The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-11


prise at the views which he had enuncisted
on these amendments, after stating that hs
mad not made up his mind on the merits Of
the bill..es G.s
no" THE Low FARE BUSINESS Is MANAGED.
Mr. THOMAS said all whoare familiar with
ranroad management know that competing
corporations are frequently obliged to bring
uo"n their fares and heights between the
1ermllni, and make it up by excessive
charges on way transportation and way
travei. This is what this gigantic corpora.
tlon Will have to do, and we now ask some
guarantee that it will not. We merely ask
them to show us what we are to gain by
allowing this invasion of our State, and we
are charged with attempting to make an
UNJUST discrimination. He repelled the
charge Of inhospitality. These people were
not invited here.
| RAILROAD INVASION.
They have invaded our soil, and 1t is
right to repel the invasion. The change
proposed by Mr.. Crenshaw is reasonable
and proper. Go North, where great lines
exist and competition has brought down
fares, and we find the average cost to be
about two cents per mile and yet they
claim that we are unjust at fixing the rate
at three and hail: Are our people to
have no guarantee whatever that they are
not to be plundered by the monstrous cor
poration that is now spreading consterna-
ton throughout our borders by its mere
appearance in the halls of legislation?
| WHAT IS THAT CORPORATION?
w hence comes it What Is its history?
What are its claims upon us? Organized
in 1853, it at first consisted of only seventy
miles of road in one State, and was known
as the Pennsylvania Central. Since that
time it has been striding onwards until now
the company controls nearly five hundred
miles of track in the State of Pennsylvania,
and this, together with roads that they
have leased for ninety-nine years, or have
managed to direct, make sum total of not
less than one thousand miles. Extending
beyond the limits of Pennsylvania, it first
invaded the Great West, stretching to the
great lakes on the north, and to the Mis-
souri, and Mississippi rivers on the west.
This vast domain under its control, 1t now
seeks to pcrmeate the South, and aims at
putting Virginia like Pennsylvania under
its iron heel.
ATTEMPT TO sUBSIDIZE THE LEGISLATURE.
For the first time, we have the spectacle
presented of a powerful foreign corpora
tion engaged in an open attempt to SUD-
sidize our Legislature, rs it has that oil It's
tnative State. 1t stalks through the Capltol
of Pennsylvania and dictates laws TO both
branches of her General Assembly. Its
victory there now is complete and acknoW-
lodged. Shall we ever have the same thing
to say of Virginia? With the career OF
this monstrous corporation written before
our very eyes, are we to stand ldle ana al-
low our beloved State to be humlllated-to
kneel in suppliant obedience at the feet OF
the Pennsylvania Central Railroad COM
pany? No. even if laws are as cobWebs,
let us bind these people as fast US we can.
Let us meet this issue like Virginians-llke
linen. Let us have no more of this opposl-
tion to few guarantees that this company
Twill fulfil its promises and restrictions upon
its hitherto unobstructed course.
DISCRIMINATION FOR VIRGINIA.
It is said that we discriminate. so, we
discriminate in favor of our belofed old CON-
monwealth, and no member 6fthis House
should be opposed to such 'diserimination
as that. repeat that thisiEaforeign cor
poration it is an outside concern !; it came
here uninvitcd. If it touches our soil, it IS
Just, it is right, it is fair, that we should
take its officers at their own word, and see
to it that they charge no more for carrying
a passenger mile than they say they can
afford to do it for. Let us do something
before we are oyerslaushed, overwhelmed,
and subsidized, as are the Legislatures OF
some of our sister States.
Mr.. PoPHAM inquired whether the gen.
tleman thought that bringing the fare one
cent lower per mile on the new road would
save the State from such an untinely fate
| MONEY THE OBJECT.
Mr.. THOMAS replied If the rates are so
| low that they can't make money out of us
they will let us alone. This corporation
comes here uninyited-as m intruder, if
not as trespasser-it has no claims upon
our hospitality, and /, for one, say that if
it enters my doors it must enter ON my own
terms.
| NR. KELLY QUOTES THE RECORD.
| Mr.. KELLY here read from Mr.. George b.
Reberts's testimony before the Committee
on Roads, as reported by his own pho
nographer:
Il am familiar with the operation Of rail-
roads and their charges. paid ;! to come
| from Washington to Richmond. We think
the Camden and Amboy charges arc high,
and they charge 50 % from PhiIadelphia. to
New York. l suppose a fair charge for
passengers between Washington and Rich
mond would be S3.25."
owe increase the number Of passengers
by diminishing the rates. Our experience
is that our receipts have increased by low
ering the rates. Some Of the local poSsen-
gers are carried as looo as cent a n11te."
SHALL We REJECT RoBERTs's TERMS?
Here, said Mr. KELLY, is the formal offer
of certain terms by the president of this
railroad, and shall we reject those terms?
I do not regard three cents per mile sutfi-
cient compensation, but l will not under
take to put my limited experience in rail-
road affairs against that of such an expert
as George B. Roberts. This is no ordinary
application for a charter. 1t is the first
time that we are invited to assist in divert
ling trade from its natural channel, and send
from the South to the North. The induce
ments should be great to make the General