Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-03-29
REMARKS OF noN. u. W. HALL,


against the amendments made % the blli by
the Railroad Committee Of the Senate.
Mr. HALL Mr.. Speaker, | did not IN
tend. when made few remarks on this
bill The other day, to occupy the attention
of the Senate any further in regard to it.
When repeated votes showed from eighteen
70 twenty in favor oft, aud from eleven 20
sixteen against it, supposed that the minds
of Senators we're made up, and that we
would not be warranted in taking up time
60 the exclusion of other matters OF leglsla-
ton. And / should not now, had It not
been for the remarks Of my friend, the Sena-
tor from Bradford Mr. LANDoNl. do
not rise to reflect upon any railroad corpora
tion-certainly NOT upon the Pennsylvania
railroad | have had quite as much 70 DO
with that corporation as the Senator from
Bradford, and am quite as familiar With the
region of country traversed by that great
railroad | am well aware that II has greatly
enriched Central Pennslvania -thatlts value
has been increased 60 ten times, YES twenty
times what it was before that road was con
structed. | have never lent myself, either
directly or indirectly, 10 any effort that was
calculated to crush this railroad or impair
its usefulness. | have never opposed or
sought 20 thwart any legislation calculated
to strengthen and encourage it, when such
legislation tended 20 the public wi
fare. But with al due Difference to my
brother Senators, must say that any one
who knows the popular sentiment must
know that the people Of Pennsylvania are
determined to have a free railroad law.
But the people do not want railroad law
so loaded down and clogged with restrictions
that it viii be impTactIcable even to con
struct a railroad under it. Let the Senator
60 TO his constituents, and | think he will
fnd that they, as well as my constituents,
are in favor Of free railroad law But they
DO not desire such law as will be practic-
ally imperative and nullity. hold in
ny hand the inaugural address Of Governor
Gearq, aud the last message of Governor
Certain. in which they say the people
demand free raieoad law Such | found
to be the unmistakablc sentiment Of the
people Of Bradford county, where | address
sed portion of them last fall, and IN no
part Of the State did find a more determin-
cd and earnest feeling in favor Of the move
ment than in Northern Pennsylvania, where
the people gave their majorities by thou
sands fer General Geary Believing, a. |
de-. that such is the general sentiment, and
thar the wants Of the people must be needed
by their chosen representatives., Ia view,
too, of the speech Just made by the Senator
from Bradford, [ challenge the supporters
of this 50 called free railroad bill, who so
impcratieely demand its passage, without a
-iacle alteration, to discuss its merits.
opposed the free railroad bill which was IN
trUiuced last winter by my distinguished
friend. the Senator from Erie Mr.. LOWRY |,
aud gave satisfactory reasons, the other
day, tor my opposition thereto, 1t is not
necessary to repeat those reasons now.
What / demand in the name of the people,
is Liberal railroad law; not one in name,
simply, but in reality. Is it not deludiug
and cheating the people to call that free
lailrood law which requires fifteen thousand
dolIlr, uf capital stock Tor eycIv mile ot road
70 ..c Inscribed and paid IN before anything
can be- dgucl Senators know that this clause
will have the effects TO embarrass railroad
companies, and to retard and prevent the
development of the country BY internal i'm
proveneuts; In short that norailr0ad would
ever be- built under such a law2 At least [
fear uf and is il not better 60 strike out
such provisions
.Y Gu have. also iptegRalated into this bill a
individual liability clause, which is intended
to ntimidate persons and prevent them
from taking stock The Pennsylvania rail
road chat opened up and deveIoned Central
Pennsylvania, aud TO which the State Is in
debtcd IA such large measure for its wealth
and prosperity, and which is admitted TO
be the greatest and best managed road in
the United States has special charter. 1t
contains no Individual liability clause and
why should such provision be embraced in
this bil2 W hen 1t was proposed to pass a
law similar to that Of Ohio and New York,
it was voted down, and no sufficient reason
has been or can be advanced 10 warrant such
action. And now when an amendment Is
offered to this bill, which would tend to
promote and encourage the building Of rail
roads. the arguments advanced against 1t
by Its opponents are equally futile and
empty And when it is proposed to add a
section, in the New York law simply allow
ing corporations to connect their roads, and
to embrace in this bill the provisions Of
law voted for by the Senator from Bradford
in 1861, we are told it Is wrong to do this ~
but why2 Simply because nineteen Senators
say the bill shaI not be changed. A convin.
cling reason.
Let a law be passed allowing people to
build railroads wherever they choose, provi-
ded they pay for them as they go, subject
10 reasonable restraints, and these are con
tanned, as far as | think It necessary to go,
IN the provisions of the act Of 1S49 A
liberal railroad law Is not demanded by the
people of Plttsburg alone, but hy the pco-
ule Of the entire State. 4 law so liberal
that charters can be obtained that capital
viii be- invested and railroads constructed
under it without the corporators being
obliged to come to the Legislature. IL is
plain 70 me that a majority of the Senate
differ with me in my views. My votes on
the bill in committee Of the whole as well
as IN the Senate, have uniformly been for
what thought was the most liberal policy
We of the minority have briefly and ex-
plicitly as possible stated the reasons for our
votes. We see and know that one third
cannot vote down two thirds And when
the bill clothed In the precise language that
it came from the Railroad Committee not
changed in letter word or line Is about to
pass. we are taunted thar we have been able
TO give no good reason for our votes, and
that oar efforts to amend the bill as 1t came
fram the Railroad Committee. have only
added increased strength to the majority and
added q renewed determination on their part
that the bill shall pass unamended and un
either in the sections voted on or
in those which are to follow. The Senator
from Bradford Mr.. LANDON desires that
the Issue shall be made, so that the people
shall understand it. The Senator Is clever
as we'll as bold and as he thus declares that
the bib as reported by the Railroad dcommittee
is perfect as it can be made, permit me to
point ont what | think are striking defects
in 1t.
First | think the amount Of capital stock