Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-08

whenever man states his reason, it is his
best one. Now can the value
of the stock be APPRECIATED or de
preciated, by the simple fact of the pep
pies voting on the proposition. The
County Court was representative
body and the people had right to demand
of their Representatives that, as servants
Of the people, they should discharge their
duty, and not unnecessarily tax the people
with the cost of holding an election. If the
power was not with the County Iourt to
secure its stock in the road, where was il
1t certainly was not in the Chsncery Court
or in the Supreme Court. The Justices
of a county who mingle constantly
| with the people, were more
liable to form correct Judgment than q
| higher tribunal. The General then said that
thiswas not a subscription to a new enter
prise. The General continued: Is this pro-
| position to start new enterprise, or is it
| giving protection to that stock which you
already have? III am solid in my argu-
| ment, the whole question is, is it expe-
| dent? Is it expedient that the county
| should shoulder the bonds of the State to
own half a railroad having extensive con-
nections? We used to think we had a
| pOluI uhRD11y SAtuhsOo bObnOSu tHc INOTtu-
ern and Southern lands. That was the ante
| bellun opinion. But as the slave popuIa-
ton now works by the month or crops on
the shares, the tendency is to move from
one place to another more than before the
war, ard consequently there will be great
er exchange of commodities for money.
Laboring men, representatives of New
York, Chicago, and mammoth cities
throughout the land, had informed him
that, other things being equal, they pre-
ferred Tennessee to any other State as a
laboring point Sixty three laborers out
of sixty-seven whom he had Intercepted
had given him this as their opinion. 1t
was necessary that railroads should be had
for an exchange of commodities.
Here is line of road remember TO
have supported in my boyhood, and 1
waited the county to take stock in it and
control it. Now you have an uninterrupt-
ed connection by rail to the Ohio, and
tapping the mouth of the rich valley of tbs
| Wabash. There never can be built SO
| short line to the Ohio, or through and
tapping so rich country. The benefits
of tapping this rich country will be that
not only will the county be benefited, but
large portion of the country.
The question is whether this stock in
| the Edgefeld and Kentucky Railroad can
be secured. Judge Whitworth has said that It
could. The whole debt of the road to the
| State was about 81, $50, 600, and that could
be secured for $500, 900 in State bonds.
Here is AZ miles Of road that certainly had
not cost less that $50, COO mile in cash.
| In Missouri, where the State sold her in
terest in railroads, the men who bought ii
had made hundreds of thousands. The
| Pennsylvania Central Railroad was once in
bankruptcy, even within his (Gsn. Ma
neys) memory, but now that read stretched
| from the Atlantic to the Pacific
| Gen. Nancy said he had considered these
matters, and that even if his life was to
! be the forfeit of q miscarriage, he would
say, go on and buy this Edgefeld and
| Kentucky Railroad If railroads cost, on
an average, about $50, 600 mile "a low
average and there were AZ miles In the
Edgefeld road, 100000 in State bonds
was certainly very low price for this road.
| The road, if purchased, could be sold at q
great profit, but he thought the county,
after having bought this road, would never
want to part with it.
The road to Evansville was completed,
/ 3OOh AAO ISAACAIudbl EOhu HOulu Dc
finished, and these roads would be of great
benefit to Nashville. They made the con.
troll of the Edgefeld road much more i'm
portant than it would be otherwise. In
| conclusion, the General said that the reso-
luton now before the court had been pre-.
pared by able lawyers, and if it was le-
jected, The court would reject the counsel
of lawyers who had weighed this whole
question carefully.
Col. A. S. Colyar said no gentleman ap.
peared here for pay. He then remarked
that he would refer to some of the diff
culties that had been mentioned. If the
Court had difficulty in deciding the law O.
the case, let them pick out COMMITTEES
of able lawyers and submit the question
to them. He saw thst Squire Msxey wal
10 trouble about the law and was running
in groove, and it was because he did no
look at the whole question. But fair
minded man would be very apt in a CUES
ton CT law to be controlled by able lega
advice. Col. Colyar then argued the Law
In the case, and insisted that the PROPOSE
ton submitted would be as well settle / by
the County Court as if turleC
over TO be determined By vote of th,
people. He argued that if afrer stock wa
voted or the credit of the county loaned
and litigation were to follow the action 0
the County Court in this matter, woulC
stand more firmly in the Supreme Cour
than a vote of the people making that ap
preparation of money. He stated full,
the great advantages which would sccru
to this community from the possession an
control of the Edgefeld and Kentuck,
Railroad and its connections. Th
members of the County Court we're great,
interested in the progress and pros
perity Nashville, because what bene
fitted the city also resulted in goo
to the county. In order to maxi
Nashville a great manufacturing city, ches
= and abundant fuel must be had. This ros
and it's connections would greatly aid i
supplying this demand. Nashville, alresd
great railroad center, was destined to b
the greatest railroad center in the South
What the city most needs now is voice j
3 the management of the railroads conRec
: ing us with other cities and other roads
Prudence and enterprise were now neces
ssry TO give Nashville the desired impetu
in becoming a great and populous cit,
The speech of Col. Colyar was an earnei
and eloquent appeal in behalf {
? the proposition submitted to the court, an
| exhibited the utmost familiarity with tn
7 subject under discussion. Throughout hi
I speech he was listened 10 with the utm o.
attention by the court.
Judge A. L. Demoss, Esq, next al
. dressed the court in suppors of the prop
sition He did not appear on this coca
/. ion as paid attorney, but was actir
simply on account of interest in the we
. fare of bis fellow citizens.
. Judge Demoss read portion of the
cree issued from the Ohancery Cour
, which has heretofore been published. 3
. then said that the County Court was NJ
asked TO take stock in new enterprise.
Y Judge Demoss explained to the Cou
: how the means could be raised to pu
a chase tho States interest. There W
e $50, goo in State bonds to be provide
t for. 0ne-fourth of that amount had to
t paid down, and the balance was to be pa
y in one, two and three years One-half
the first payment would bave to be paid
s the county, and that would be abo
o S92, 600 in bonds. This would be provide
. for by the county, interest in the LOU
D vile road. He thought bonds could
is ,ued to meet the second payment,
a called for, but he thought the first payne
would be all thu county would have
, make, because the Edgeield road, with
!, northern connections, would easily pay
- ! itself bv the travel and traffic on the roa