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

duct? Who built the connection line from
Petersburg TO help Dir. Rngland's road re
compete with the Seaboard road? You hayt
before you the testimony that Mf. Robinson
helped to build both connections, and got
them both UP against the wishes q
the Petersburg road. The opposition to q
through connection was so strong ON the
part of the Petersburg road that not one oil
fits officers spoke in behalf Of it, whilst the
Council and citizens Of the town of Peters
burg came over here to protest against this
connection. And more than that: When
all these roads were desolated by the war
when the Richmond and Petersburg, the
Fredericksburg. and the Petersburg and " el-
don roads, every inch Of whose lines had Tee n
fought over, were in ruins-Mr. Moncufe
Robinson, Instead of ayailng himself of the
opportunity he is now charged with seeking
to keep these roads disabled and in the dust,
came forward, and by has means and has
efforts furnished the money to reconstruct
and restore them to usefulness money
which had been sought In vain by the Off,
GERS OF the road. money, which Mr.. Ellis
t2stifes was furnished to the Richmond and
Petersburg road; money furnished, as Mr..
Daniel testiieS, to the Petersburg and Wei.
don and to the Fredericksburg road, to build
UP this very interior line which it is charged
it was and is his purpose to destroy. When
these two frst-naIned railroads We're rebuilt
I by his aid from Weldon to Ricbmondthey had
not CARS enough b for passengers, and tue Frede-
rickS5urg railroad, through its president, came
forward and said. "Here are my cars, will
hire them 10 you.' In bis report the President
Of the Petersburg and Weldon road acknowI-
edges this valuable service. That policy,
| in, hoe inp
Let us see: In tue conference between MIR.
kagland aud Mr. Robinson and Mr.. Wynne,
last November, what did Mr.. Robinson the,,
propose? Gentlemen, in order to make
this interior line more attractive, let us put
sir new cars on tue route" But Ragland
aud Wyune would have but two. Mr.
Robinson stroye to make the road attractive,
aud they declined to cooperate with him.
Again, when in the conference last summer
between Mr.. Robinson and Mr. Du Barry,
the agent OF the Southern Security Company,
or the Pennsylvania railroad, which owns
the rolds from Quautico to Baltimore, what
did Mr.. Robinson say 10 Mr.. Du Barryf lie
said he
DID NOT WANT TO IMPOSE TAX
Of two dollars upon the passengers for the
use of the s.eepiDg-car; it was too much
1 -
on the road from Weldon to Baltimore he
would charge but one dollar per passenger,
showing hi, desire to assist the interior line
making it cheap aud attractive. Mr.. Du
/ Barry replied "Sir, | can't reduce these
rates or give You that permission, because
have contracted with the Pullman Com.
pany' that they shall have the monopoly OF
the sleeping cars over the Pennsylvania road
,yla ovSt.
this subject, and examine the Conduct o1
Mr.. Robinson, you will find that he is not the
despoiIer, the autocrat that he is painted,
but that he has been the guardian aud pro.
,ector Of that road, anxious to promote its
prosperity, aud, in accomplishing this, tc
lurther and foster necessarily the interests o.
the Petersburg and Weldon road. No ap
plicatiou to him for through facilities ba:
ever been made by the Richmond and Peters
burg road which was denied. Dir. Ellis ha:
testified that he was connected with tht
Richmond and Petersburg road for thirty
years as director and president, and that h'
never had the least difficulty in getting
through rates with the Fredericksburg road
and the only instance in which through cot
ton was ever carried was to Alexandria from
Weldon, upon which the Petersburg ant
: Weldon road charged Just double the rat
G! argeu by the Fredericksburg road. So that
probe this subject where you will, you fin
this charge of corrupt discrimination mad
against Mr. Robinson blown into thin all
Nevertheless, you are asked by this bill tC
supplant him and substitute Mr.. Ragland
What guarantee have you that he Is going t
do better, or will do as wellY Are you nc
to Judge, as the counsel has said, the futur
by the past? Has his conduct as preSiden
I. of q railroad--a conduct which we desired t
keep out of this controycrsy--giYen asst
rance that he will be more faithful, OF gene
!. rous. or Just towards tho Fredericksbur
road than Mr.. Robinson? You have ha
laid before you, by his counsel, the reports
{ 1872. I propose to refer to that Of June
!. for the purpose OF
c DRAWING CONTRAST
5 between the conduct of Dir. RobInson--wll
: is charged with being a monopolist, al e!
tortiouist, and to have sacrificed the iutere!
Of the stockholders of the Fredericksbur
road-aud the conduct Of these parties ash
! iu- for this charter toward the stockholdel
G of the Petersburg road. In doing this TAX
= occasion to say that, representing no stool
: holder, bring here 10 charge Of person;
: fraud, and the Fredericksburg road hu
: no more interest in the conduct OF thcs
$ parties than the general public ha
r We have been driven to make this contras
: by the assault upon Mr.. Robinson. Of VIII;
!. The stockholders have to complain is no cor
n ccrn of ours. How they shall seek their RI
b dress is for them to determine. l propos
J. to show by this report now their interest
r were protected. 1t has already been state
:. that there was bought from the city Of n
r tersburg 4,T55 shares Of stock in the Peters
c burg Railroad Conplny; that OF those thcr
! were 3,235 shares OF original stock, and l,61
+; shares of stock issued under the act OF 1SG
j. authorizing an Increase of 90 per cent. Tha
G stock 1.-THE 3,235 shares) had come original
j. from the State. 1t had been transferred b
/. tbe State to the city of Petersburg in 1S4s
It It had been mortgagcd back By the city {
Petersburg to the State in 1850. 1t is bel
:. now by the State under that mortgage
$ All the dividends that were ever ciaime
: upon that stock had been paid, and there wa
!. not one whisper of claim at tue time tn
> stock was sold by the city to- Ragland thu
there was one dollar due upon it by the Pe
tersburc road either to the city or the state
Il had hcen held for nearly thirty years b
- the city and by the State, and every dolla
;. claimed by either upon it had been palt
., When a meeting Of the stockholders-tf
4 annual meeting-- was held on the 10th Mare
:, last no claim was asserted Of dividends III
paid upon it from 1s43, although this clall
= of three per cent. from 1s43 was known 3
:. AIR. Ragland, for he told you it was the re
son why Mr. Brooks, one Of the Finant
;, Committee Of the Common Council OF Z
7 tersburg, joined him in the purchase on II
!; 18th Of February. At the meeting OF II
> 18th of June this enormous claim was Il
the first time brought to the notice Of Il
4 stockholders, TO their amazement and conf
y y sion, and they heard with dismay and di
trust that there was now due upon th