, 1870-05-20
importance OF the Question IscIore
tho Supreme Court - Statistics of
Railroad Subscriptions.

@.--A--
From the Detroit Tribune, May 1a
with the most intense interest, the result oi
the pending case IN the Supreme Court, which
involves the constitutionality Of tho special
and general railroad aid laws Of this State.
The effect which that decision will have upon
the material prosperity and progress Of our
entire Commonwealth is alone sufficient to en-
gage almost universal attention, and to this Is
added the local concern, wkch almost every
considerable city, village or town within our
borders feels in regard to one or moro Of the
two score OF projected or progressing railroad
enterprises Of our State
Some weeks SINCE We published an abstract
Of the special enabling. acts, by which the
voting OF a1d to railroads By municipalities in
this State had been authorized previous to tbs
passage OF tho general law Of 1862. The action
taken under the provisions Of these laws may
he summarized IS follows:
jackson, lansing & Sa9indu.-To this cor
rolalion The County Of InGham and tue towns
amount Of S20a, 600 under special acts, and the
entire amount has been received By tho COM
pa1y and disposed Of to third parties.
Flint d: Pore MdTg1cte.-Under the act of
February 3, 1861, Bay County has voted 575.O30
to MD the extension Of the Flint l. Pere Mar
lis bonds to this amount, bearing 10 per cent
interest and falling due On September I, 1867,
have been given to the company, guaranteed
ty it, and sold to the Newark q. - Savings
Institution.
Pap .Pau Rdilroad-1he township OF Paw
Paw voted in aid Of THIS road bonds to the
amount Of $50, 100, which were sold in New
York, and Of which $1,000 have Inatured and
been pnid.
kalamazoo, ANcgd,, d Grand Rapids.-To
This road municipal bonds have been voted and
delivered by the towns along its line to the
amount ct So, 900, all Of which havo been sold
to third PARTIES
Whae Pigeon 10 Kalamazoo the various
roads organized between these points aud
known as the Gardner roads, there were voted
aud delivered bonds to the amount OF Sis, ,0o0,
Of which SSs, 900 remain still unpaid in the
hands Of third parties
Michigan Lake !Ss0re-To this corporation,
which was Organized by q consolidation OF the
ilustegon l. Ferrysburg, Grand Haven Il Hol-
land, and Holland and Al1eGan companies there
has been voted under special acts GOO, OF
which ESQ, 600 has been delivered to the COM
lands.
Port Huron d Lake 1fichigan.-Under the
act Of 1866, the municipalities along this line
lave voted a165, 1000 in its aid, Of which
sll7, 200 has been delivered to the company,
and has been sold to third parties
tion there has been aid to the amount Of about
$500 voted, Of which 4220, 900 has ito
quote from the language of one Of the officers
or tile corpotatiou) s'been delivered to the
company and been scattered in third-party
h1nds among merchants, mechanics and
farmers"
Ionia g. Lonsin1.-Ihe amount of aid voted
to this line, under special acts, is S103, 3,i50 Of
which s95, $50 have been sold to outsiders, and
5000 the COMPANY has been compelled to
hold On account OF tie coming up Of the ques-
ton concerning The constitutionalty of the
enabling acta.
Michigan Air Line.-To this company,
which controls the hanchises Of "The Grand
Trunk Railway Of Michigan" have been voted,
under the special enabling act Of 1865, By the
towns Of Armada, Bruce, Washington md
Avon, bonds to tho amount Of S11p,500, Of
which Ss5, 500 LES been received and sold
Holly, Hdyne &iAonroe.-No1c Of tho bonds
sued 10 il, but all remain stiu in tho hands Of
the towns.
Detroit 6 1Gluaukae-Under the act of
March - 1869, Grand Haven las voted S53,-
GOO Of its bonds to this company, as al in
ducement for moving it's terminus to the east
side Of the Grand River. Ono-ha1f only Of
the amount hns get been paid over, aud It still
remains IN possession Of tho company.
Detroit d Ho1reA-Aid VIE voted to this line
under special acts, by the towns Of Handy.
1osco, Marion, Howell, Brighton, Genoa, Os-
only SIS, ,505.45 in bonds have been delivered
to the company, and these havo all been dis
posed to third parties.
Chicago d Michigan Grand Tf7tnk-To this
corporation lwhich is now IN a condition Of
suspended vitality, II not absolutely dcfunct1.
aid to the amount of about s450,0O0 was
voted, but not dollar Of the bonds Neze ever
Issued.
c:ter Companies.-In one or two instances.
The officers Of railroad companies, while not
objecting to furnishing the figures in regard
to their Lines, to be included in the genera!
aggregate, requested, for prudential reasons
that the specific amount Of bonds negotiated,
amount Of the bonds voted and delivered to
the companies, in who.e cases this request
was preferred, under special acts, WAS 729l 200,
and OF this arnount they have sold s2s9.2oo.
The amount of MD thus far voted under the
provisions Of the general enabling act OF 1869
is not accurately 1sce1tainable, IS the bonds
Of many towns have not yet been deposited
NTH the State Treasurer, hut it cannot be less
than 8, 250, COO Tho amount OF aid bonds
deposited at Isasin g, up to May 1, vas rs
scAe"o'