The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-11


+ By Mr. WooD: I stated Just now, Mr..
Lyon, that / had called you before
the committee because you were, or
/ believed you were, intimately nc
quainted with the purposes and plans Of
MIR. Walters and his associates, and from
you I expected to learn their purposes and
plans, and that as soon as we were through
with you I intended also to call Gen. Ma
hone before the committee in order to learn
from him the purposes and plans Of the At
lantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad. I
understood you to protest against calling
Gen. Malone to The stand. Please repeat
your protest, in order that it may become
q part of the proceedings of this commit
tee.
A. You misunderstood me. made ~
NO SUCH PROTEST.
have no such protest to make.
Gen. Malone Heard.
Gen. VIM. Malone was then called and
sworn. ......- -.s...-. ..... se ii
BY Mr.. WOOD Will you state your pur-
poses and plans, or the purposes and plans
OF the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Rail-
road Company, in proposing to purchase
the States interest in the Richmond and
Petersburg Railroad9 sri
A. The inquiry which has been made ne.
cessarily involves the reason which has led
the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad
Company to propose to the General
Assembly to become the purchaser of
the States interest in the Richmond and
Petersburg Railroad Company, and since
wide latitude has been taken on the part of
those representing q counter proposition,
I feel it is but just to the committee and
due to the interests which I represent that
the circumstances which have induced the
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Company to
submit this proposition to the General AS
sembly shall be first stated. But q short
time previous to the close Of the last
session of the General Assembly, Mr.. r.
Bridgers, with whom had had but little
acquaintance, knowing him in fact only as
the president of the Wilmington and Wei
don railroad, made visit to me at the city
of Lynchburg, and there, and on that oc-.
casion, stated that he had been to the capt.
tai of Virginia for the purpose of obtaining
the passage of o bill at the hands of this
General Assembly which would allow him
to purchase the States interest in the Rich
moDd and Petersburg railroad that in ap-
preaching members of the Legislature of
Virginia upon this question he was uni
tormly met with the inquiry, elbow viii
this affect the interests committed to Gen.
Mahone?" and for that reason he
had been moved to make this spe-
cial visit to me, desiring my co0pe-
ration in the purpose stated, assuring
me that his only desire was to obtain an in
tercourse with the city of Richmond, and
that he had been, and yet felt, restrained in
the management of his road by the contra
riness of the then existing management of
the Richmond and Petersburg road, as well
as by the
POWER OF THE ROBINSON INFLUENCE
in the State. The reply made to Mr..
Bridgers was that l could not consent that
he or his road, or any authority resident
outside of this State, should control the
road in questlon-the Richmond and Pc
tersburg while would aid him with what
ever influence I might possess to obtain
free and untrammeleG intercourse between
the cities of Virginia and the trade. fields
tributary to the line of roads he represent
ed-stating to him, at the same time, that
the interest which I represented had
experienced similar difficulties from the
Richmond and Petersburg road as
those of which he complained as suf.
fering, and that I was alike opposed
to what is commonly called in the
State the Robinson dynasty, having
reference to the railways under control of
that influence. Mr. Bridgers replied to my
statement that would not consent to his
becoming the purchaser of the State stock
in the Richmond and Petersburg road, or
of his becoming the controller of that road;
that such was not his desire, but that the
control of that road should be in my hands
or Of the interests which l represented
that there was and could be no conflict of
interest between us. So, understanding
Mr.. Bridgers in good faith to desire no
should be so changed, that would it afford
him free and unrestrained intercourse with
Richmond, and foreshadowing no plans be-
yond Richmond northward, L drew bill,
at his instance, if you please, looking to
the sale of the States interest in the Rich
mond and Petersburg road in manner
which would enable the
ATLANTIC, MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO ROAD ALONE
TO BECOME THE PURCHASER.
That bill, forwarded on the next day to
Richmond, directed to Mr.. Bridgers or un-
der cover to q friend, was not brought
before the General Assemblies under
stood, because it was too late in the session
to have it passed. In the meantime, Dir.
Bridgers proposed to buy private stock in
the Richmond and Petersburg road so that,
with the States interest so secured, such
control of the road might be acquired. AT
this interview with Mr.. B., he stated TO me
that the roads which he controlled in North
CaroIina-and there were more than one
named-were controlled by citizens for the
most part resident in Baltimore, naming
as his largest shareholders Mr.. Walters
and Mr.. Newcomer. There were others
named, but these are the two that now
remember. Shortly after this interview l
was called to the city of Petersburg, where
I met in conference, accidentally, and not
by appointment, several gentlemen in refer
ence to this subject-the control of the
Richmond and Petersburg road. At this
interview l remember of those present
MasSrs Rpnhen Ranland md John LYON