The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-03


roads, and empowering the. making
connections by municipal corporation
for that purpose and for the public use.
RESolU6d, That we endorse theActiol
OF the General Assembly looking TO th
enforcement Of the performance Of thei
duties by monopollsts as common carriers
and that In addition thereto We belieV
that railroads should be required to carEI
all the freights and passengers odereC
from the country through which theI
pass, and not be permitted to limit thC
amount Of their business and destroy 1t!
natural increase.
RsS0IVed, That the constitution and law
Of Illinois are as binding upon railroad
corporations as upon the citizens, and tina
the State must require obedience to the
law from all alike, whether the same bt
deemed constitutional or not by the par
ties affected, until repealed or declared
unconstitutional,
ReSOlred, That we endorse most fully
the action Of those who tender legal rates
of tare upon the railroads and refuse "a
pay more, and it's tho duty Of the LegiS-
lature to provide by law for the defence
by the State of Illinois Of suits c0mmenc-
ed, or that may hereafter be commenced,
by the railroad companies against the in
dividuals who In good faith h0ve insisted,
or hereafter may insist, upon the right TO
ride on railroads at legal rates.
ReSOlCed, That the presentation Of Rail-
road passes to our Legislators, whatever
may be the spirit or intent with which
they are accepted, are corrupting in their
influence, and we look to our urLegislature,
now in session, to rise above oil personal
consideration Of pec6ntary interests or
convenience and 10 !pass law
making 1t a misdemeanor for any
Senator or Representative or other
State or county officer TO accept any rail.
road pass, knowing as we do that the
people look upon the acceptance Of these
passes with decided and almost universal
disapprobation.
WHEREAS, The Constitution Of 1S4S,
Article 10, prohibits the Legislature from
granting special railroad charters in the
following words: Corporations not pos
sessing banking powers or privileges, may
be formed under the general law, but
shall not be created by special acts except
for municipal purposes, and in cases
wherein the judgement OF tho General
Assembly the objects Of the corporations
cannot be attained under the general
laws" Therefore
ResOlped, That it Is. extremely doubtful
whether any railroad charter granted
since April l, 1s49, by the Legislature Of
Illinois, is OF any validity, and that the
vested rights Of railroad monopOliesin this
State exist only by assumption oil the'no.
nopolists and the suffrage Of the people;
and, whereas, as the Constitution OF 1870,
article II, section 18, prohibits any rail.
road company from issuing waterCd stock
in these words: "No railroad corpora
tion shall issue any stock or bonds except
Tor money, labor, or property actually re-
Ceived and applied to the purposes for
which such corporation was created, and
all stock dividends and other fictitious
increase Of the capital stock or
indebtness ot any such corporation shall
be void. The,cspital stock Of no railroad
corporation shall beincreased 'ior any
purpose, except upon giving 90 days pub.
lie notice inIsuch a.mNnner as may be pro.
vided by law and, whereas this article OF
the Constitution has probably been viola.
ted by nearly all the railroad companies.
in the State, therefor.
Resolved, That 1t is the duty Of the rail.
road Commissioners to look carefully in
to this matter, and to commence proceed.
ings in all clear cases by quo DGrrGnto, or
otherwise, against all railroad. companies
which have disregsrdP| this important
provision OF the organic law Of the State,
Rd0lusd, That VIC regard the improve
mentsot tho Illinois river, not sectional,
but of great Importance, and we request
the members OF the House of Represent
atives 10 vote for the bill now pending,
for the Improvement OF that river, as 1t
will give our State absolutely into the
hands Of the people.
ReaOlVed, That VIC demand OF Congress
a repeal OF all laws preventing the com
petition OF small vessels which may
choose to engage in the carrying trade
on our inland lakes between ports In the
United States, without regard to nation
ality.
ReSolUed, That we are in favor Of the
immediate repeal of the protective duties
on iron, steel, lumber and all materials
which enter into the construction Of rail.
road cars, steamships, sailing vessels, agri'
cultural implements, &C.. and that we
urge upon Congress immediate action for
this purpose-thRt cheap railroads and
cheap ships are necessary to cheap
freig hts, and that we invite the railroad
companies to cooperate with US to that
end.
EVENING SESSION.
The Convention was not called to or
der until s L. N. A motion was. then
adopted that the resolutions be acted
upon 0sri1tim. The resolution In refer
ence to the acceptance Of Railroad passes
by members Of the Legislature was the
first upon which discussion arose. spicy
speeches were made upon this resolution
by several of the delegates, and finally,
including the State, Company, officers
and all other persons, and thus amended
it was adopted.
The resolution lavoring tho passage OF
the bill now before the Legislature for the
improvement of the Illinois River was
tabled by very decided majority.
A motion wAa made to table the FesOlu.