New-York tribune., 1871-03-29
TIE EPIE CLASSIFICATION BILL.
REPORT OF THE MAJORITY AGAIN5r A REPEA
OF THE ACT


ALBANY. March 2S.-Mr. Flagg. from the Com
mee Railroads made the following report yesterday
on the Erie Classification bill:
To Me Assembly,: Tic Committee 1nd that the act
which il j. sought 10 repeal generally khol as the
dciboratiou the part OF the senate ana aDy aud
at time when the public attention was largely ui ectc
the condition ana management Of the tnree great
trunk lines OF railway intended 10 bo affected by It, Tho
bin consideration in The Assembly for several
Ncfk~au ictClN ga more til ~, q a. o. az tic t Vi
that body, and II passed the Senate by an Almost u,
inOus Vote Its apparent that tie object Of lhe IN
was To sec ire plLAlch lh l1c ildH"- men. Vi our
great trunk lines OF railway, and To- guard tho companies
rivals to injury Of the Interests Of the business public
Among the arguments which have bce1 Ire.eEtei to
seem 10 he entitled any weight against the princpies
OF the bill The opposition To 1t seems to De Of per-
selg character founded upon personal hostility 10 TIE
leading officers in the management OF the Lic Halfway
Thr principle Of the bin /, not new. II hes lad its
place IN political system since the o'z'l0n ot te
Government. The reasons staltu py J-rt'e otvNs III
his Commenare, ON The Constitution 70. It's alpleation
explicit and apply with equal force TO the management
OF corporations. lie saw, section ~; ,,, . . ,.,
% YoF e41s,rce demon ira @ at co-.,uii carce of
GOO ssurcs fr Good is with e-o OF perce ard
& 5I. of the iesi toacerei measures. ana to sdius re
u'e ntercrrs " ich n' ieutal % d. 2,hton i'1fiu
Of rrrate iner-.s lot eek tie growth Of ft steady
lch by wi forecast sup ihe means vi future
The report then states that this principle has for many
years been applied IN England and Scotland ahd quotes
The advocates ot The bill before the Committee. who
stockholders Of the Ec Railway Company hive not az
tempted 10 show TO us that me operation oi me gn1
d, practical workiug g in Great Britain.
The impetus given to railroads ~ me gfeal uSVeiop
Hcnt OF the national resources Of me Noitleil SLlF
and increased demand for transp0iapoI duthg HcNciM
W. r. prior to l9 rendered apparent tire necessity Tor
consolidation Of interests ana pcrnanecy 9t polci an
management in great trunk lines - we anu he StIe7ol
PENNSYLVANIA, Illinois, ONO Indiana lscon5n, du New
York almost simultaneously adopting ne grmclIe OF
the sSh Section Of the English Co Idlta causes Con
sodation act and dividing the directors o. TIC 1oa''
The report nen quotes in full acts reorganizng the
Pittsburgh Fort Wayne and Chicago Ealr, aa' ahd ts
Classification acts passed III ILLINOIS, Oho lhH4dNd ana
Wisconsin, and continues: ,
visions Of the statne relative 10 classification was let
TO the discretion of the Directors 81 the several C1P
MES the Directors of the ErieRaway Company dli not
take any action upon until they had been directed 70
do so by the stockhollers At the IcSnar anni nIS @
ing Of the stockholders held ON the Zth OF OctOpe 1901
had becn tbe iibect of much discussion in the
papers Of the day, the following resolutions were pescd
charter sle BY s act Legislature the state Of en-
titled An ,pend Chapter - Of bG isNs oi loys sD ia An
sct il rel9ton to the Le Ny ~ U9fc s ] hoG o @ Ss
Lsus Of J whereby the directors Of is of1auo M m he
Rlsol'eS fiat lie Board Of Directors hereby elected BE- and
hereby directed classify themselves in accordance Win
n does moi appear that any opposition expressed
10 these resolutions at that meeting. since Iat tilc
abundant opportunity has been an2rue ~, nol ueet
holders 10 reconsider the subject Ah3lHeI a,o" o 1 o
ing the stockholders was held In OctoDe loo anu We
are adj
repeal Of the act. ON the contrary the ioo"h6 Ieso
ton was adopted: . -, -. nu, c,,.,v a.,
prove az, ,U , ' in Saarcs Of the instructions meeting
o. ,be stockholders Of held the second Tuesday o
No reason il sted Why the act should be repealed
except such is based upon the hostility OF portion ot
the stockh9ders TO some ne Ir @ n1 ay ompany Two
parties seem TO be srugGng Tor Ie m tb c cnnrse
which should he pursued in Its management Inc per
sons urging the passage OF this PM are -u5ds.Gou - o m
represent mainly stockholders residing III Ingia, VII
have waived the exercise OF their own uds snents 10y sun
mittng and placing their stock tne l-rIe ial"J 80 a
pany management and control INTO ine nahds m p
Committee In London, whose interests cannot pe sup
posed 10 harmonic so much WIN lne noCoss.,S 30" "a
Foundation 10 the business wants of our own cize as
with schemes for affecting the pcc OF lhe stoch @ @
London Exchange their interests IN ot9et qIino,5 h
ter the Legislature can have nothing 10 O , ,.oors
II is matter of public history tha doT LINZ 6k of
this corporation had been allowed 10 GeteIlora1 80
it scarcely ATTEMPTED ny mos nu5 ~ wtTe Of ire
nent occurrence and the travelling aud husihts pDi1
lad ot Conddcnce in H. while the earnings OF the ROAD
W., ~, a n at i'm ri ydonds 10 the stockholders now the
road II IN excellent condition. ana We arc liV( 80
any complains being made that every Iaelty ls nIt
Afforded or The transportation Of passengera au
i'm "A suitable and proper manner and the wants oi INC
n Inc 1arties WHO have been chosen Directors by
majority of the stockholders are gl'y o ~, H c,nd
in the Court as In ali otner similar cases The Le
ture has 10 DO with measures iaineI .a 80 en', iLo
tbc opinion Of the undersigned ineXpeneh 20 eng, ~ ct
bin under consideration, to interfere WIN inc "''
therein referred TO- Respectfully sn'In'ngI, s,, HT,
JOiS l.. FLAGG, JANip $3.50 10 ii'H'1
19''',,.',,.i -, a. poctfg JAMES n. NELSON
bON''ieA H. H"'"'' Committee.
TIE MINORITY REPORT-THE REPEAL OF lhL
CLASSIFICATION ACT CALLED FOR
Mr.. Smith NJ. Weed presents minority
report. in whose recommendations Me'sIs' Ll''John
and Baker concur This report recommends lh' pAanso
Of the bin repeating The classification act HsAys tha'
this act was on experiment II was passed upon o a.