Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-05
FnTvoLoUs oRTFCrIoNs.

/ starts al SHADOWS ana LrlFOlOus
/ objections are raised, 50 trihing
/ and minute that It is impossible to grasp
| and answer them. Among these was a
/ suggestion that emanstsd from the excel
! lent Chsirman of the Court that the cost
| of sending engineers to measure the
l work would be enormous. The entire
work in the county could be gone over in
| two weeks by three competent engineers
/ at an expense not exceeding 5000, An in
| significant sum to insure the proper sX-
| pendiUure Of 500, 900 and guard the coUn-
/ tV against the misapplicatiOu Of its funds.
! Forests response TO this reference TO the
! cost of engineering skill was the simple
/ statement tba, If the Court submitted the
/ question 10 the people and they voted for
/ the tax, be would, within the year, con-
] vert the Court itself into q corps Of engi-
| neers and take it bodily in a railway
/ tram to Holly Springs.
THE DISCUSSION BEFORE THE COURT
! was continued from eleven till three
Ii O'Clock. Governor Harris expOunded the
difference between the preseat and Origi-
! nally proposed plan of subscription
I He sdTertsd to the discrimination
| originally proposed TO be made
! in favor Of citizens of this county
| as PASSENGERS on the road, defined the ad-
| vsntages Of q cash subscription as con-
| trasted with the issuance of twenty year
=
paying out bonds would exceed half q
] million dollars. The general advantages
/ to Eccrus to the county by the augmenta-
tiOn of commerce and creation of manu-
| featuring establishments were strongly
and clearly defined. He said of
THE WEALTH OF TENNESSEE,
that this road to Selma is 80 miles in
length. Ths counties through which this
road runs produced, in 1860 100000 bales
of cotton, and the counties in Mississippi
produced, in 1850. 23S, 43S bales, and last
year over 200 600 bales. In 1850, when
Memphis made her first subscription to a
railroad, her taxable proper y was valued
Gt s50O,O 600, and her population was 52S2
Her taxable property is now SIS, 900, 600,
and her population Is near 5O,000-iUG
times as much wealth and ten times As
much population as when our railroad
system was inaugurated. This re-
suit is not peculiar TO Memphis.
The ComptrOller's report shows that the
average value Of lands i'm Tennessee was
In 1898, S4 per acre. From 1886 to 1852 iJ
had declined TO So 81. In 1852 we adopted a
system of railroads and the average value
Of lands began to improve, and in eight
years went up from s. "a 70 S 13 per acre.
Tne value OF taxable property in the
State, in 1852, was SlS6 62l, JIG, including
slavery. Ia 1869, vii hOuJ slave property,
in losing which we lost Sis, GOO ,0o0, it was
s223, $50 600, an increase of S37, ,24l, l24 g.
notwithstanding the dsvaststiOns OF war
snd loss Of slaves. This increase Of val
ues dates from the Inauguration OF the
Tennessee system Of railway cOnstruc-
tiOn. and has kept pace pan DIS5u with
its progress and extension, the peoples |
wealth being augmented In The same ra-
ito with the length ana nun DeTs of rail-
way lines. Properly enough the earnest, /
thoughtful, eloquent address produced a
profound impression upon the court and
audience.
OTHER SPEECHES GENERAL FORREST
gave a detailed account Of the progress Of
the road. He told how he had succeeded
in completing more than forty miles of
the road from Selma in this direction, I
that it was already self-susJsining, that
he often moved as many as u o bales Of
cotton per day, that the cotton frOm CEN
tral Alabama would find It's market in /
Memphis, not only because he could de- |
liver C here at g so per bale, but because !
