Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-03
THE RAILWAYS.
Trouble Brewing in Wisconsin.
The Governor VIII Enforce the
New Law.
The Roads Resist.

MILWAUKEE, May Gov. Taylor has
issued proclamation having reference to
the resistance Of the railroads to the law of
last winter. He recites that such law
was passed and approved; that the COM
petentcy of the Legislature to regulate rail-
roads is conceded, that the ST. Paul and
Northwestern Companies have announced
their determination TO operate their roads
without reference to the provisions Of tie
act This, he says, is at once a source of
profound regret and in marked contrast
with the patience and submission exhibited
by the people in the presence of what they
have deemed the unjust, and burdensome
exactions of the railroad companies in the
past, and if persisted in must seriously dis
turb business and greatly imperil the in
duStrieS of the State, the proclamation con-
cludes as follows:
L therefore enjOin all railroad CORPORA
tions, their officers and agents, peaceably
to submit to the law, for since the Execu-
tive is charged with the responsibility of
seeing that the laws are faithfully executed
all the functions of his office will be exer-
cised to that end, and for this purpose he
invokeS the aid and cooperation Of all good
citizens.
counter irrifants-Opiut0nSO OF Judge
Curtis and VIM. NJ. Evarts
CHICAGO, MAY 2.-The officials Of the
Chicago and Northwestern ana the Mil
waukee and St. Paul Railroad COMPANIES
at Milwaukee, state that they have the
written opinions of Judge L. X. Curtis, of
Boston, and Hon. Vim. NJ. Evarts, of New
Y ork, that the Wisconsin railroad law
which these companies have decided to
contest is clearly unconstitutional. The
main points of Judge Curtis opinion are
briefly that the law attempts arbitrarily to
fix the charges for the use Of labor and ma
terial by railroad corporation acting as
common carrier, right not belonging to
the State.
,. That certain sections of the law
amounts to a partial confiscation Of the
railroads, property withouts making provis-
ions for adequate compensation therefor, OF
at least providing for the means of ascer-
tanning what amount such compensation
should be or how it should be paid.
>. If the effect of the law, when enforced
and put into practical operation, shall be to
reduce the earnings of the railroad corpora-
tions owning and operating the general
charters to such point as to render il i'm
possible for such corporations to pay inter
est on the bonds issued by them, the result
would be on the part Of such companies a
violation Of their contracts with their bond
holders, and the State has no right TO inter-
fere with contracts between railroad COM
panies and a third party, always provided
that such contract is within the legal pow
erS of such corporations.
The opinions are not yet published, and
the points made by Mr.. EvaTts are not We
known.
The G. G. and L. C.-Serman BOndhOId-
ers Threaten to Close Their Mort
gage ON the Rock Island Road.
New YORK, Nav 2.-The committee of
creditors of COprans X Merriam, the
brokers of the late T.. G. ard |. {. COM
binatiOn have examined the books of the
firm and verify their verbal statement az
the meeting of creditors that the firm owed
S4JO,OOO and had as an offset $4,000.
III. OsterbOurg, who arrived here recently
as the representative of a number of Ger
man holders of American RAILROAD bonds,
says that the immediate cause of his visit
was the interest which his constituents had
in Rockford, Rock Island and ST. Louis
Railroad. The road has been bonded to
the extent of nine million dollars, of which
$, 900 were held in Germany, and it
was twice defaulted III interest, and in con-
sequence, he was here TO look afte the in
terest of the bondholders. He had tele-
graphed to Il. Il. Cable, President. request
iny an interview in this city, and he hoped
and expected that the result of the confer
ence would be the institution of friendly
suit for the foreclosure of the mortgage on
the road.