The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-28
The f.ink between the Mississippi and
the Chesapeake.

The Committee Of Roads of the Senate
Of Virginia, Mr.. KEEN in the chair, held q
meeting Saturday night, at which num-
Der Of railroad officials were present, to-
pether with several members Of the Com
mittee of Roads of the House. MI.
Speaker BALDWIN addressed the commit
tee in very able speech explaining the
proposition of completing the Covlngtoh
/, and Ohio railroad by means of the conson-
dation with the Central and the norfolk
and Southside railroads. In the course Oh
his speech he argued the constitutional
question, expressing his decided convic-
tion that there was no difficulty at all on
that point. He denied that there was .
Gale of the property in surrendering the
State interests in the roads proposeu -
he consolidated. The State only "com-
mutedn her interests for tax, and that
tax began the day the contract was COM
Melted. and was extended as steadily as
the Improvement, every mile adding to the
Tux. The State ceased to be represented
in the roads, her interest in them disap-
peared, and the tax came up instantly to
represent them, and it was the duty of the
Legislature annually to appropriate this
tax to the payment of the public debt, in
conformity with the requirement of the
Constitution. He presented in the strong
est light the advantages to be derived by
the State directly in taxes on the roads,
and indirectly in the general Improvement
and the increase Of the wealth Of the
country.
After the conclusion Of Mr.. BALDWIN
speech the committee ordered the two
bills to be reported-viz., the bill to com
plete the Covington and Ohio railroad, anC
the bill to complete the line of railway
from the Virginia seaboard to the Missis
sippi and Ohio rivers" Both these lines
contemplate consolidation - consolidation
in interest, and consolidation in means
and exertions for the completion OF the
great works. The consolidation OF the
Covington, the Central, and the Southside
and Norfolk and Petersburg railroads, es
tablsh the Chesapeake and Ohio railroads
and the consolidation of the Norfolk ant
Petersburg, the Southsidc, the Virginia
and Tennessee, and the Virginia and Ken
lucky railroads, forms the line to be calico
the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Ohio Rail
road Company" Both schemes contem
plate the surrender Of the States Interest
in and her claims upon the roads com
bining for the consolidated lines, she
receiving in return the mill tax on ton
mage and passengers in perpetuity. Al
important feature in both acts is that the
rates upon the roads chartered under then
shall be pro rata to all the cities of Vir'
ginia, and that the rates shall not be higher
than those charged to places outside the
State.
In the course of Mr.. BALDwIN's speecf
he remarked that no reference was made
in the Chesapeake and Ohio bill to Messrs
PELL & Co., who had been negotiating FOL
the completion of the Coyington and Ohio
railroad. Those gentlemen would either
fail altogether or succeed in their efforts
before the bill could become law. L
they succeeded, the scheme under con
sideration could be readily abandoned. l
they failed, the consolidated company
could be promptly organized and go into
operation.