The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-16

that Is, as organized in Roberts's pockets,
with all the frauds that have been proven.
1t asks the Legislature to retrace their
steps, and to declare by the law-making
power of the land that I, Geo. B. Roberts,
am legal corporation. am afraid of the
courts. ] can't show that have compiled
with the laws of 1894 and 1870. know
haven't done it. / cannot maintain the le.
gauty Of this organization in legal forum,
and therefore beseech you, as the omnipo-
tent authority in this State, that you will
declare what the courts have not the power
to do. That is what he says, gentlemen.
We, on our part, ask you to send him away
again. Tell him, as you said in 1870, go
and comply with the law, and then come,'
If YOU choose, and ask for charter for a
road from Fredericksburg to Richmond,
and we will consider it.
THE ATTEMPT TO GET VIRGINIA ROADS UNDER
THE CONTROL OF PENNSYLVANIA IN
TEREsTs.
Let us look to the negotiations between
MIR. Roberts and the Fredericksburg Rail-
road Company. I he liberal offers MIR. Rob-
erts stated in his evidence he had made
were astonishing, and every gentleman
here wondered that Mr.. Daniel. of the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Com
pany, did not accept them. But the cloven
foot was kept behind. He wanted the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail-
road Company to break up connections
established for thirty years, and which
were the subject of contract, and connect
only with the Pennsylvania road. The Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Com
pany was required to break off all its con-
nections, refuse to pro rate with anybody
else, and then the Pennsylvania road might
let it have peace. Not one word of this,
however, was mentioned in Mr.. Rob-
erts's testimony, and more than half
denied in his cross-cXamination, but
vet the contract shows it. This great
line-this great Briarius with its trunk
stretched from Philadelphia to Pitts
burg, 800 miles in length, and with 81
arms stretching out to bring nourishment
to the parent organization, with lines near
ly girdling the continent, needs yet to ap-
propriate these Virginia railroads. Does
any one blame my friend here (alr.
2. Y. DanieD for resisting this immense
monopoly? [Mr. Ould here gave the sub
stance of a letter from Alex. Fl. Stephens,
published in Fridays Dispatch, about the
Georgia railroad denouncing the contract
| by which that road was handed over to the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and
withdrawing from all connection with it,
There was an account also Of a railroad
convocation at Erie, where the proposition
was for a general agreement of all the rail-
roads in the North that there he heavy
rise ofthe rates for passengers and freights.
Unanimous consent was requh ed for its
adoption, but there was one man who re-
fused to agree to it, and that man was one
who has been the raw-head and bloody
bones always stalked before the Virginia
Legisla ture whenever railroad matters are
discusscd-John Garrett, Of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad.
THE Low-FRIGHT JELCsIoN AND TIE FAST
FREIGHT FRAUDS.
As to the matter of low freights, we have
heard here that the Pennsylvania railroad
has 33 railroad dependencies. How does
the power which Nick Biddle, with his
United States bank, had in former days,
compare with such tremendous organiza-
ton as this? 1t is fearful power-a dam
gerous power. 1t has now, as my friend
says, Legislatures at its command and
judges in its back parlors." 1t has not only
command Of courts, but has command OF
Congress, and will have, sooner or later, the
command of this people. Its influence iss
immense, so concentrated, that while others
in opposition may be looking around, the
act is done, the point achieved. What do
they do? They get possession of majority
of the stock of these roads, and proceed
to draw nourishmcnt from them. Their
revenue last year from the main trunk was
81 900, 900, while the aggregate revenue Of
the thirty-three connecting lines was only
some S7,000,000. You can't find a single
connecting line in which some officer of the
Pennsylvania railroad has not right to run
Il blue line, or a red line, or a sleeping car
line, or telegraph line, by which the reve-
nue. which rightfully belongs to the con-
Meeting road is diverted into the pockets of
these fortunate officials. These officers are
parasites of the connecting roads, twinlng
around them and sapping their prosperity.
All the while, however, the parent trunk
remains green and fiourishing. TO put
it more plainly: Is it safe for Virginia to
have her railroad interests to be controlled
with reference to Pennsylvania interests.
We all agree that if they get this road it is
to be managed in the Pennsylvania interest.
Is that desirable?
VIRGINIA STILL HAS SOME INTERESTS OF HER
OWN.
We have been living in the hope that we
had two twin cities in this State that were
to grow in prosperity together. Do any Of
us think that Mr.. Lincoln, Mr.. Scott, or its
president, MIR. Thompson, who manage this
enterprise, will do so with the de-
sign of consummating the tullness of this
hope? Is it the policy of Virginia to foster
Norfolk II it is, it seems to me plain that
we should oppose any scheme to divert
the products of the southern States from
that port. This is what will be done if the
Pennsylvania railroad gets possession OF
our Virginia roads. They have possession
of the lines in North and South Carolina
and other cotton States, and all they want
is the Virginia road, when they will be
able to carry the produce of the South
through Virginia rs if she were on trestle
over dry ditch. On this through line the
,o;Ir,.d non only aI,nDnrt itca1f hu nha rcrino