Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-07
COMMUNICATED.

debt OF 2ratltuOc, WuICh, 1oi oue, atu IeAuJ
to acknowledge, and I return you my hearty
thanks for the extended and lucid reports you
have made, on various occasions, of the de-
bates in our municipal parliament" especial
" for the discussion which took place there on
"Wednesday night, 81 inst. | had hoped my
Ia hors were at al end when the Railroad ques
ton had reached the City Council, and 1 am
greatly pleased to find that members of that
Tesnectsble body, fresh from tho people, and
not placed over US by the will OF military
satrap, have set earnestly to work to investigate
this all important subject,
Rear with an old and devoted citizen of the
Mace of "our nativity" for tresspassing 50
often and at such length upon your columns.
fear in this communication shall be even
more neutrality-suspicious. as an old man garru-
Ious-in this matter, where, as verify believe
the veal or the Wos of this ancient city is ln-
volved.
At the meeting referred to, the Pennsy-
yapia Railroad Company, for to this COM
nlexion it has oome-not the pitilul Freder-
icksburg Company, so-called appeared 10 our
| Council Chamber, represented by two lawyers
if not three. to wit: Mr.. L. l.. Smith OF this
city; Mr.. Howard. Solicitor of the Pennsy
vania Company, and Mr.. Roberts, the Presl-
dent OF the Fredericksburg road. What an
array OF legal force And not one solitary
member OF our Bar to expound the law, or
Law bare tho talacies then and there uttered
| am DO lawyer as you we'll know, but there
arc certain matters which men tolerably we'll
informed may detect. For instance. Mr.
Smiths assertion, as appears iu the report re
| ferred to, where ne says the charter (old) BE-
| came forfcitable; but did not become in fact
forfeit until the State pressed the forfeit
| 18TH or oh q rfar pas pOOd now
This to my unlearned eyes il very extraordl-
| nary doctrine, though gentleman or his age
and standing in his profession may-ought 10
know better than one of the uuinitiated.
Usually a charter provides that the work
shall be commenced after certain term OF
gears, and shall be com pleted after another
certain term OF years.
Can Mr.. Smith, who has served 10 the Gen
eraI Assembly, mean to say that the LeRlsIa
ture shall, upon failure of the conditions pre-
scribed be expected to stulity itself by passing
an act decIaratory of q fact we'll known TO every
BODY? Mr.. Saith, like all other advocates for
these railroads, barps upon the idea OF tao
upon railroads, and "oontended that the char
ter gave the City Council no such power, and
that while the road might not be allowed the
use OF street. aud be thus forced 10 60 around
the town, yet in case street aodS granted
no tax could b., levied for its USE Let Us
grant Mr.. Smiths proposition that no tao can
be Levied for its use. He admits the grant
NAV be refused, and say refuse it, uniess tho
Raj road Company sbaIl agree (uot to be
taxed, but TO pay just compensation or bonus
for its use, in gross sum forever, or IN an an
nual rent so long as 1t shall be used
Will Mr. Smith venture to assert that the
Civ Council is not as lully competent to make
such contract as 70 pass this road over one OF
our streets without Just com pensatlon? AS to
the IMPLIED threat that 1t may go around the
town, it is perceivable, as remarked 10 former
mmunication, the land damages alone Won
a,rount 10 more than this road would have to
nav us for street; aud DO railroad would pass
around town of the szs of Alexandria, where
large passenger and freight business might be
expected.
MIR. French, on the part OF his road. Was
willing to arbitrate tho whole matter between
| the rival railroads. ..
Between these roads the Interests Of Alex
andris was, I suppose, to be ignored, and
| would be pschI between the upper aud the
| neither Inillsione," and TO the Corporation
claim, the meal resulting from the grinding.
MIR. French further c0ntendcd that the
Fredericksburg road had no power to go
around" tho town" ergo that road must
buy out his road.
The Pennsylvauia road yields a capital of
50 milions-perhaps 100 millions, and they,
az MIR. Roberts says, received but ten per cent.
On their investment-not a bad dividend
1t may here be incidentally remarked that
| MIR. Roberts says they can build road from
the Long Bfidec to Alexandria for 500, 900
dollars; and Mr.. French asks for his road,
&c., the sum CT one million of dollars
! Here is q company who can build road Tor
$50 0OO distance Of four miles or less, but
| cannot afford 10 pay anything Tor the use OF
nearly two miles Of streets already graded for
their crosstics and rails II
Another road which is valued at one mil
lion OF dollars is unwilling 10 pay US Tor the use
of nearly mile of street which they use tor
tbeir track, and make q station OF the same
street, where their cars remain an obstrucilon
| for weeks at a lime, when accident prevents
| their running And yet this very road, worth
| q million, is too poor or niggardly to pay the
| Corporation tax for the present year. BY some
oversight OF former assessors, 1t Was not put
| on the taxable property, and thus escaped all
taxation. This year the assessors valued the
whole property, rolling stock aud all,at sou. OOO,
and the tax collector recently stated the bill
| had not been paid.
Mr.. Roberts said his company (instead OF
buying out the Washington and Alexandria
R. R., or using that part which was without
| legal owner) WAS for this reason anxious to
have its own line the whole way, and had
asked for the right of way north OF Duke
street." He enumerated some advantages
from the construction OF railroads, said he knew
towns which paid railroads bonus to enter
them. He very CONSIDERABLY expressed the
willingness Of his company to 90 by some other
street than Henry street." Remarkable con
descension on the part OF Mr.. Roberts But
! il he should take another street, be would no
doubt expect to transfer the right be now
| claims on Henry street south Of Duke, to the
other street he might select, seemingly entirely
Obvious oil the fact, that we deny he has any
right at all to Henry street.
Tho grant which he claims, was to j. E.
Stewards defunct company, and was very
loosely granted By City Council appointed by
| the military Governor of Virginia, without the
shadow of right conferred upon it BY tho
people.