The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-02
New Enemy.


I'd y Underground work is going on IN
so.t;,i,v to the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
rn,a. Resolutions offered in the Senate on
Monday propose sweeping inquiry into
the contract with HUNTINGTON Co.. into
the subscription by this city to the Chesa-
rcske and Ohio railroad; and into the pro-
pricty Of repeating or modifying the Ia"
authorizing the sale of the h'ue h''se
railroad for State bonds.
The gentleman who offered the resoiu-
t;ons had the good sense not to assume INC
Maternal relation to them. The work APP
rsrcntly cut out for themselves by the "u,
,hors Of this movement is great one' anu
wc susnect one for which they are poorly
qualified. In effect. they propose TO I'M
re;- .he obligation Of contracts by repeal
ing law under which rights have accrued,
md TO nbrcrate a contract that is completed
involving millions, and under which very
large sum has been expended. The authors
seem to be Astounding in their yea! for other
reorlc's rights, and extend their protecting
nrms over this city. We ore not aware that
anybody has been solicited to interfere on
behalf of Richmond, and tho volunteered
attorreyship 10 gratuitous, not to say OBJ
trusive.
Here was a great work undertaken by
the State, which she failed to complete. Ii
wos stuck in the mountains, laboring under
q heavy debt, and liable any day to be sold
under forcclosed mortgages. After long
and laborious consideration by the Leglsla-
.ure, a bill was passed proposing, with the
concurrence of West Virginia, to appoint
commissioners to dispose of the work
to any company that would under
take to finish it. West Virginia concur
rcd, and the commissioners appointed by
both States met time and again, and q sub
committee appointed by them conferred at
great length with capitalists in New York
and elsewhere with the view of carrying
out the object of their appointment. After
q vast deal of Interviewing and conterrlng
the contract with the company headed by
Mr.. UrxrISGToN. of New York, was COM
pletcd and properly signed.
Now. these gentlemen who thus under
took the work of completing the road were
already large creditors OF the Chesapeake
AMI Ohio Railroad Company, and might al
any time have forced sale of its property,
and could at such sale have bought ii at a
r-ice exceedingly low. Possibly they might
thus nave gotten possession Of the property
upon such terms as would have yielded
them as much or more profit than they VIII
derive from the contract they have made
with the commissioners Of Virginia ana
West Virginia.
And now comes first one assault and then
another uron an enterprise 80 long ue-
srsi,c!i Of, and just about to proceed with
new life towards its early completion. The
southside lines, in disregard of the entente
c0rdiale Of 'G7. under which there were two
consolidated lines,-northside and south
side-formed with conditional connections
authorized between them-propose q new
consolidation with the Chesapeake and
OllO TOau. -NcSl SOuiCo ooAhS NaNNAo''--
party and proposes to repeal and impair all
contracts, all obligations, between the State
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Company.
The present Legislature is composed OF
rcn;lcmen who have had no great expert
clcc in legislation, but they are Intelligent
aud lust, and, we are sure, desire to give
70 example Of Legislative caprice and want
Of respect for vested rights.
Il is no light matter the investment OF
millions under contract with high otnclals
acting by the authority of the State. Her
prosperity, let alone her honor, depends
upon the preservation Of her pledges IN
violate, and We do trust and believe that
the present Assembly will i'll no way suiiy
lcr reputation by hasty and ill-ad7lsed
action.
Ismay be we'll that the discontented and
oEicious are raising questions for decision.
They must end in approving and sustaining
the act of the commissioners and the legal-
t. of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
Company.
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