New-York tribune., 1873-02-18

science of the State which Camden aud Amboy
possessed and paid for.
We are perhaps diffuse in approaching the
urgent necessity for general railroad law In
New-Jersey but it may bel well to delay
little and sketch the existing system. Draw
straight line from Jersey City to the Della
ware at Trenton, and the Pennsylvania Central
controls all south of it. To the north is
another combination which would be as pow
erful were it not divided by internal strife.
The New jersey Central, and the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western are one company,
controlling all the central and direct western
travel, and The traffic of the upper
coal regions. They arc practical
monopoly, and, once working smoothly, will
own Central Jersey as the Pennsylvania owns
the southern half Of the State. The Midland,
Erie, Northern and West Line Roads are not
monopolies nor competitors to any great extent.
But to the South and directly to the West, two
gigantic corporations occupy every avenue from
the other shore of the Hudson.
To break the monopoly, or to share its spols,
has been tho purpose of every year for many
past. Slowly and step by step small charters
apparently only for local convenience, were
secured and some of the roads constructed,
until only one gap, the StanhoDe, remained to
complete an admirable competing line across
the State. That charter was smugged year
ago, and the work was at once pushed so
vigorously that there could be no doubt of the
GOOD faith of the new concern. Then came the
inevitable Injunction, and Vice-Chancellor
Dodd decided that the charter was procured
nv indirection The substance of his
opinion was that it should have expressed its
full purport, but he did not imply that any
thing remained of the monopoly right. Taken
in the concrete, he only said that charters
must express their object, and that the power
of relief lies in the Legislature. His decision
turns the minds of men toward the general
railroad law which New-Jersey needs and the
welfare of the entire nation demands.
In compliance with that decision the Air
Line people have called for full charter. and
the Pennsylvania is desperately battling
against it, The Air Line has the Assembly,
and the Pennsylvania can safely "look to the
"Senate," in which a bill precisely like that of
the Assembly, except that it has different cor
porators, has been introduced and illegally
passed. at the instance and under the control
of the Pennsylvania A question of dignity is
thus raised between the two houses which may
result in a dead lock. After the House had,
last night, passed the Air Line bill, amid
great enthusiasm and by heavy majority,
the Senators, waiting till the galleries were
cleared, took up the monopoly bill, and passed
il. by the following vote, which we ask every
New-Jersey voter to study and remember:
For the Monopoly bill.
RcpsIey, Jarrard, Newkirk,
EdsaII IydeClSer, SeWel,
1rick, Moore,
Against the Monopoly bin.
porobort Havens Stone.
Cornish, HondTlcKsOn, MlIIlams'
Cutler, howltt wood
And now, gentlemen Jerseymen, New York
has interest enough III her main thoroughfare
to the inland to claim an advisory power in
your acts; and to urge that, after last nights
exhibition, you look specially to your Legis-
lature. The Air Line bill, as now placed
is q fair, open, and reasonable charter. 1t can
only be beaten by such means as are not
visible upon the surface. But it Is not the
full measure of necessity. 1t may, perhaps,
only result in another consolidation. The
true policy is 10 enact general law enabling
any company to construct a railroad, com
petng or otherwise, from point to point with
no other condition than the filing OF map
with the Secretary of State, and the deposit of
some substantial security that the map is in
good faith that the right of way will be fairly
secured, the rights Of the people protected,
and the road built
This is the present opportunity or New
Jersey, and if improved 1T Will grldlron the
State from river to river and open every
hamlet to traffic, wealth, and population, The
Legislature will assume a grave responsibility
should it neglect this splendid chance, in
order to meet the demands of an alien cor
poration.