The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-17
tlommunicated.1


asked for by the Richmond and Washing
ton Railroad Company reflected on the con-
sequence of rejecting their application
The consequence would be simply this
they would then apply for general rail-
road law, and they loouId get it,. The people
cannot be banked in this matter OF rail-
roads, free railroads, and plenty of them."
Enquirer and Examiner, Feb. 10th. ..
Such are the terms in which this minion
of Pennsylvania corporation assumes to
lecture and threaten the Legislature Of our
State. Give what we demand, or we will
take what we please, You are at our
mercy. We win apply for a general rail-
road law, and will "get at!"a
When Legislature of Virginia, or q
large number, perhaps majority, of its
members, are come to this pass--to be
thus bearded and bullled by foreign rail-
road lobbyists and pensioners, without as
suming the existence of those corrupt prac-
tices which are now matter of grave In
quiry-it cannot be denied that they are
bowling very low before the vulgar intiu-
ence of money. Whittier has its ancient
spirit fled-whither its dignity, it's selfre-
spect, and those Of the people it is supposed
to represent?
Yet these adyenturers have had great
deal to encourage them; for the first thing
which strikes the unsophisticated mind,
used to survey things from the point Of
view once common In Virginia, is the breach
of faith involved in the scheme of the
Pennsylvania party, and the active,
avowed participation of its supporters
in carrying it out. The Virginia
company, whose destruction they openly
seek, was organized on what was once
deemed sacred-the faith of the State. It
was honestly organized, and, as none will
deny, has been always honestly conducted
To-day its own faith towards the State an6
all others stands as pure and unsullied as
chastity itself. 1t has never asked the Le-
gislatllre to legalize fraud for its benefit.
The stockholders, having invested their
money on the promise of the State to re-
spect the rights thus acquired, and they
having confessedy fulfilled all these corre-
lative obligations, their property in their
stock is as much under legal protection as
any other property, the title to which has
been granted by the State-as tract ofland,
for instance. ALI property is subject to the
sovereign right Of eminent domain, and it
is not denied that for sufficient public ne
cessity or expediency, the Legislature may
charter railroad company (where it has
not tied its hands by any self-imposed re-
strictions) to construct a rival road through
the same country occupied by previously
existing improvement. But where no such
necessity nor expediency is pretended to
eXist-where the road asked to be char
tered alongside of the existing road is con-
fessedly never to be built-where the ma
chiery of legislation is plainly employed to
depreciate nay, destroy-the property OF
the stockholders in the existing company,
who does not detect the palpable confusion
of might and right, or not see the point at
which right and justice and good faith end,
and wrong, injustice, and contiscation be-
gin? Add to this that valuable interest
of the State itself is made the subject of this
destructive experiment, and that its avowed
object is to invite foreign capital within oul
borders-capital invited by breach Of pub
lie faith to an existing investment
If this were time when the voice o
reason and justice could be heard, instruc
tion might be derived from the calm ant
dispassionate expressions of the judiciar!
on this subject. Deprecating the wantor
and unnecessary exercise Of this power te
create such rival and conflicting interests
the Court of Appeals says: "Eyery prin
cipIe of sound policy, indeed, forbids that
this should be done, or that 1t should bs
done without securing some indemnify tt
those who suffer by such legislation u
g Flourishing towns, which have risen t.
wealth and importance on the faith of pub
lie law, by being made port of entry, sinl
into insignifcance upon the removal Of theil
custom-houses to more favored spots.'
"This sport with human prosperity ant
happiness cannot be too much reprobated,'
&c. ,...s,@ ...g, COUNTRY.