The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-07

late almost exclusively to a casual and very
brief conversation which Mr.. Ragland had
with Mr.. Robinson, president of the Ricil-
mond,i Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail-
road Company, at the Office of that company,
on the 21st of November, 1872, after they
had been partaking of some refreshments
served to the board Of presidents Of the three
railroad companies between Weldon and the
Potomac, at the conclusion of the business of
that board. And this very brief and casual
conversation, limited according to this re-
port to a single question and reply, both
short, CONSTITUTES THE ONLY REAL TANGIBLE
PIECE OF TESTIMONY yet offered by Mr.. Rag
land even tending to support his charge
against the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac Railroad Company of "obssruc-
tiyeness," which alone he can pretend to
claim the sanction Of the Legislature to his
most unprecedented proposal to 1t.
The public have herewith the stenographic
report Of the eighth days proceeding before
this committee, in which Mr.. Robinson gives
his version of this same conversation, and
the attention Of all candid and impartial
readers b especially invited to the contrast
between these two accounts of the same oc-
currence.
They will not fail to note the flippant tone
of confident assurance and infallibiity Of
memory with which Mr.. Ragland speaks,
with alr. Robinson's scrupulous dif1illcnce
Of the. precise accuracy of his recollection
and his anxiety not to state anything in
which he may be mistaken as to conversa-
ton so brief, which he naturally, under the
circumstances, then deemed to be practically
so unimportant. And no one accustomed to
weigh the value of testimony will hesitate
in deciding as to which recital and whose
memory is most entitled to confidence.
1t will be seen that MIR. Robinson says that
"he never considered this anything but a
catch question:" and he gives very good rea-
sous for so considering il. That opinion is
not only sustained by the whole history of
this conversation, and blythe use since made
Of at, but confirmation OF it is afforded by
Mr.. Ragland's own statement, volunteered
in reply to question from one of the coun-
sci, to which this answer is lcholly irrereldnt;
that '' he told Dir. Wynne after they left the
Office" "Now suppose Mr. Robinson has
refused to carry the freight, he Is satisfied
To which Mr.. Wynne said, "You might
have known he would rcfuseO Ito carry Mr.
Robinson's freight at less than one-third OF
Mr.. Ragland's own rates) "without asking
him." Is not this, indeed, proof that this
I" uds catch question:" with which Mr..
for charging "obStructiyeness on Mr.. RS
Company as means Of obtaining Legislative
aid2
Another test as to the relative reliability
of these two accounts OF the same brief con.
yersation. and of the memory of those giving
them. It will be found that in the latter
part of the proceedings Of these two first
days Mr.. Ragland and Mr.. Sprigg positively
deny what Mr. Ragland i'll the earlier part
of the same two days proceedings had
stated no less than SeUen times in reply to
inquiries OF his oTD as we'll as Of opposing
counsel-viz., that in making this inquiry o
Mr.. Robinson he had referred to 0iE. Robin
sons printed tariff of August 9th, 1872. ir
which cotton (the only article Of freight in
quired abouD had been enormously placed
in the fourth instead of the second class-an
error ,0hich Mr.. Robinson had corrected more
than three months before, on his first seeing
the tariff after it was printed. Mr. Ragland
had, however, got hold of an ,tncorrecteo
copy, and made use Of that to "CATCH" Mr.
Robinson in that conversation. Let the
public reada and judge. FAIR Play.
EIGHTH DAY.
JANUARY 80, 1873.
Committee met at S O'Clock in the evening
Judge Crump: In order to present the
case as we understand it to the committe in
all its bearings, without reference to what
was long before these statements made in the
examination in chief, we mean to examine
Mr.. Robinson as witness in chief, in point
of fact upon our side. Mr.. Robinson, will
you be good enough to state to the commit
tee, it having been stated by Mr. Ragland
when he gave his evidence before the COM
mittee that you had refused to make ar.
judgements for through transportation, and
that was one of the grounds upon which he
based this bill now before the committee
will you state in detail what occurred be-
tween yourself and Mr. Ragland on that
occasion?
Mr.. Robinson There was a meeting OF Z
board of presidents Of what is termed the
through lines. This board of presidents con.
sists of the president Of the Richmond, Fred.
ercksburg and Potomac railroad, Richmond
and Petersburg railroad, and the Petersburg
and Weldon railroad. 1t was called by mc
for the purpose of getting the Board to pro
vide for improved transportation between
being brought into contact with the cars o.
the Baltimore and Potomac railroad, and,
thought, presented rather shabby appear
ance, and was anxious that we should pro
vide additional cars. This and the subject o
schedule or through timetables were The
subjects under discussion. a most eXtrn
ordinary condition of affairs had cX
isted for some time previous. The
| trains from New York, on arriving in
Washington, were rarely or never on time
A. nearly as my recollection serves me, du
ring the month of November the New Iorl
train was never on tune, but arrived there
from ten minutes to an hour or more late
The result was that the trains from Wash
ington were invariably very late on their ar
rival in Richmond, and wished to arrange
later hour Of departure ut Washington 81
| as TO eaualize the matter. All this was unde
discussion when the lunch which Mr.. Rag
land refers to had been served, and all par
ties had got up for the purpose OF eating ant
drinking.
Judge Crulnp: When the lunch wa
| served was the business of the Board over
Mr.. Robinson: As nearly Us Irccollect, |
was over; but this conversation, if it ma.
be called a conversation, took place just be
fore the gentlemen were leaving the room
or almost as they were leaving the room
Mr.. Ragland, as understand him, asked m
if the Fredericksburg Company would carr,
cotton to Baltimore--he may have said a
tariff rates---but the impression upon m
mind was that he Indicated % cents pc
100 pounds, and my answer was simply t
| the effect that we would not. Some little an,
| very hurried conversation occurred afte
! this, go desultory in its character that I PAL.
no attention to it whatever, nor did eve
suppose that it was serious conversation, o
that it would ever bemade use Of until shor
time before the meeting of this committee
| when incidentally heard that this was on
of the points that was to be used against m
-, t, ,,,ol-o I,I tho o,,ftn,