Menu phis was known TO be the cheapest
and best grocery market south Of the
Ohio. An Alsbsms planter could afford |
TO psv S freight on cotton bales in order |
TO buy his plantation supplies in this city. |
He believed that his road would bring an |
nually 70 Memphis az least 800, 900 bales |
of cotton. fEaCh bale would leave here /
at least $, and thus the COunty's subscrip-
tiOu, running through Eve years, would |
be thrice refunded the hrst year after the /
road is dnishedl. General F. spoke of the /
wise libsrlity Of Selma, which not only |
gave him $4,000 in cash, but had |
made q subscription twice as great |
in proportion TO the wealth and /
population Of the place, as that [
ssked at the hands of Memphis. He ad- |
verted TO propositions he had received |
from other railway corporations, one of |
which had offered him SI50, 900 10 surren- |
der bis rights property and franchises |
He spoke Of the purpose Of Mississip- |
plans who, were exceedingly anxious 1
10 divert the road from Memphis 10 Hello |
ug, and thus draw down to that point the /
Kansas City and Memphis and |
Iron Mountain and Southern and |
Central Pacific roads. He said that
he bad spent most Of his life /
in this State and city, that he was devoted |
TO his people, and would never betray |
FORESTS ELoaUENcE.
An excellent gentleman and a member !
Of the court, Nr. Jones, while the dis
cussi9n was pending said that be would |
make many sacrifices TO secure the con-
struCuOn of railways indispensable to this |
city and county, "but such, - said Mr. /
Jones, addressing General Forrest, sis |
the poverty OF many people who were |
a
dare not do aught 20 augment |
popular burdens. There are psnuilgss /
widows, with barefoot children, In every /
nsighbOrhOOd in this county. These |
poor people arc even now 50 heavily |
taxed that they cau barely secure the /
msanest subsistence. When ] cOntem- |
plate their woes, I sm forced 20 oppose |
every proposition that contemplstes an |
increase Of taxation" General Forrest 1
was evidently touched by this pathetic /
appeal, which, a. made by Mr.. Jones, l
was infinitely the most effective made |
during the day by anyone entertaining |
his views.
Forrest answered that he felt deeply |
the force Of what had Just been said. 81 /
have stood by many, very many, more /
than a thousand dying soldiers. They l
haYe-a countless appealed 20 4
nae with their latest breath % guard and /
care for their wives and children. ] /
promised always 70 do ray utmost. 1 am /
thus the guardian Of q multitude OF help /
less people Often have I sought TO de- 4
wise a plan by which I might serve and 1
provide for their proper maintenance. /
Many plans have been suggested % which l
] have given earnest thought, and Hons /
which ] deem comparable 10 this which ! /
have adopted. III 4 can build this rail- /
road, located through the very country /
whence Elv soldiers came, and whore I
their wives anu EAil0Eeu Ahos man ufh1LDr j
rieg and schoOl-houses viii spring into ex- |
istenoe. Every woman and girl will have /
emplovment, and schools and churches |
viii be aceessi bic 20 the poorest, most |
bslpIsss aud unfortunate. " am glad, - |
said General Forrest, whose language we |
have substantially given, that Mr. Jones /
las given ma an opportunity Of saying |
this. In building his road / am comply /
ing with the most sacred obligations that
/ ever assumed 20 my fsll0W-man." Very /
certainly the sudiencs thought that Mr
Jones was most satisfactorily answered.
MAJOR sYEEs, BoHERrsoN ToPP AND |
MINOR NERRIWEFHER,
the court, but since We have
fiven, on former occasions, many facts l
and Arguments that we're adduced, it is /
needless 10 extend this report. The |
speeches Of Messrs. IOpp and MeETi- |
yTether Wers most effective. Major Sykes |
ad gsrted 70 the fact that II we fail 70 Sc
cure the completion of the road 70 Mem |
phis. its terminus would be at Helena, (
where II would copCentrate reads from /
the west and northwest, and Memphis /
would be Is effectively cut OF from the 1
trade Of the west az now from the trade /
Of the east by the Mobile and Ohio sno |
Mississippi Central roads. BE demon /
strated the fact that every citizen and I
lam ~wner Of the county would reap rich
,e-.rerl3s p, IN this investment. Memphis
nv rez,s fo,,r,,. rs of the taxes eZacted !
from the county, and II ~ -eLoIo
were doubled it would pay tl~ ~. M.