The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-09
LOCAL MATTERS.
THE MALONE INVESTIGATION.
OF ISAAC ID. BUDD
AND JOHN LYON.
How the Railroad King" Spurnec
the Proposition. 7
He Takes q Night for Reflection,
and is Open TO Overtures.
SECOND DAY-MoRNING SESSION.

SECOND DAY-MORN1NG SESslON.
The special committee appointed by the
House of Delegates, undera resolution to
inquire into certain charges made, that the
control of the Richmond and Peters burg
railroad had been offered to Gen. Malone
upon certain conditions, continued their IN
.vestigation Yesterday morning Mt . O'Clock.
Present: Messrs. Daniel, (Chairman),
Smith, Boiling, and Popham.
Mr.. Isaac D. Budd, member from Lou
+doun, was the only witness examined: T.,
BY Mr.. Daniel Please state if You know
of any proposition being made to General
Malone, pending the bin commonly called
the PENNSYLVANIA Central bill, to the effect
that if he would relnquish opposition there
to the friends OF said bill would secure to
him possession or control of the Richmond
and Petersburg Railroad-and if so, who
made said proposition, what were its con-
dltions, by what means was said possession
to be accomplished.
A. I know of no proposition that was
made directly for the purpose OF inducing
General Malone to withdraw his opposi.
ton to that bill. I do know, however, Of
q proposition made by Col. Walter Wood
and myself, with the hope of reuniting
what is known in the Legislature rs the
consolidation party and which was di-
vided upon that bill. That might indirect
lv have been proposition for that purpose.
Col. Walter Wood and myself met by ap-
pointment with Col. Walter Fl. Taylor, Of
the Senate, for the purpose OF attempt
ing a reunion. And endeaVoring to effect
such reunion. the first difficulty that
presented itself in the accomplishment
of that purpose was the Washington and
Richmond railway bill, and the greater
part of the night was spent in the discus
sion of that subject. During the interview
we visited General Malone and there made
the proposition that the Pennsylvania rail
road, or any one in their interest, should be
forever excluded by a suitable provision in
the bill from any control, directly or indi.
rectly, in what is known as the Coast line
from Richmond South, and in making that
proposition we believed we had sufficient
authority from the Pennsylvania railroad.
When it was objected that no provision
could be drawn up which would be suf-
ticiently binding, General Malone was
provision that would be binding. lie re-
piled that he could. lie was then asked to
do 50, and replied that he would first desire
TO see whether the purpose in riew-vlz:
the reunion of his friends, who had divided
about evenly upon this bil-could be ac-
complished thereby. 1t soon became EVIL
dent that it could not, and one of the party
then present, and possibly both, stated to
Gen. Malone and Col. Taylor, and also to
Gen. Terry, who had then been sentfor, that
although We could not pledge the Legisla-
ItIre OF Virginia, we could and would
pledge ourselves individually, for the pur-
pose of accomplishing so desirable an enc, TO
vote in the House Of Delegates, and use our
influence therein, to have the stock of the
Richmond and Petersburg railroad sold to
General Malone for the Atlantic, Missis-
sippi and Ohio railroad. The object for
which we met having failed, / consider
that pledge then made with that view no
longer binding upon me-, These PROPOSE
lions were kindly received and carefully
considered by all the parties, and, in my
all believed that they were made
with kindly intentions towards General
Malone, and saw no evidence to lead me
to believe that he esteemed these PROPOSE
tons as improper, nor, in my judgment,
was his refusal of them positive, but, on
the contrary, had the purpose of our inter-
|view been accomplished-yiz: the reunion
of the consolidation party-1 did believe
that they would have been accepted.
The committee then arose to meet again
in the afternoon at o'clock