The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-24
lor, and committed himself beyond re-
demption to the bill.

.
Mr. Taylor, of Norfolk, asked the sena-
tor from Bland (hfr. French) whether he
was In favor OF free railroad law?
Mr.. FRENCH; Yes. sir. -.
MIR. TAYLoR:(I would then ask the Sena.
tor If he favored or voted tor the road from
Covington to Harrisonburg?
Mr. FRENCH: / don't think was present
When TINT bill was discussed.
Mr.. LATHAM: Yes, sir, you were, and
spoke twice against it. I'll
Mr. FRENCH: don't remember opposing
any railroad bill. -
MIR. TAYLOR: Several Senator's certainly
remember your opposition to It.
MIR. LATHAM: He certainly did vote
ag ,inst it. 60
DOUBLE GAME.
Mr.. PENN again obtained the floor, and
said that when he had before spoken he had
not, as had the succeeding speakers, ad-
dressed himself to the merits of the ques-
ton, but to the amendment Of the Senator
from Grayson. The question is! "Does the
Pennsylvania Central Railroad Company
propose, and are they able to- carry out,
this amendment in good faith?' He begged
to inquire of the Senator from Bland whe-
ther the Shenandoah Valley railroad would
not pass through his section, and whether
the friends of that road were not depending
upon the Pennsylvania Central railroad to
build that road?. Do they intend to build
that and the Norfolk and Great Western
railroad also, or are they playing double
game? 1t is said that the Pennsylvania
Central, by building the N. & G. W.,
will get in rear of the consolidated line and
secure the valuable traffic from the South
and Southwest. Does not the Shenandoah
Valley railroad have the same objects? If
so, will both be built? Obviously not. If
they get to Morristown, Tenn, they can
have no possible object in getting to Bris-
tol. One or the other promises must be
| broken. They will
PROMISE ANYTHING,
and when promises are so recklessly made
can we believe them made in good faith !?
| Is it probable. either, that they will in good
! faith promise to build a road over coun-
try they have never surveyed, and know
nothing in the world about? Is it not
strange that they should for four votes in
the Senate sincerely promise to embark into
such rash and probably unremunerative
venture?
THE FRAUD is TOO PALPABLE,
and should not deceive any man who thinks
for himself. In behalf Of his people, he
protested against being put in the power of
this unscrupulous corporation. He ap-
pealed to the Senate to save them from the
infliction of this amendment, which bears
the evidence of swindle so palpable upon
its face.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
He then noticed another objection to the
amendment. 1t is a matter of serious doubt
whether it is constitutional, as, if adopted,
the bill as amended would embrace more
than one object, which is expressly forbid
ben by the Constitution.
Mr.. ROLLER At the proper time we pro-
pose to amend the title Of the bill.
Mr.. Penn That will not make the mat
ter any better. Whether you amend the
title Or not, the bill as amended will have
two or more separate and distinct objects.
The title does not alter the case. Nearly
the whole bill is taken up with provisions
in regard to a proposed railway between
Washington and Richmond, and here, near
the end, is an agreement that the Penn
sylyania Central Railroad Company, sepa-
rate and distinct from the Washington and
Richmond Railway Company, proposes to
guarantee the bonds of still another COM
pany-the Norfolk and Great Western. He
asked, therefore, also, that the amendment
he rejected on the ground of its doubtful
constitutionality.
MR.. HERNDoN COMES OUT.
Mr. HERNDoN replied to MI. Penn, deny
ing that the amendment would be uncon-
sttutional; held that the guarantee could
be maintained in the courts, and became
enthusiastic as to the management and sue
cess Of the Pennsylvania Central Railway
Company.
A QUESTION OF HISTORY.
MIR. SNowDEN, of Alexandria, rose to a
question of history. The Senator from
Bland (Mr. French had said he was in
favor OF railroads everywhere. He desired
to call his attention to a certain page in the
Journal of 1S69-'70, upon which his name
was recorded as voting in the negative (and
he was one Of the few upon the passage of
the bill chartering the Harrisonburg and
Covington railroad.
Mr.. FRENCH acknowledged the fact, but
said it had escaped his memory. There
were peculiar circumstances in that case.
That road was competing road to the
Chesapeake and Ohio, and he thought
there was no necessity for it. Besides, the
interest Of the State was not secured.
A GENTLE REMINDER.
Mr.. SNowDEN said he only wished to re-
mind the Senator Of his past course in rail-
road affairs. He would also remind the
Senator Of the time when he (Mr. French)
had so warmly espoused the cause of the
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad in
the consolidation war. He had then most
eloquently warned the opponents of the
bill to beware of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company, which, like the high
wayman upon the Apprentices, demands
Virginia's money or her life. Had the Sena-
tor since changed his views as to the danger
of admitting foreign corporations to Vir-
ginia? a.
Mr.. sNowDEN then paid his respects to
MIR. Herndon, and was gratitied that that
gentleman had come to the conclusion that
Virginia was rich and prosperous, notwith.
standing his doubts as to her ability to pay
her debts. He then spoke in a vein of with