The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1872-12-30
HORSE Cars ACROSS THE ISLAND.

IL congress Is determlned 70 pa9e ~
at all, nearly everybody, on both SIDES OF
the river, insists that it shall be bill CIV
;no aopal r;gbts m all horse railroads on
both sides of the river, each company
usinV il pavips its share towards building it
and lseping it in repair; and no other
n.,s;cs should be included in the grant
.sd that the route should be defined in
the bill as by the shortest and most direct
line from the city of Rock Island to DAY.
export, etc Also that a section should be |
added providing that Fort Armstrong
Avenue and the bridges shall be free to
the people, without passes, and at all
hours of the day and night, except to such
loads etc as may be dangerous to the pub
lie property. If any bill shall be passed
it viii have to embody these provisions in
order to meet with public approval.
The Hawley-Robinson bill is open to
many and serious objections. For instance
What right has THE Rock Island 4 Moline
Horse Railroad Go" to run cars outside
the State of Illinois? Or to become
stakeholder in another corporation? What
right has The Davenport City Railway
Co TO run cars in Illinois, or to become Il
stakeholder in another corporation? These
two companies and Spencer 4 Robinson
are all the parties named in the Hawley-
Robinson bill Ii, then, the city railways
have no right 10 run cars outside the
limits named in their own charters, or
To become stockholders in other corpora
tons, what would re the effect Of passing
the Hawley- Robinson bill? Why, simply
t. give Spencer K Robinson a monopoly Of
the whole business And Mr.. llawley
probably is lawyer enough t. know that he
is engaged in little job to secure the
Poor Heirs monopoly Of the business
over the Island. And If, after securing
this bill, Spencer Il Robinson can prevail
upon the President, OF the Secretary Of
War or the C1mman liant Of the Island t.
shut the people IA from Il free passage
over the Island and bridges, why the
Poor Heirs would have pretty nice thing
of Itch?
The Hawley Robinson bill also contains
a section under which man, who happen,
20 he in front Of car with his team aud
. Les not or cannot drive fast enough OF
. sara ou' quick enough to suit the whin III
spite % : ,me car driver or conductor, can
I've arrested and taken keokuk OF Chica
/. ana tried and fined in the I. ), Court
Thi, is a very Objectionable feature in the
bill-the municipal courts Of the city ii
which ANY obstruction to the ears occur,
should be suthcien, t. protect the rights oi
the railroad-with an appeal to the State
courts. The clause as it stands is all righ
for the railroad-6ut it is the business o.
Congress, and Of Congressman who arr
not owned by corporations, to look cut fo
the protection Of the people first
But it is very doubtful whether an.
grant Of a right t. run horse ears aoros
the Island would be desirable sylvan
Water bridge is rather narrow for a doubl
p track railway, and the causeway is so mar
, row that it would be dangerous. II sa
0 nothing of its Inconvenience to teams am
y the public generally. The long causewa
from Sylvan Water bridge to the Islam
= has no railing, and double track railwa
IS upon it would render the passage very in
n convenient and dangerous for teams
is Horses shy at street cars, sometimes, an
V in case of that sort, ON the causeway,
l. would be pretty certain death to team an
e driver. On Fort Armstrong Avenue
e double track railway would be a nuisanc
e to teams, forcing them upon the leas
v desirable parts Of the avenue or into tn
# gutter
Il There is also another and probably
e fatal objection 70 any horse railroad acrOs
the Island 1t Is this; The bridge owe
the main channel of the river, called Roc
: Island Bridge, was built by the c., r. /.
:, ?. R. r. Co, and the United States, III
der a contract that no other railroad sha
'' have the right to cross or use this brida
= without first paying its proportion Of ii
I cost of building it. Congress cannot, hon
~ Oraby, violate its own contract. 1t wOuI
Il be an act of bad faith towards the c., Il.
, 4 p. r. r. Co. on the part of the Unite
!, States, to permit the use Of this bridge
y any other railroad company without su,
" company first being required to pay
proper proportion of its cost. This, '
:, understand, in the view taken Of the ma
* ter by Gen. Logan, chairman of the Sc
v ate Committee on Military Affairs-and
IL this be true it is not likely that any bill
no any kind can become law
R. OF course the horse railroads on bo
& sides of the river will be connected wi
in the c., r. l. & p R. r. depots in DO
n cities. If, then, the c., r. |. 4 p. r.
at Co. should put on dummy car and r
elk two, three, or four trips an hour betwe
is the cities, there would be no necessa
nh for any horse railroad at all, and a
b. such road, if authorized by Congre
IL would be enjoined by the courts from III
ID ming, as it would be an Infringement of t
be contract between the C., r. l. & p. X.
rs. Co. and the United States.
IN 1t is quite plain, therefore, that no hol
railroad is needed, and that none would
its permitted, by the courts, if granted by
ow of Congress The best thing Congr
nd can do will be to refuse to grant the ril
S a for any road at all-but pass an act OPP
BILE ing the road aud bridges to public u
under such restrictions as may be
cessary for the safety of the public proper
ne We understand that Col Flagler is C.
III sidering a bill, which may perhaps be
c"l fered in Congress- providing for the f
-, use of the bridges and avenue across
Dis Dis Island by the public at all hours Of {
'ne and night, without passes, and with
on restrictions except as to hay, straw etc. w
of loads of anything which would REM
4oo,n ,,naa4a