The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-01-27
Messrs LAFIIN, WEIGH and BOWMAN op


the introduccr fof this bill, to make q few
remarks in favor of its passage. He asked
its adoption, in the first place, because he
believed it to be a measure IF interest not
only to the people of his section, but the
whole people of the State The State is es-
pccially interested in the extension OF the
Western North Carolina Railroad. In order
to make that road profitable it is necessary
to have as many feeders as possible. me
counties through which 1t was proposed to
run this turnpike have no access to the west
ern North Carolina railroad. This bill pro-
poses to build turnpike road from Ashe-
vile, Buncombe county, to Sparta, Allegheny
county. The counties through which this
road is proposed to pass lie between the
Blue Ridge on the one side and the iron
mountain on the other side of the Tennessee
line. The East Tennessee and Virginia rail-
road runs up the valley of the Tennessee at
distance of about forty miles, and much Ut
the trade goes by that road to Tennessee.
The Western North Carolina road runs up
until it approaches the Blue ridge and
runs south, and what has been said of
North Carolina could be said of those
cOuntries-they are but strip of land be
tween two States, and if this State does not
take steps 10 open up roads to the Western
North Carolina road, our people must seek
an outlet to Tennessee With this outlet to
the Western Railroad, he candidly assured
the House that the produce sent from those
countie, in three years will pay for the con-
! struction of the road, aside from the consc-
ouent increased value of the lands. These
lands, which now bring fifty cents and a
dollar per acre, will bring from five to ten
| dollars per acre. While the people of that
| section have been for fifty years paying
| taxes to build roads in the other parts of
the State, they have received no aid. and
now ask for the modest sum of 100000.
| He hoped the bill would be voted upon
without lengthy discussion.
Mr.. HoDNETT OPT ose,l all these bills, and
argued that these internal Improvements
| would bankrupt the State and teach
| the people reputation, and they would
| never pay the interest on these bonds.
Mr. SINCLAIR said it was simple fact in
| the history of our country, that no State has
ever been ruined by appropriations fol de-
veloping its material resources. New York
seemed to to be brought to the very verge
of bankruptcy by the cost of building her
Erie canal and Central railroad, but she
came out of it into greater prosperity than
she could have ever attained without them.
| 1t would be so with North Carolina. These
counties have been taxed to build railroads.
and now all they ask is 100000 for turn
| pike roak.
Mr. MALONE hoped the bill would be
passed for the benefit of those counties and
the State at large.
Mr. PoU said he failed to find in the bill
| Il -
was a single measure he might be in favor
oft. But he recognized in this bill the
tongue of the omnibus, and he. was afraid
that if we did not keep this back the omni-
bus would run over us. He opposed the
bill.
Mr. GAMBLER said unless this road was
built the people of those counties could not
bring their produce to market. Not only
that, but the Western road could he made
to pay doubly by building roads as feeders.
The people of his section told him at the
last recess to go for these improvements,
and they would pay the taxes. They were
satisfied that good communication with the
markets OF the world was the only thing
that would raise North Carolina. The State
could much easier pay the whole debt at
ter the building of these roads to enable
them to carry their products to market than
they can pay the present debt without
them.
Mr.. LAFLIN said two things invariably
brought the gentleman from Caswell (Mr
HOdnett) to his feet, the Yankees and taxes.
1t reminded him of Shylock crying, "My
ducats, my ducats o my daughter-my
ducats." He (Mr. Lafin) favored railroads
because of the poverty of the State. Ac-
cOrding to the official returns of the property
of Missouri taken before and after certain
raildroad was built there, twelve counties
increased in valuation $135, 100000. Mean
while the valuation of six counties without
railroads increased only $2,159,O00: and in
three counties away from the railroad prop
erty decreased $1,5O1 1893; showing that
when these railroads are finished two-thirds
of one per cent will pay the interest on
much more than $50, 900, 900, and showing
that in most instances the owners of real es-
tate could afford to give away one quarter,
and in many cases one half of their farms to
have railroads built. For this reason he ia
yOred these bills.
The bill passed its second reading by the
following vote:
YEAs-Messrs. Ames, Argo, Armstrong, Ash
worth, Banner, Barnett, Barnes, Bowman, Cand.
Ter, Carson, Carey, Cawthorn, Cherry, Clayton
OF Transylvania, Crawford, Davis, Davidson,
Dixon, Downing, Durham, Ellington, Estes. Far.
row, Forkner, Foster, Franklin, French, Gahagan,
Calling, Gilbert, Graham. Green, Harris of Wake,
Hayes, Hendricks, Hicks, High, Hinnant, Hodgin,
Hudgings. Ingram Justus OF Henderson, Justice
OF Rutherford, Kelly of Davit, Kelly of Moore,
Kinney, Latin, Leary, Long of Chatham. Long
OF Richmond, Malone, Mayo. McCanless, McMi,
lan Mendenhall, Moring, Morrill,, Morris Painter.
PEARSON, Proctor, Profhtt, Raglsnd, Renfruw,
Robbins, Robinson, Reynolds, Siegrist, Sinclair,
Simonds, Smith of Allegheny, Stevens, Stilley,
Sykes, Vestal, Vest, Wadrop, WEIGH, White,
Whitley, Wilkie, Williams of Harnett, Williams
of sampson, Williamson, Wilson and Wiswal
| 81
NAYs-Messrs. Boddie, Ferebee, Gibson, Haw-
klns, Hodnett, Hoffman, Hunphries, Jarvis,
Moore, Parker, Pou, Rea, Seymour, Shaver,
Stanton andThompson-16.
On motion of Mr.. LAFLIN the bill to di.
VIDE and separate the eastern and western
divisions OF the Wilmington, Charlotte and
rutherford Railroad was taken up.
MIR. JUSTICE, of Rutherford, said the great
objection that would he urged by the enc
mics OF this bill is that it proposes to divide
the road. lie said it always had been to all
lntents and purposes except management
two separate and distinct roads. In proof
OF that he read from the amended charter of
1s66-67. This bill was brought forward
asking an independent, separate company.
because OF the fact that the rights of that
section of country have been entirely and to.
tally ignored. About AZ miles of the road
was built before the war. The remainder
OF the road to the town of Rutherford. dis
lance OF thirty-6ve miles, was graded by
the company before the war commenced.
Much OF the masonry was then completed,
and In that condition II ren,ains To do "