The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-14
GLOOM SETTLES UPON THE PENN
SYLVANA CAMP.
Charge Of the Southwestern Brigade
Under Maj. Woodson.
THURMAN TRIUMPHANT.
60 TO At.
STEVENS ASKS "HOW COME DIS
NGE?r
&c, &c, &c.

The question was upon the motion to re-
consider the vote by which the amendment
of Mr.. Thurman was rejected. Ihat
amendment requires the new company,
"upon the completion of its railroad, TO
pay to the State of Virginia in current
funds the then market value OF the States
interest in the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Railroad Company, and have
and hold the same as its own, provided
such market price shall not be under Sixty
cents in the dollar of its par value. If said
stock be under sixty cents in the dollar at
that time, then said company shall pay the
state for said interest in stock at the rate OF
sixty cents in the dollar, the present price
of said Stock
A PARTY DEEPLY INTERESTED.
Mr.. THURMAN gave his reasons for moving
! n reconsideration of the vote. Whatever
the STYLE of this srit-whether Roberts vs..
Daniel or Daniel vs.. Roberts-there Is an
other party deeply interested in the result,
and that party is the State of Virginia.
| The members of this Legislature are to
guard the interests Of the State. She has
no money to spend. She has
NO LOBBYISTS
to work day and night in her behalf; but
the members of this body are sworn to
see that she has her rights, and it be-
comes them to remember that if this
charter is granted the result will be
the total destruction Of Il railroad in which
she is pecuniarily interested to no small
extent. This amendment was intended TO
| guard that interest. Should not the people
who ask us to
DEpRECIATE THE VALUE OF OUR OWN PRO-
PERTY
grant us this slight guarantee that we are
not to lose everything by the bargain.
Mr.. JONES, of King William, opposed
the reconsideration.
WE ONLY ASK WHAT ROBERTS WAS WILLING TO
GIVE.
Mr.. KELLY, of Spotsylvania, earnestly
urged the propriety Of reconsideration.
lie said:
I propose that this General Assembly
shall avail itself Of the same offer and make
as good terms for Virginia as Mr. &. b.
Roberts, the president of the Alexandria
and Fredericksburg road, proposed to Mr..
Moncure Robinson for his stock. When
before the Committee on Roads, Mr.. Rob-
crts testified that he had offered Mr.. Rob-
inson $50 per share for the stock he con-
trolled in the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac road. That his offer was to
80 per cent. above its market value. Surely
if the private stock of the road was
worth 800 per share, involving bonus Of
S21s, 900, we, the custodians of the States
interest in that road will hesitate long be-
fore we barter that interest for bonds that
are worth less in the market, share for
share.
VIRGINIA VICTORIOUS.
The pending question was ordered, and
4 reconsideration carried-ayes, 60; noes,
II.
AND NOW.
The amendment was then taken up.
DELEGATE NoN.PLUssED.
Mr.. STEVENS, of Sussex, was at loss to
know how so many members had changed
their minds since Saturday. He saw no
reason to change his own.
SOMETHING STILL BETTER PROPOSED.
Mr.. THURMAN desired further to amend
the amendment By inserting the following
after the words ''eompletion Of the road":
cor whenever, under the provisions of
this section, the property of the said
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
company shall become subject to taxation"
MIR. PopHAM vigorously opposed the
amendment, claiming that its adoption
would defeat the whole bill, as, if it was
incorporated, two-thirds vote would be re-
quired to pass the bill.
VIRGINIA AGAIN VICTORIOUS.
The amendment to the amendment was
agreed to-ayes is, noes 53.
AN ATTEMPT TO UNDO WHAT HAD BEEN DONE.
Mr.. BuDD moved further to amend by in
serting after the words "after the compile
ton of the road" in the amendment of Mr..
THURMAN, the words eff the General AS
sembly shall so determine"
THATTHEY ARE DRIVING AT.
Mr.. THURMAN showed that the amend
ment proposed by Mr.. BUDD, if adopted,
would leave the bill as it would be without
his (Mr. Thurman's) amendment. Why
should the contracting power as to the price
of these bonds be left to future General
Assembly, when we can nov provide for
the indemnifcation Of the State to some
extent for the loss which will result to her
by the granting of this franchise? Allusion
had been made to the difficulty now in get
ting q constitutional majority or two-thirds
vote for any measure. If difficult now,
how will it be when this powerful foreign
monopoly, with all its knowledge Of how
to manipulate legislative bodies, gets foot
hold in our State? Would there be any
chance whatever of inducing future Gen.
eral Assembly to hold this company to the
bargain? The parties interested in this
amendment are but two
THE STATE OF VIRGINIA ON THE ONE HAND,
AND THE ALEXANDRIA AND FREDERICKSBURG
RAILROAD ON THE OTHER.
The issue is distinctly defined, and the
members of this House are now to deter.
mine upon which side they will array them
selves.
GILES TO THE RESCUE.
Mr.. MAHoop favored Mr.. Budd's amend
ment in an elaborate argument, contending
that MIR. Thurman's amendments were de-
signed to defeat the bill. He regarded
these efforts to upset the plans Of the Penn
sylyania Central railroad as efforts to keep
ont OF Virginia the capital and enterprise