The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-18

and its rolling stock and other property be
longing to 1t be purchased, for S3,GG0,000i
but Kaefned no price for the stock of nysc.
and friends, aud certainly never presumed K
offer 10 sell any other stock.
"In one respect Mr.. Roberts correctly repre-
sents ME. I mean as regards my refusal tc
consent to lease of the Richmond, Fred
ericksburg and Potomac railroad to the
Alexandria and Fredericksburg and Balti
more and Potomac Railroad Companies
Can there, indeed. be imagined anything
more prcposterous than the idea Of leasing G
we'll built and well-equipped railroad, free
of all embarrassment, to two other rail-
roads--one not (or scarcely begun. and The
other not half finished, and Of which few, il
any, persons know who the proprietors are
may add that should not have considered
such lease much improved by guarantee
Of the officers Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company-a guarantee given so extensively
and for such immense amounts as to impair
greatly not only lis value, but with thought
iul men that of the stock Of the Pennsylvania
railroad also.
"You are at liberty to make any use OF this
you see tit. Very truly, yours,
IN. ROBINSON.
"P. ?. Daniel, Jr., Esq, President Richmond
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
Company"
EMr. Robinson's affidavit, to the above,
made before Fl. Tunisson, notary public oil
Philadelphia, is appended to the above
"PHIIADELPH1A, Pa, 7th January, 1871.
"Pe.er 2. Daniel, Jr., Esq, President:
"Dear Sir,-Since writing you last eve
ming have the Richmond Dispatch Of yes
terday, in which observed somefurther ex.
traordinary statements Of Ifr. George W.
Roberts to the Committee Of Roads. One
is that I said 1 controlled the vote of the
company {; another, where, in reply to the
inquiry Don't you know that Mr.. Biddle
represents the English stockholders?' p he
says, L do not. Mr. Robinson told me be
controlled them.' In another place he says,
We did not know the Richmond, Frede.
r;ckSburg arW Potomac Railroad Company.
We only knew Mr. Moncure Robinson. who
said he was the road.' Now, such expires
sions as Mr.. Roberts ascribes to me were
Rerer used by me in my conversations with
him, or any words more nearly approaching
10 them than my saying on one or more oc.
casions to MeSsrs. Scott and Roberts that
and my sons represented most Of the Fb,a.
delphia stock, and A-. Thomas 4. Bsddle
and nysf the English stockholders, and
that these two interests constituted O Ma.
.ioritv at the meeting Of stockholders.
"rbe enclosed letter shows, think, that
SIR. Roberts, in July last, considered Nir
Bitldle as well Is myself representative Of
large interests in the company, and tha,
though now he deems il very simple affair
to procure the funds to build railroad in
fifteen or eighteen months, alongside an ex
iSting one, between Qmnico creek and Rich
mond, he then thought the aid Of Mr. Biddle
and myself very desirable to fix for him one
hundred thousand dollars of the bonds
issued TO build the portion between Quanticc
aud Alexandria to enable him 10 l;ush III,
uork.' | did not consider the bonds sat,
investment, or one to be recommended, rest
ing as they did OH no capital stock paid in
but it appears from Mr. Robers'S statement!
TO the committee that 100000 in amount o
The bonds have been since taken by tht
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company.
~ enclose herewith my affidavit to tht
contents of my letter to you Of yesterday
and will make affidavit on this to the state
ments contained in it before milling it to
you. Very truly, yours,
m. ROBINSON"
IThe affidavit to tho above, m1de befor
II. Tunisson, notary public OF Philadelphia
is appended
The following is Mr.. BiddIe's letter to Nj
Robinson, which was also read:
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD OFFICE, ]
"JuIy 80, 1870.
"i|f0ncure Robinson, Esq:
"Dear Sir,-Roberts told INC to-day tha
he wanted to have you and liH for him on
hundred THOUSAND dollars in the bonds c
their road. and it was necessary for him t
know soon that we could place them, as b
wanted TO push the work under contract Il
once. If this could be done he had cout
dcnce in arranging theothe matters, and Ii
would then have occasion to talk to me abou
another matter. / write you at once at hi
request. Would it not be well to have tn
mortgage forwarded to your brother for hi
examination, or will you wait until the col
tract accompanies it.
"Yours, respectfully,
"THoNAs 4. BIDDLE."
7 had written to Philadelphia a remol
STRANGE with Mr.. Roberts against tll
proprietY Of his engineers making survey
south of Quantico creek, the point of june
ton between bis Alexandria and Frederick:
burg railroad and the Richmond, Frederick,
burg and Potomac road agreed on with h
agents, Lincoln and Segar, in Decembe
| 1869. and in consequence of this n
monstrance he had sent special me-
scnger to his engineers ordering thcl
70 discontinue those surveys; whic
they did. Yet, at this examination of hin
in 1871, before the House committee, unde
oath he said he was not aware of this fac
| Whereupon read to the committee Il lette
from Mr.. Thomas 4. Biddle informing n
that "Mr. Roberts had notified the eng
necrs to cease the surveys inquired about y
and that letter l am now prepared to pre-
| duce again, with other proofs to the sau
| effect. And this is the witness whose test
mony is now cited to prove that Dir. Alol
cure Robinson offered TO do what was IL
only absurd but impossibtst
Judge Crump: point to this. Dir. Chai
man, to show that the statement OF Rober
is denied by Dir. Moncure Robinson, is pr
posterous upon its face, and wholly falls
The Pennsylvania railroad had not then d
veloped the
| INDUSTRIOUS SCHEMES DISCLOSED.
1t had not made that struggle before Il
Legislature in 1871 which proved its objc
| 10 he to subject all the southern roads to i
domination and to put Virginia and h'
cities at its feet. And while Dir. Robinso
could have sold bis stock to these people the
at n most favorable price, he stands no
holding this Fredericksburg road to preveI
their grasping and savage paw from seizin
1.-THE last buIwark against their rapacity.
I pass from that now to the considerable
of another topic presented by Lyon, and
will prove that Mr.. Robinson is powerle;s
| if he had the will, to sacrifice the Fred'
ricksburg to the Seaboard road ond Bay Lin
The owners OF the stock of the seaboar
and Bay Line are not the owners of Il
/ 49, hmm r.nnd-tha Dl