The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-16
FROM NORFOLK.

The Pennsylvania Central Railroad and Its
Proposed Southern Connections-Fears and
Protests of southcrn Oities.
Correspondence of the Associated Press
FORTRESS MONROE, Va. Feb. 14.-The mer-
chants and business men of Norfolk and Ports
mouth are very much exercised over a bill which
has been introduced by the Pennsylvania Cen
trail Railroad Company, and is now pending
before the Legislature of Virginia, granting
that corporation the right of way for an airline
road from Washington to Richmond. 1t seems
that the Central has already obtained control
of number of roads south of Richmond,
and 1t now only wants the line from
Washington to Richmond to make
its connections from the cotton
fields of the South to Philadelphia. This scheme
is being warmly advocated by the agents OF the
Central, and as strenuously opposed by the
people in this vicinity, as well as the Old Do
minion Steamship Company and the Baltimore
Steam Packet Company. Whether the bill pass
the Legislature or not is a matter of doubt; but
certain it is that the Central men will leave no
stone unturned to accomplish their object. At
present there is large amount OF cotton and
naval stores received at Norfolk from the South
and Southwest for reshipment to Northern and
European ports. This trade furnishes large
revenue to the lines of railroads leading into
Norfolk and their steamship connections. IL
the Central succeed in getting the bill through,
1t is claimed that this trade will be carried north
by rail TO Philadelphia. and Forfolk VIII lose
more than half of her entire trade. IL is not
strange, therefore, that her business men snould
protest against the passage of the bill and do all
In their power to defeat 1t. IL is claimed by the
friends of the bill that these lines leading into
Norfolk are behind the age, and that a faster
and more direct means of communication be-
tween the North and the vast cotton fields of
the South is needed.
Representatives of the Seaboard and
Roanoke and Norfolk and Petersburg Roads,
and of the Old Dominion and Old Bay Lines of
steamers, are now in Richmond using all their
endeavors against the bill, while the Pennsyl-
vania Central Is equally well represented, and
between them there is lively time.
A meeting of the citizens of Norfolk and
Portsmouth was held in the Opera House last
evening. in opposition to the Pennsylvania Cen
trail road and its encroachments, which was
largely attended by the substantial business men
of those places. Speeches were made by Colonel
William Lamb, President of the Board of Trade,
Colonel j. w. Hinton, John III. Gayle, Esq, and
Others in which the Central was roundly de-
nounced They set forth its present vast con-
nections and Represented what the commerce of
Norfolk would be did 1t but gain its end
A committee of twenty-four was appointed,
representing Norfolk and Portsmouth, to ex-
press the sense of the meeting, who presented
long preamble and series of resolutions, setting
forth the advantages of the "City by the Sea"
in a commercial point of view, and the great
disadvantage she would labor under were the
bill passed.
rev York Money aad stock msrkst.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16.-Stocks heavy. Money
coupon, li1H; DO 1854. do. n0H do. 1895, DO lleN
do. is6b new, l0s%; do 1851. Ito; do. 1858. 1l0x
iO-4Os, hoy; Virginia IS, new, 81; Missouri SO.
9O16; Canton Co., T2A; Cumberland preferred % /;