The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-09
PENNSYLyAyHA OR VIRGINIA?
Virc in n ms Ch OOSe!

ing to. be president OF the AleXanurla anu
Fredericksburg Railroad Company, in bis
examination before the Committee on
Roads, &c. Of the House of Delegates, was
questioned as to the agreement proposed
by his company to the Richmond, Fredc-
rickShurg and Potomac Company for the
connection and joint operation Of their two
roads; and the original paper so proposed
BY his company was by the President OF
the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto-
mae Company offered in evidence before
the committee, and its genuinencSs proved
by MIR. Roberts'S clerk and his counsel then
present, and admitted by Mr.. Roberts.
At the same time. Mr.. Roberts distributed
among many OF those present a printed
pamphlet purporting to be true copy oil
that agreement. But 4 subsequent COM
parson with the original showed this PAM
phlet to be mutilated and gorblcd copy of
that agreement, with material alterations,
interpretations, aud omissions, among which
was the omission Of THE NAME OF THE FIRST
NAMED PARTY TO THAT AGREEMENT. This
omission, so far as 1t could, would sustain
the denial by Mr.. Roberts of the obvious
meaning and effect Of the agreement as
binding the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Company to exclusive connec-
tions at Washington and Baltimore orith the
railroads controlled by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, and cutting 1t of from
alt connection, arith0ut THEIR consent, ar9h
any other railroads out Of Washington and
p1Jy bn. bo nil IN
| through Baltimore and Philadelphia, in
connection with which it has been run for
more than thirty years.
| At the same time it was stated to the COM
mittce by the President of the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
Company that when the rejection, for the
above-named reasons and others, of this
proposed agreement by his company was
announced by MIR. Moncure Robinson, act
ing in its behalf, early in November, ut his
house, in Philadelphia, to MesSrS. Roberts
l. Scott, both ce-presdents of the Penn
sylrauia Railroad Company, and one [Alr.
Roberts, claiming to be president of the
Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railroad
| Company, in personal fnte7Uicer and DIS
cuSSiOn then and there had with them, a
counter proposition for an agreement rs 4
substitute for theirs, which had been pre-
viously sanctioned by the President of the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
| Company, was then and there read and
rendered to them by Mr. Robinson, and
made the subject of considerable discussion
between the three, and in the presence of
the House committee copy of this coun-
ter proposition for All agreement was shown
to Mr.. Roberts, and lie was asked whether
the statement respecting it, just recitcd,
was not correct.
+ LII repis, le said speaking under oath,
| that he had then17serer seen or heard OF arg
proposition of the kinG," and recently be-
fore the Senate Committee on Roads, DC,
when the same copy of that counter propo-
sition was read to the committee, he volun-
teered to make the same statement respect
ing his previous ignorance Of its existence,
accompanied by the acknowled. d.ment that
be could never be brought to consent to
such an agreement.
| Astonished at this denial Of MIR. Roberts,
the president Of the Richmond, Frede-
ricksburg and Potomac Railroad Company
had Il copy Of the counter proposition read
to the committee in Mr.. RoDerts's presence,
sent to MIR. Moncure Robinson in Phila-
delphia, by whom it was returned to him
with the affidavit annexed TO it as hereinat-
ter given, showing that Mr.. Roberts had
not only "heard Of and seen" this paper,
but had earnestly discussed at aoith Mr..
Robinson in Philadelphia last Nouember!
Of the comparative reliability and accu-
| racy Of these two conflicting statements
under oath, no one could doubt who is
| We'll acquainted with the persons who made
| them. Those who have no such acquaint-
| ance with them will have any such doubt
| readily solved by what has already been
shown and published US to Mr.. Roberts's
mutlated and garbled printed version of
the agreement proposed by. has company,
and to his having also stated under oath
that Mr.. Robinson then and there offered
to sell to him not only the stock of himself
and friends in the Richmond, FreGercks-
burg and Potomac Railroad Company, but
also that Of the State Of Virginia and all
the other stockholders in at, or the 1rhole pro-
perty of the compamy-a statement SO mani
testify absurd and impossible that, even
without the contradiction Of it on oath,
which has been made by Mr.. Robinson and
read to the House committee, no one even
of Mr.. Roberts's partiSans could for mo-
ment believe it but could only wonder at
the recklesSness with which it was made.
II will be seen that this counter PROPOSE
tion proposed by the Richmond, Freder-
icksburg and Potomac Company offered to
the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Rail-
road Company ecery advantage enjoyed by
a1sy other railroad company, and everything
which was requisite for and could perfect
an ali-ral route 6eteoeen Rtchmond and
Washington, to be worked as har1monaouSty
and efficiently as If at scere one road. But
it did not subject the Richmond, Freder.
icksburg and Potomac Railroad Company
to such unlimited control Of the Alexan
dria and Fredericksburg and other Penn
sylvania railroad companies as would make
it mere tributary, TO be acorked solely for
the benefit and Gggramdtzenaera Of Pennsyl- |
uonsa railroads and Pennsylvania cities.
p. V. DANIEL, JR.,
President r., F. & p. r. r. Co.
Proposed agreement for connection De-
ttceen the Baltimore and Potomac and
Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railroad
Companies, Of the one part, and the Rich
molad, Fredericksburg and POt0nadc fdst-
road and Potomac Steamboat Companies,
Df fbp OtbpT mart. ..f -".