The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-15

gigantic corporation which Is avowedly 10
the interests of another city, another State,
and transatlantic line Of steamers from
the port Of Philadelphia; and we call upon
our brethren, from the sea.coast to the
mountains, to aid US In retaining and add
ing to the trade which we, in common
with other Virginia cities, have now or
may hereafter attain by adhering to the
same system which underlies the greatness
of Illinois. New York, Pennsylvania, and
Maryland.
4. Resolued, That we. the citizens OF
Norfolk and Portsmouth and the SUR.
roundi ng country, in mass meeting assem-
bled, do solemnly protest against the grand
scheme of the Pennsylvania Central rail-
road to absorb or divert the carrying trade
Of our State lines and we make this our
earnest appeal to our brethren to help
themselves, to help US, and to save the
State, in this crisis of our history.
5. Resolved, That we thank our Senator
and Representatives for the faithful dis
charge of their duty in this time of pecu-
liar trial, and that copies of these resolu'
tions be sent them as a mark of our ap.
proval.
6. Rcsotued, That the proceedings Of this
meeting be published in the press of this
city.
at mass meeting of the people of Ports
mout. irrespective of party, sect, or condl'
ton, held at Oxford Hall Oh Monday night,
18th instant, the following preamble and re-
solutions were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, we, the citizens of Portsmouth.
having learned that bill is now before the
Legislature of Virginia designed to confer
upon an already powerful corporation with
out the State rights and privileges that, IL
our estimation. will ultimately injure most
severely our common harbor, and blast the
prospects we have cherished of making it
cotton mart and building it up into great
southern commercial depot and a point o.
shipment for the great Southern staples
as well as for the other valuable products
of the South, upon which the commerce
of the country is mainly based; ano
where's, the success Of the scheme proposed
by the Pennsylvania Central railroad and its
aiders and abetters, now before the Legs
lature, will ultimately deprive this port Of
the most important lines of communication
with the old North State, and other States
further south, which we now enjoy ny
means of the Seaboard and Roanoke rail-
road, connecting at Weldon with most
prolific interior, whose trade we are now
enjoying: Therefore,
Be it resolved By the citizens OF Forts
mouth in public meeting assembled, That
we hereby give solemn expression to our
utter disapprobation Of scheme which is
to operate so ruiuously to our commercial
and mercantile interests, by ultimately de-
priving us of the facilities of communica'
ton with rich interior country by means
of the Seaboard road, originally built by
our own efforts.
2. Resolued, That we will heartily c6ope-
rate in any proper manner with our fellow
citizens of Norfolk, whose merchants are,
perhaps, more deeply interested than we
are in the defeat of the proposed ruinous
scheme, designed ultimately to carry the
cotton and other produce of the further
South by an air line to the North, and thus
cut us of from all the benefits of trade
we now enjoy, and which is essential to the
building up of this great seaport of Viz
ginia and the South.
g. Resolred, That our representatives in
the Legislature be earnestly requested to
use every proper effort in their power to
defeat the present bill in the interest of the
rrnusylvauiu Ccura1 r1l1Iruau, which, II
granted by our lawmakers, will result
eventually in closing the warehouses OF
Norfolk and Portsmouth, in driving our
merchants to other localities, and making
the two cities by the sea what Governor
Wise once characterized them, as mere
l." fish towns"
4. Resolved, That we will attend in a
body the meeting now holding in our sister
city, Norfolk, and give them all the aid and
countenance in our power in any and all
measures they may adopt to kill scheme
50 fraught with disaster to us, and which,
in common with them, we feel deep i'll
terest in defeating.
5. RESOLVED, That copy Of this preamble
and resolutions be forwarded to our Sena'
tor and Delegates in the Legislature.
6. RESOLVED, That the Norfolk papers be
requested to publish the proceedings of this
meeting.
A SHARP TR1cK.-Saturday afternoon