malone was induced, he said, to
speak at this stage of the proceedings be-
| cause of the Interpretation his distinguish
ed friend had put upon this movement.
Mr.. Preston had said that it was proposed
to conduct the trade between the North
and the Mississippi Valley to the prejudice
of Virginia cities. While it was true that
goods were carried from New York to
Memphis, yet ii was equally true that from
Lynchburg to Memphis three dollars was
charged. He demanded to know why the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad made these
charges-this discrimination against Vir-
ginia cities. lie challenged amy one to
show that the Norfolk and Petersburg aud
| Southside. railroads ever Disseminated
against Virginia cities. lie denied that
the Southside railroad has charged more
on freight from Richmond than it did on