The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-07
Ne War on the Petersburg Road.
.,uTHEN INTESTIG 4 TIN q
COMMITTEE.
EtGl.G THE MUSIC.


ll, enemy orhrihery and corruption, Major
p,>rrl. pf.Lyucbhurg, learing in his hand
.hr following preamble and resolution,
,,l,rh ,,n offered for the consideration of
fa. House:
ANOTHER INVESTIGATION ASKED FOR. -
"W'hcrcuS il was stated in debate on the
!, .o~ rf this House. on Friday and Satur-
..y list. taat pending the controversy upon
The passage oi bill to amend the charter
,i the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Rail
s,.d Company in such manner as to secure
g. continuous railroad connection from the
,..j of the Long bridge opposite Washing
,,v r!,y, through Richmond and Danfllle
. Bristol, aud 10 construct branch there
a. the proposition was made to Gen. "m.
N4A1ilr. president Of the Atlantic, MlsslS-
>.rr. and Ohio Railroad Company. that II
ne and hi friends would withdraw his op-
lu-iiitn to said bill! the friends of said bill
ly,uII secure to him control of the Rich
m nlnI and Petersburg Railroad Company !;
.gl whereas there has been no divulgence
81 ;ae names Of the persons alleged to have
1ltrir said proposition and whereas 1t has
l,nu rlmorcd and stated, outside OF the
House. that members Of this House were
tn" parties who made the proposition, and
Iha' il was meant and known TO be intend
,i that such possession Or control was TO
be- secured through the acts OF the General
\ >>einhly, and that the proposition was in
ii naully Scorned and Spurned by General
Mllpnp; therefore DC it
I.>cIcod, That Il special committee OF i've
I've appointed and instructed to inquire
l.>,. whether or not the proposition above
referred 10, or any proposition of similar
or kindred nature. was made by any per-
~,g whatsoever to Gen. Malone, or to any
on acting in the interest Of the Atlantic,
Mississippi and Ohio Railroad Company ;
second. il any proposition of the kind men,
Toned WAS made, who were the persons
who made il.
WHY THIS SHOULD BE DONE.
Nr. DANIEL said no speech was necessary
IN support OF his proposition. 1t had been
twice stated on this iloor that a corrupt
proposition had been made to General Ma
hone in regard 10 the Washington and
i;ichmond railway bill, and it had been ru.
lnored outside that that proposition had
been made
EY 4 MEMBER OF THIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The object was simply to get at the truth
cf the matter, and if any were guilty, to
ehow who they We're.
"BAEKIs wILLIS.'
Mr. AESETT, who in his speech Satur'
had made the statement referred to in
the preamble, reiterated it, and said that
for his part he was not only willing but
uaNip1Is that un investigation should be
had. il there was any doubt about it.
Mr.. HESsLEY seemed to be in doubt about
the necessity OF IN investigation.
PoP EN-
Mr.. PoruAM having understood Mr.
IIENSLEY to intimate that the Committee or
B:ihcCy and Corruption now in session wa:
empowered TO inquire alone what improper
means had been used to secure the passage
Of the Washington and Richmond railway
bill, said he pitied the ignorance OF the
man who did not know that there wa:
every reason to believe that as much undue
influence had been used to secure the de
feat rs the passage Of the bill.
Mr.. HESsLEY explained that he had no
meant to make such an intimation.
Mr. PoPuAM then addressing himself tx
the resolution under consideration, sale
that. while he was not personally cognizan
of the facts, he felt assured that if the com
mittcc was appointed an investigation
would disclose
VERY DIFFERENT PRESENTATION OF FACT!
from that indicated in the remarks Of tht
gentleman from Clarke Mr.. Arnett]. He
thought it would appear that if any prOpo
sition of the nature referred to had beer
made
IT ORIGINATED WITH TIE PERSONAL FRIENDS
OF GENERAL MAHoSE. .
who were also friends of the Washington
and Richmond railway bill, and that no
proposition of the kind had been "indig
nantly scorned and spurned by the Presi.
dent Of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
railroads. The parties in negotiation were,
in all probability, not gentlemen who would
submit any corrupt proposal, nor were they
accustomed to having their business plans
spurned and spit upon by anybody. .... s
WANTED TIE SIMPLE TRUTH. t
Ir. DANIEL said he did not seek to con-
yict or clear anybody, but to get at the
truth Of this matter. He was member o
this House, and as long as 1t was rumored
that corrupt propositions had been made
by members Of this body to the president
Of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio rail
road, the taint was upon all. A chain i;
Judged by its weakest link. Why should
we shrink from this investigation, when il
IS 10 The interest OF every man in the House
|or Delegates that the corrupt members
Should be exposed. The country would
look anXiously to see who lodges question
OF this kind. A committee Of investigation
is already at work--thc machinery is already
ii. hand-why not let it take cognizance o
This mattcrs s@
Mr.. BCDD suggested that the resolutions
be amended by requiring the appointment
Of special committee to investigate the
charges under consideration. The amend
ment was accepted.
The question being upon the adoption oi
the preamble and resolutions, the yeas and
nays were called, and they were adopted
by the following vote: r.ss. a4,s - as
F., Yeos.-Messrs. Bagwell, Bartlett, Bowen,
bradley, Bristow, Lewis Fl. Bryant, VIM
A. Bryant, Buchanan, BuddJ 1Bnlman
Burkholder, Campbell, Clark, Cochran
Cox, Crenshaw, Daniel, Davis, Fayerman,