The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-13

the paper had a conversation with Mfr.
Ellyson, and mentioned to him that / had
! signed it. His reply to me was that he de-
! sired the road to come under the admins
! tration of Gen. Malone, but the time for 1t
had not arrived, or something to that eff
feet" / iesire to say to the committee that
the conversation referred to was a casual
one of very few moments duration, and
that no reference whatever was made to
Gen. Mahone's having any part in the adj
ministration Of the Richmond and Peters
to: Gen. Malone was solely to the effect OF
securing for his road over the line OF the
Richmond and Petersburg railroad five
foot gauge to the city Of Richmond. This
I was then in favor Of, and this I was in
formed was the object be had in view in
cooperating in placingthe present admins
tration of that road in paper. This object [
and those cooperating with me are willing
shall be effected on the most liberal terms.
Supplementary Statement of Mr..
Mr.. JOHN LYON then came before the
committee to make statement which he
desired should be heard in the presence OF
General Malone. He said: "The charter
for an independent railroad between Peters
burg and Richmond, which was suggested
as one of the means of accomplis hing what
was understood to be the joint purpose O
Mr. Bridgers and General Malone, was die
tated to me by General Malone, I acting as
his amanuensis, and he accepting and
adopting some suggestions as to its terms
made by myself. My recollection is that
the company was to be styled the Chester
| field Railroad Company, and commissioners
were to be appointed in Richmond and
Petersburg to advertise for subscriptions to
its stock under the general railroad law, and
| twas understood that Mr.. Bridgers and Gen.
Malone, between them, would see that
sufficient stock was subscribed for to make
up the minimum capital, and thus secure
the charter. Gen. Malone, who seemed to
be, and / believe was, familiar with the
| rules Of proceeding and course of business,
advised me how to proceed in presenting
the charter to the favorable consideration
of the General Assembly, but expressed
his apprehension that at that late period of
the session (Octobcr) it would be almost, if
not quite, impossible to get the bill through.
THIS SCHEME ABANDONED. H.
Icame to Richmond the next morning with
Mr.. Bridgers and Messrs. Reuben Ragland
and J. p. Williamson. Finding it was too
late to succeed, we did not offer the bill. 1t
then remained only to make an effort
| to get control Of the management of
the Richmond and Petersburg railroad at
the next annual meeting of the stockhold-
| ers on the 10Th of November, and the result
| of the effort was conceded on all hands to
| he very doubtful. 1t was hoped that Mr..
Bridgers and the stockholders residing in
Petersburg might be able to obtain by pur-
chase and. proxies control of enough private
stock to make with the State yote) q ma
jo1ty of the votes cast in that meeting and
it was expected that Gen. Malone, by the
use of his legitimate and proper influence
with the Board of Public Works, and with
the gentlemen who had then already been
appointed proxies, could bring the State vote
| to aid those favoring the new management.
BY the aid Of the influences thus combined
| we succeeded in electing a new president
| the present incumbent-but the private
stockholders elected their three directors,
men rcsoIutely opposed to the new scheme,
aud pledged, as directors, to disobey the
instructions Of the general meeting of the
stockholders. Afterwards two State direct
ors were appointed who would act in har-
mony with the new president, and thus,
for the ordinary purposes of company
management, our enterprise was success
| full but we were conscious we had not the
power TO develope what were understood
| to be the wishes of all parties, beyond ordl-
nary management.
GENERAL MAuONES INTENTIONS.
In all of my interviews with Cen
eral Malone previous to the election
| of President, on the Goth Of Novcm-
Der, | understood that his wishes were
two-frst, to get q tive-foot track laid
| between Petersburg and Richmond, where
by he might form independent and desira-
Bile connections between Richmond and
Norfolk OH the one hand, and Richmond
and Lynchburg, in the southwest, on the
other second, to get franchise whereby
he might be legally authorized to use that
roadway in the name and by the authority
of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio ruil-
road, without the intervention of any other
company or person az an intermediary. He
doubted whether under his charter, which
authorized him to do a railroad business be-
tween Norfolk and Cumberland Gap, he
would have the right to make con-
tracts to carry north and south be-
tween Richmond and Petersburg, and
he did not wish to do anything ultra
| Utres-beyond the scope of his lawful
authority. This question being one of law,
after being discussed between us, was adj
ljourned by quiet consent until after We
could ascertain whether or not we could
get the desired roadway, and Gen. Malone
was apprehensive that the excitements oc-
casioned by the great consolidation contest
had not subsidized to such degree Us would
Justify the expectation that the people Of
| Richmond and the General Assembly
would entertain favorably direct proposI-
ton to extend the Atlantic, Mississippi and
| Ohio railroad across the county of Chester
field and into the city of Richmond. TO ac-
uuire the actual roadway was therefore the
first objective point. Whether that could be
done by lease, or contract, or otherwise,
was matter to be ascertained by effort and
future developments. The acquisition OF