Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-18

President and Directors OF the Company.
Stockholders shaIi be ksois Tor amount OF
stock held BY them. and the company Is en-
powered 10 mime coal. &c.
0r. Hise tky.} des,rrd 20 amend the bill so
as 70 make the siockhoiders &c di v,dua liable
Tor all debts OF the company.
Mr.. Welker, fOl who had charge OF the DILL.
declined TO yield Tor the parpos-.
Ar. Price (Iowsl proposed an smendm.nt
70 mase the stockholders liable for double the
ano0ut OF stock held By them. which amend-
ment wss accepted by Mr. W-lker
Mr.. Wilson (Iowab said the names OF the cor
Pofators seemed TO be verv familiar with b n,
They seemed 10 b. the came names that ap ::
pesred In every charter in this District, aud
there seemed 10 be disposition to consoiid ate
ana put all these interests into the hands of
one srtt or corporstors. The bill was al 40 OBJ
noXious, IN that ~ made the ia ccession of the
irst Board OF Directors perpetual. and he
hoped the House would hesitate before passip q
any more OF these bills. This charter empo a.
cred the company to operate outside OF this
District, and they were SIMPLY empo wersd to
cell coal within IT. 1t would give Them a mo-
nopoly or the coa@-trade here, and be could
see no good reasons for allowing this mo-
Mr.. weIker said. with regard to the ob,s,-
every bill; he would saw that these Gentlemen
were. probably, the greatest corporators in the
District, and have, probably. most money TO
Mr.. Wilson suggested that 1t might also be
that they intended TO make money by seIlic q
out their franchises.
MIR. welker replied that there was nothing
IN ths charter 10 allow them to sell ont the
Mr. Wilson said It would only ap pear SO from
the TACT that the same persons were always
named in all bills.
Mr.. Welker said the bill allowed tn. COM
pany 10 mine coal along the line of the Chas-
speake and Ohio cana, and were subject TO
laws OF Maryland. Gentlemen might have
pereonal objection 10 the corporators, but the
committee had not considered tn at matter
MIR. Wentworth tlifD said Congress had re-
Gently passed bill to enfran chIse certain per-
sons In the District of Columbus, ana before
they assume their rights as citizpns Congress
e voting away all their privileges by granting
charters He thought there should be no char.
ters unless on the principle OF no distinction
on account OF race and color. ILaugh,erl He
wo1id therefore suggest the name of John r
johnson. q respectable and wealthy coIored
msn OF this District and he would move h AZ
the name John T. johnson be inserted as one
OF the corporators.
Dir. Etdridge wis, eaid he should object.
npiess the yeas and nays were allowed on the
Mr. Wentworth said that was agreeable n
him. as be wanted TO know who were willing
70 adhere 70 the pledges made to the colored
Mr.. Stevens PA, characterized the hill as ,
most pernicious proposition. II proposed 10
incorporate company 10 interfere with pri-
rats enterprise IN the min ing Of coal. This
was great mistake. Pennsylvania had tried
Tue plan thlrty years ago, ard had discovered
her error, and had passed a bill repealinp ali
these Charters. The doctrine that private in
terests were protected by State enactment was
utterly untensble, and he would therefore
move to lay the bill on the ta Bile.
mr. Davis IN. Y. y asked Mr.. Stevens il he
vas not aware that Pennsylvania still had
mines.
Mr.. Stevens replied that all these charters
mad been repealed. He had no objection to
incorporate companies to work railroads, but
he objected to companies for mining pur-
poses
Mr.. Davis asserted that so late as 1863 Penn.
niee, and amend ed the la w In 1864
Mr FRANK Thomas Md said the bill under
consideration allowed the company to Operate
In the district he represented, and he desired
20 Know II the company was individually
Mr.. We ker eaid the stockholders we're 10
the extent OF amount OF stock.
Mr Thomas said no section OF the country
mao suffered more than the county of Allie
shany, IN Mary land, by reason Of laws passed
by the Maryland Legislature for the protec
uoh on outside mining companies, who were
owed $i0,tO0,0O0 or ei2UOO,0O0 to AIleeapy
county and the citizens thereof for unfulfiIied
contracts They were indebted TO landed pro-
Prletofs ana TO labOrers: aud when they be-
came iAsoivent, there was nothing but old
wheelbarrows and shoveis and broken.down
horses, to meet an indebtedness of over
SlC0,G0 ANY body OF men could come toto
Maryland and work coal mines, but tney
would be compelled to abide by the laws: but
under charter of this character the com pany
would but re-enact the system Of robbery and
plumber heretofore carried out. He hoped
therefore, the stockholders would be made in
diyidually liable.
The question was then taken on Mr. S,eyens,
motion 70 lay the bill on the table; and 1t pre-.
vailed.
Mr.. Mercur, (Fa.l from Committee on the
District of Columbia, reported Senate bill ts
incorporate the Metropolitan Fire and Insur.
ance 20. Of the District Of Colum bia, with an
ame hdment. providing for an ann ual report 70
the Secretary of the Interior.
On motion OF Mr.. Wentworth. the name OF
John l.. Thomas was inserted as one Of the
corporatore.
Pending consideration OF the bin the morn.
ing hour expired and the bill went over
The House then resoi we'd itself to Com nit
tee OF the Whole ON the Private Calendar Mr.
Price tlowa) in the chair.
The bill to pay and discharge certain debts
and expenditures TO the Corporation Of Wash.
ington, for the Governments proportion for
expenditures on account OF sewers, improving
streets, &c, and repairing Long Bridge, was
taken up; and amended BY providing that ne
money should be paid until the items are found
correct BY the proper accounting of,ceP and
that receipt in full Tor constr ction of sewers
UP to April, 1866, shall be hled with the
Treasurer OF the United States.
The bill and amendments were ordered To be
reported 70 the House.