Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-12-20
Hai!rOaSs Matters.

y 20 De fegfeIti mat tt+H Fi""s - az
presented N the communication -i ~ 40
Saturdays issue Of your valuable paper Should
he entertained b. any ore "ho iesi5e- the i''o--
perity OF Alexandra. 1t j. juat such views,
perslstentiy insisted upon Tor &C .on, which, 10
my opinion, have crippled the prosperity OF
Alexandria, and hedsed 10 and rendered nGsa.
tory her local aud natural advantages Is i
not time that such ideas should De d,cardet,
and 4 more liberal, broader, and comp hen'.Tt .
policy be pursued, one conducive 10 tue az:
The communication OF "X is based upon .
the suggestions of Mr. Harmon, Ct the Cly /
Council. respect Ar. Harmon as good cit /
izen and careful ami successful merchant "ut
when he or any other person present. scheh-a ,
traught with so much evil tc THIS already de- /
pressed community, we should bot iai 70 oc'ect
to. and expose them, ii possible.
Mr. Harmon suggests that tax al capita De (
levied upon every passenger passing over me
Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown ran
road. and claims that this is tax upon the
railroad, question the authority OF the tiIy
Council TO levy such tax, much less the pro,
priety of IT, The right TO tax ad capita reserved
by the State OF Mary and on passengers TO and
fro over the WASHINGTON Brauch ralircad) VTa>
incorporated IN tie charter Of that fo1!, 'iI" "g
| and lciM tie consent Of those rho Pot"ip",' 10
the Legislature for the act OF incorporation
and if "N' will examine the additional sup
| plements TO this act OF incorporates, ana par
| ticullrly those which relate TO the main stem OF
the Baltimore and Ohio road, he Will lnd no
such reservation He should remember, TOO,
that this act was passed in the very infancy OF
| railroads. At no time since has The state oi
| MARYLAND made such unreasonable tenants.
A more enlightened policy now pcrvades that
State, and railroads are in progress winch WILL
| when cOmpleted connect her rcmote>t bounda,
rics Who are affected by this I'd capita TAX
The railroad? No; hut the travelling public
| l. it not clear that such tax Is one Whirh iaI'>
exclusively ap0n the passenger i',t thlS ca!
close her avenues 10 the railroad hy h>i lihs
unon 81 unreasonable u tax, and what would BE-
| the result? The roads would pass aI'uad u
ana the stations located beyond the corporate
| limits. This would be an accommodation 10
! the community anu nrHtHi |" .NN A'"'''"
| with 3 vengeance
Il * claimed that the Washington. AcxAn
Jr,a and GEORGETOWN railroad Is 'iorci'6
| cornoration." | scarcely know what tie word
'l6reign means IN thus connection, but NJ
| hos, il refers to the TACT that the le>2ecs or
| Stockholders are non residents OF Alexandra.
| A. much as this is to be regretted, rather than
| have M roads, ! say give IL other roads under
| similar circumstance. The lac tn'i the ICE
see, or stockholders ol the railroads which con
meet onr city with the doiehborn2 cties. ~,
not Alex inirian, shout! b. used rather a. an
argument against our enterprise, than a. re'-
son for imposing a dlspTopor'ionate Tx Hp.n
| each road
| We cannot afford 10 rut Ia operation his
! suicidal policy, and, il VIC wou,d prosper, ~
must reject recommendations which are 10
| keeping with the cid isolated policy winch has
nm f. the present :.Inu embarrassed Alexandra,
and allowed her n"ighhor3 30 cUlslr!P aud ais
| tance her IN the race OF prosperity We should
wnlcoue every railroad rs the harb'ugtr OF r.
no,cei rrospc.ity. Wlti railroads will '1lar
regulation and business.
The railroad connecting u with .shiHgt ID
ha. already Induced many q! the clerks o. tie
Jep.rlmentS aul others IN Washington to make
Alexandra their residence. The A2Xahdrln
and FREDERICKSBURG rairOai viii lncfcasa Qua
trade largely The railroads viii bIng bushes.
from which legitimate revenue TO tue city VII.
arise, far above that which is uow sought 10 be
extorted by petty and doubtful captaiion tax
on railroad passengers.
Let Us meet our debts like honest mcu, AMI
not iuiurc our reputation bynttcmpting to throw
the burden upon the shoulders Of others, or
resort TO the plan OF renting our streets 20 rail-
roads 10 order that the revenue arising there
from will nav our liabilities. Give 10 AleXan-
Irin the railroads which her location requires,
and we shall cease to be jealous OF Georgetown,
Washington, or even Baltimore, and when y
exandria shall have her teeming population,
and her business permanently established. then
We can afford to talk about taxing rat4rOad IL
| tcrests.
As regards the petition OF the working men,
to which Mr. Harmon aiules, have no knowI
edge. but 10 know tina, MesSrs. Phelps AMI
Stevens are using all their energies to accom-
m0datc all classes, aud are conSuGlma.lng an
arrangement which will enable them TO have
another engine, and thus give the citizens 1t
! Alexandria hourly communication with Wash
ngton.
Without attempting or meaning in the slight
est degree to impugn the motives, or refecnng
upon the intentions of N, we submit that he
is in error if he supposes the interests ct Alex
andria would be advanced by insisting upon
discriminating tax upon railroads because they
come into the corporate limits. ERITAS
CHESAPEAKE AND Ono CANAL SCIT.-A
meeting Of bondholders OF the Chesapeake aud
Ohio Canal Company was he'd in Baltimore
| ON Saturday, In accordance With notice given,
FIR tne purpo;e reference was made To the
Injunction recently obtained in the Circuit
Court by the Chesapeake Bank and }. $. Git
tings, agaiust the canal Company, prohibiting
any payment to creditors until all the parties
interested could bc heard in equity. Rcic
renee was also made to the suit which hss been
pending in the Circuit Court for several years,
awaiting the action OF the General Assembly to
make the State of Maryland party thereto, IN
order that said suit may !c heard and deter
mined in accordance with the decision ct the
Court OF Appeals.
1 1t was then stated that, since the recent n
l junction obtained. inform had been
. caivcd that, at the late meeting of the canal
directors at Annapolis, The board paid to ;rli.
ley T. johnson, con.ei for the State OF Virgin
!, ia, SIS, 900, (which was drawn from the An
napolis banks, in violation Of the alleged prIor
ties Of the bondhoder creditors. Compliant
was also made that knowledge Of said action
did not reach the public, there being no men