The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-22

vested Sl3S, S,33S33.3at in stock Of The Old Bay
Line of steamers S3T5, 900 IN the Raleigh and
Castor railroad-both foreign corporations--
aud an unknown amount in the Camden and
A,nbov railroad. of New Jersey, according
to n statement made by Mr. Robinson him.
self.
Mr.. Robinson: That Is no! true. / never
said SO.
Mr.. Lyon: Well, the gentleman is in the
room who heard YOU say so. Since last FIJI
day sent Dir. William +. Hinton to Nor
folk to the Office of the Scaboard and Roa-
nokc Railroad Company to get certain re.
ports and information, but he was told by
the subordinates there that he could apply to
Mr.. Robinson for them. But we have got
some Of them without Mr.. Robinson's as
siStauce, and in spite Of him. Here IS this
company that has tripled its capital stock by
Watering it from time to time has invested
large sums in foreign enterprises, and stu
PAYS dividends of per cent. on the stock
thus 1rip'cd, equivalent To "a per cent. on
The original capital invested. 1t Is strange,
too, that the stock OF the Raleigh and Gas
ton Railroad Company, bought With the
money OF the Scaboard and Roanoke Com
p,ny, does not appear upon the BOOKS IN It's
name. II is hidden there under the names
Of different individuals. The Robinson
family is we'll represented. Mr.J. NJ. Rohltl-
son has 37S shares, and MIR. Moncure Robin
son $50 shares. Other Rohinsons have shares,
but | know little about them. None OF the
shares, however. appear in the name OF the
Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad Company;
nor does the name of the City of Norfolk ap-
pear rs Il stockholder.
Where does all this money come from
which, ere this, would have placed the dlvl-
dcnds above the limit of fifteen per cent
fixed by the Legislature but tor this water
ing Of stock and these foreign investments!
1t colnes out of the Petersburg road, and out
Of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto-
mac road, in which the State has large III
tcrc>t. Profits which, in the natural course
of trade and transportation, would come 10
these Virginia roads in fair proportion, are
absorbed and monopolized by the Seaboard
and Roanoke Railroad ConlpanS and ss.t2;: IN. t22S
reign Bay line. Mr:. Robinson might be the
most saeaciolls and amiable man in the world,
but there Is AN irrepressible conflict, i'll the
very nature of things, between the Seaboard
line and the Fredericksburg line which
forces him to put one at the mercy of the
other. and that one out of which he and his
principals can make most money on top. He
must play one off at the expense of the other.
1t is mon>trouS that he should control both.
Now. Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the
committee, we do not assail Mr.. Robinson
Or his roads. We do not grudgo them the
highest prosperity. We only ask for the
Petersburg Railroad Company and all the
cities of Virginia II naked, legal right to
negotiate or otherwise establish heallhful
competition. We ask the General Assembly
to give us lawful power to treat with Mr..
Robinson oil equal terms. We impeach his
monopoly, but not his vested rights.
"Swcct are the uses of adversely" Dis
cipiuc is already producing amendment, or
at least the promise of it, for Mr.. Robinson
now, for the first time, says that he will do
ANYTHING, in the way of pro rating, that
this committee may prescribe, il YOU will
only spare his monopoly. The power OF
the General Assembly at length has brought
him TO reason. Hence the necessity of our
application to the Legislature for simple.
lawful authority to protect the commerce of
Virginia against the power of Mr.. Robin
sons crushing monopoly.
In accordance with the laws of human
nature, mouopolSts become necessarily arro-
cant anu especially when monopoly
make, them rich. Hence the air OF super
ciliou>ncss with which Mr.. Robinson and his
counsel affirm that Mr.. Raglanl has never
applied formally or officially to Mr.. Robin
son for u through k,rilf for freight. They
admit that Mr.. Ra9land did in one corner
of Mr Robinscn's office humbly request him
to carry cotton: and that Mr. Sprigg, during
the Weldon fair in November last, did ask
MIR. Robinson to make rates for al freight.
But their complaint i, that Mr. Ragland did
not approach Mr. Robinson with due cere-
mony and lcrmaiity.
Wnv, Mr.. Chairman. should Mr.. Rag}and
approach Mr.. Robinson at all! l. Mr.. Robin
son Joseph, before whom and TO whom all
his brethren shall do obcisance2 The very
idea is the fruit of proud, aud arrogant,
and rich monopoly. Although Mr.. Robin
son, as the owner of the shortest line be-
tween Baltimore and Weldon, has the right
to dictate both fares and tolls between those
points, yet he has never requested any one
of the five presidents of railroads between
the two places to unite with him i'll making
rates in the interests of the producers and
shippers. You, gentlemen OF the committee.
are the only persons whose power has yet
been sufficient to bring Mr.. Robinson to any
propositions in this direction.
In view of the Importance Of bringing
this whole subject from out Of the domain
of blind assertion into the light of clear
proof, in the presence of parties able to fur
uiSh truthful information TO the Senate and
the Statc, / still insist upon our right to put
Mr. Robinson on the stand, and put to him
such questions as the committee last Friday,
through Senator Taylor, unanimously de-.
cared to be legitimate and proper. He, of
course, will be at liberty to answer or not, as
he chooses. If he chooses to Dc Ms dumb rs
a M ba hptfn,n pf his ho1IItifnl
Chesapeake Bay, proof offered in his pres
encr, and unquestioned Try him, must stand
as conclusive against him. The question is
with the committee.
Mr.. Hclladay: The Chair thinks the in
q,lirv and discussion are taking too wide 4
ranwe, and if it De the will Of the committee
we will now hear Judge Crump on the other
side.
Judge Crump: have no speech to make.
make this observation that all the rllcto-
ric wasted here amounts TO this proposition,
that the affairs of the Seaboard and Roanoke
Company have been administered; that
its profits have exceeded the ID per cent,
beyond which limit it was required by lazy
TO reduce its rates. Is this not all? l uSk
Mr.. Lyon to reply.
Mr. LYON No, sir. have meant and
mean that this road has been ably admins
tered at the expense of Virginia and other
roads, TO put money in the pockets Of the
managers of the Seaboard and Roanoke Rail-
road Company, and Baltimore and Phiadel-
phia capitalists.
Judge Crump: Assuming that to be true,
which | am instructed 10 deny, what will
be the effect if the Seaboard and Roanoke
Company reduce its rates2 l will sit
down to hear Mr. Lyons reply.
Mr.. Lyon: We can get the passengers
from Weldon to Baltimore over distance