The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-22
is honestly pushing its work to That point

SssS esSs
3ne square, three months y w
is honestly pushing its work to that point,
Why has the first step never been taken 90
organize under that charter granted last
June when nine months Of the one year
within which the work was to commence
| have expired? And why, instead Of that,
Is he subsidizing every possible influence TO
subdue the Legislature into granting him
this charter for rival road all the way from
Washington to Richmond, which would
cost four times as much as that already
chartered Answer. 1t was false prctence
from the first. The object is, by threaten-
ing, teasing, and annoying the Virginia
road, with rival pretensions to.discredit it,
and subdue it to bis purposes=-and that! OBJ
lect is mean and contemplate, and should
be secuted by the Senate. 1
This design Is patent on the face of the
sth section of the bill. a"One company
| snail not subscribe to the stock of another
unless specially allowed by hw.p The
poiicy OF this regulation Is pIaia: to; pre-
vent the absorption and subsidizing the
| rauroaos OF the State in the way In which
tnls monster corporation has swallowed up
Cmrty-two dependent railroads, embracing
many thousand miles of tributary roads.
But this 9th section actually inri!es this
process OF absorption by stipulating for the
purchase by foreign corporation oe.the
STOCK OF the State in Virginia road; and the
| stock OF the private stockholders, and upon
controlling interest being thus obtained,
proceeding to tear from the minority
.neir exemption from taxation now glaran.
oeeo 10 them, and to subject the company,
'he minority inclusive, to the general rail-
road line of the State, in violation Of the
! company's charter. Here is ayowed the
o true object, which involves at once AN In.
Justice and an absurdity-an injustice, be-
cause 1t Is direct attack upon rights
; vested upon the faith of the State and an
Y SaDsufdlty, because 1t seeks to change by
n | law, with the consent of majority of the
D stockholders, the fundamental terms upon
d which all the stock was subscribed. These
5 terms constitute contract which Is pro.
e tected by the Constitution.
= What will be the effect of this absorption
e Iof the Virginia road by the Pennsylvania
IS Company, and the acquisition by that com.
If pany of controlling interest in the Rich.
q mond and Danville road, and the extension
d of it's connections through the southern sys-
d tenn of railroads, with the producing region
= of the South and West upon the State and
# upon the city of Richmond?
ell Of Richmond first. And here question
J. to the city and county Senators. Is the
e city always to be a mere suburb of the
icities Of the North, engaged forever in SELL
8 ling Oh commission northern dry goods and
t groceries as her great business? or Is she
ever to rise to the dignity and importance
Of city in fact-a manufacturing empo.
v rum and depot tor the rich products of
, the great Ohio and Mississippi regions? If
the first, then go Oh with the war for cheap
railroad fares to the North, and be content
with such grand statesmanship; If the
Isecond, then rise to the dignity of the
i occasion, and crush out this attempt
: to turn all the advantages nature
1 gives us, and all the outlay already spent
: TO secure them, to the benefit of a northern
S city, whose press is daily exuting over
: such infatuation and boasting of the great
0 European steam lines she intends to sup
q port by draining the life-blood Of the South.
Il For what has the State spent millions and
e the city hundreds of thousands in theim-
provement of James river? For what has
the State, largely aided by the city, fostered
q the Richmond and Danville road? For
r what the Central, now the Chesapeake and
f Ohio, road ?-all terminating in Richmond.
8 Surely these questions admit Of but one
r answer, and that emphatically condemns
: the scheme you are asked to approve. Your
q aim should be to consolidate and strengthen
g Your connection East and West and South,
: and to prosecute policy which win con-
: centrate produce of all kinds here at home,
{ not. turn it at all north.
9 Then as to the State. To unite the west
f ern waters with Chesapeake bay by means
3 Of internal improvements was the great con-
| ception of Washington, and Mr.. Madison,
in recommending in the Federahst the adop-
| tion Of the Federal Constitution by Vir-
!. ginia and North Carolina, appeals to their
r common interests in this great estuary, and
: to the destitution of the latter State Of good
e seaports, as strong incentives to the adop-
i tion of common government, under
: (which these interests could be securely
;. enjoyed. Such has been the traditional
/ policy of these States. The improvements
0 terminating in Richmond, and designed to
yield their tributes to the Chesapeake by
!. the York and the James, have been referred
K to. Witness, in addition, the seaboard and
y Roanoke road stretching into North Caro-.
d lima, and the consolidation Of the line from
y Norfolk to Bristol, with the great advantages
a conferred on that line by this very Legsla-
:. ture. Shall all this 20 for naught? Shall
:. this hereditary traditional policy be aoan-
q doned3 Shall we pay tribute to Phiiadei'
phia, or build up our Virginia citiess
LOOK TO THE SENATE.