Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-10
fIIE NASHVILLE AND NORTHWEST
ERIN RAILROAD.

The Governor of this State and "Se-
nior Editor" of the Knoxville Wing, pub
fishes in his paper of the 8th instant
lengthy correspondence between himself
and Judge Hawkins relative to the af-
fairs oc the Nashville and Northwestern
railroad. The animus and evident pur-
pose of that individual may be plainly
inferred from the following Introductory
sentences:
Since this correspondence occurred, and
quite recently, the Governor has appointed
new set Of Directors on the part of the
State, feeling called upon to do SO by the
passage of a late act entitled an act TO de-
fine the powers and duties Of State Direc-
tors in the railroad companies of this State.
In selecting the new Board Of Directors on
the part of the State, the Governor has
sought TO get men who we're not stockhold-
ers, and who would be likely 10 act impair
TALLY and look closely after the interests Of
the State. He believes he has selected a
good set of men. The Rebel papers think
otherwise. He has at least selected men
who will harmonize with those having
charge Of the road, instead of making war
upon it. The read is now doing well I'M
der the management of its efficient officers.
IL the Outs do not produce confusion and
anarchy by a war upon the ias, the road
may be expected TO increase tsbusines and
usefulness. II, however the contentious
parties are bent upon the destruction of the
road, let them continue their reckless war
I'll. n
thing is certain, and we speak now by au
thoFity, the Governor will not be intimi-
dated nor deferred from doing what he be-
lieves to be right by any threatened suits at
law, wsits of manddatus, or talks about i'm
parchment; and ifany parties contemplate
such action as this, the sooner they begin
the better.
The appended extract from the letter
of Judge Hawkins on behalf of the DE-
rectory, read in connection with the
above characteristic effusion, will show
the present state of the case 1t is a
subject which requires and will receive
thorough attention through the press,
and we give this much of the matter as
we find it in the official and personal
organ of the Governor as preliminary to
a fuller discussion Of it hereafter: Judge
Hawkins says:
hoped and believed that, under a iu-
dicious and economical management, with
the assistance of the aid recently rendered
by the Legislature, the company would, at
no distant day. have to meet and discharge
the liabilities of the State on account of
bonds issued to il, and insure realization
of the Just and reasonable expectations
of the friends of the road; and to
this end / have entertained hopes
that ere this the road would have
been restored to the company, in whose
hands it would, to a great extent have
been under the control and management
Of Directors upon the part of the State,
appointed by your Exceilency, composed
of men living along the line of the road,
most Of whom have been long and favora-
bly, known, and have long been identified
with the interest of the State and of the
road but in this well-grounded hope | |
have been disappointed. And now the |
men selected and appointed by your Ex- |
cellency to guard and protect the Interests |
of the State in this road are subjected 10 |
the humiliation of seeing themselves dis |
carded and set aside, their counsels wholly |
in the management of the road, |
and themselves practically denied the rioh |
10 perform the duty to which You assigned |
them, or TO discharge the high trusts con-
fided TO their hands. Under existing cir |
cumstances they are compelled to stand by /
in silence, with folded arms, and witness |
day by day the destruction of the Interests /
they are expected to protect, without the /
power to arrest the arm of the DESTROYER, |
and to see the credit of the State paralyzed, |
and the pockets Of her people plundered |
without the power to prevent it.
wish most respectfully to call your at /
tention to a conceded fact, that the early /
of the branch road from /
to jackson is a matter of vital 1
importance to the State, in enabling the 4
by an increase Of its business.
TO pay the interest upon the State bonds. /
And in this connection, it must be re-
Receiver has no power 10 /
build road. All he can do is to run and
manage road already built, and the
hands OF the company is now SO paralyzed
it can do nothing.
wish also again, most respectfully, to
call your attention to the fact that the
has never accepted the State aid
rendered by the act of December last, ex-
,ept upon the condition that the road
ihouid be restored to the company. This
never having been complied
With, consequently the offered aid has
lever been accepted, and the issuance of
UGH bonds TO any one is wholly I'M
by any law, and being is
ued without authority of law and the
consent of the company, they constitute no
len upon the road or liability upon the
'art Of the company. But being advised
hat one hundred thousand dollars of the |
'onds of the State had been issued to the
Receiver, in order 10 meet the question
which must come, and 10 protect the in
crest OF the State on account of said bonds, |
procured the adoption of resolution by |
he board pledging the company, in the
vent the road should be restored to the |
and control of the company, to
ssume all liability on account of the
onds, in so far as they had been applied |
0 the purposes for which they had been
esigned, as fully and to the same extent
8 if they had been accepted by the compa-
Y and delivered to its officers
! wish also again, most respectfully, TO
tate TO your Excellency, that having had
n interview with you touching the ques-
ion Of restoration of the road TO the
omPany, at your special request ! pre-
ented your views to the board, and stated
he terms upon which you had announced
D me your willingness to turn over the
ohd to the company and notwithstanding
II the terms dictated by you in that inter-
lew were promptly and cheerfully com
lied with by the board, the road still re-
isins in the hands Of the Receiver.
TENNESSEE NEWS.