The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-12-10


should be allowed to charge, for any distance
over its road, for either freight or passengers.
greater sum in excess OF the pro-rata charge
for the whole or any part OF its line of road,
than may be ascertained to be proper and fix
ed by law.
| No general complaint is made in respect to
railroad charges where competition exists bat
legislation should interfere to prevent whatever
unjust determinations and eXaetions are pi9lc-
ticed at points where competition does not ell
sure proper charges,
1t is said that railroad companies CT atle legs-
lativc restrictions, and by their devices pr;lcti-
cally set at nausht the inventions Of legislation
to prevent unjust discrimination. 1t is orr du-
ty to protect the people of this commonwealth,
and to secure our own cities such advantages
as, from their location and p oNimity to trade,
riyhtfnlly belong to them. Discrimination may
| neutralize every advantage they have and rel-
der hopeless the requirement of any other
trade in Ecu of that wrongfully wrestcd from
| them. Ii ordinary legislation in the way OF
fines and prohibitions will not reach the evil,
let an efficient pol ce be maintained on each
road at its cost, and let the criminal law of the
commonwealth be applied SO that the prison
doors Shall be opened to ali who coMtriye or in
| any manner aid and abet the injustice. These
| companies cannot escape the law Of public 81 r
| vitlde. and they can be reached by legislation,
| which, on one hand, should be just and even
| liberal to the railroads, and, on the other.
| should be so moulded as certainly to prevent
injury to trade or injustice to the people.
| a bill was reported, but not acted on, at your
last session, which provided for a com mission
to examine into the management and business
| Of the railroad companies, and to make annual
reports to the legislature as to their condition.
| charges and proceedings. Such laws have been
successfully executed and tested III other states
and have resulted benelcially.
I'll. PROTECTION OF SHEEP RAISING.
A large proportion OF the lands Of Virginia,
| better adapted to plstnrage thln to tilage,
| would contribute very rapidly to tbs gel.er;l.
wealth if devoted to the Uses for which nature
obviously designed them. But our pastoral
lands are seriously diminished in value, and
| the important interest of sheep raising is moi
OILY mach depressed, but in many localities
Abandoned by reason Of the Increasing, preva-
.lcnce of worthless and costly ours. 1t is for
the General Assembly to determine il q prln-
ciple Of political economy is to be set aside,
and the we'll being of the State and the force
of its civilization to he baked. by such inslii-
ences is uphold the existence Of shis grievous
nuisance. Legislative attenlps to suppress it
| in the past have been abortive, became indie
ciSive and timid, and because they transferred
to the arena Of local and neighborhood politics
a question which ought to have been firmly and
| finally settled by the government for the whole
State. Such legislation provokes the oppos
tiol which defeats its objects and discrcilits its
authors. The eople never fail to sustain Il
measure for their good il its authors 50 f;l:lly
it as certainly to eiltctuate the end i'll view.
and at the same time assume all just RESPONSE
| bities for themselves. \ law W.ilcl piompc-
| " cXting,lisles evil, puts an end to coilten-
| ton over its merits, and its manifested RESULTS
and benefits are sure to propilElte its opposers
For the suppression Of the intoeraole and
growing evil i'll question, | recommend the
passage of Ill act with such energetic and self
executing sanctions is will make it promptly
aud C, rt;nly etltctual, and draw TO its enforce
nent the in. eliyrnt Influences Interested i'll its
object
\ law should b. passed. creating @ fiji ID i'll
every county. to be kept up by liberal tax
on dogs. out OF which all losses Of sheep from
| their lepredttions should be fully paid for. ex-
cept in those cases in Which the owners OF the
guilty animals can BE- found out and held re-
sponsible.
| herewith transmit Il memorial OF the James
| River and Kanawhl Canal Company, asking
authority, by means of II nlf rtgaye OF its prop
erty. to connect the canal at Buchanan with
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Clifton
| Forge. by an intermediate railway thirty-tWo
miles iii length. This short interconnectiny
| LUX will bring the grandest iron and coal belts
! of the whole country Into vir.ial JuNtapositon
1t would Il once vitalize the incaculable re-
! sources of our great iron belt. extending III
out on either si,ie Of the Blue Ridge. BY sup
plying its sole want of the cheapest and best
| fuel. The scheme is cordially commended to
| your sanction.
! The proposed connection nowise conflicts
with the policy which looks to the completion
OF the new water line by the common govern
ment II in fact furthers and cNpetlltes the
same general policy None will deny that it
is pcc;aliarly incumbent on MS to withhold no
possible aid or encouragement which might
contribute to the collsummation OF that great
| work.
The states of the great ceatral tier situated
on the middle line OF the continent, stretching
from the finest harb II in the world ut llamp-
ton Roads. to the centre of the mighty basin
OF the Mississippi, have as yet received less OF
attention and beniticencc from the common
governments than any other equal area OF the
States covered by its Jurisdictions
1t is fortunate that the completion OF the
middle waterway. more than any other enter
l'prise, augmants the general wealth, while 1t
compens;ttes the past seeming neglect OF i
great section. On the line Of latitude which
penetrates the heart of the finest climate and
the richest agricultural and mineral regions
within the Union; marked out and actually
constructed by the hand Of nature alo!lzs large
ly the greater part of its length; linked to
thousands Of miles of river navigation ; it fur
nslles the shortest. healthiest, cheapes:, quick
est and best water transit for the products Of
the great west to the future emporium on the
Atlantic seaboard. More than auy other chan
mel of Commerce, it will reach out facilities to
States of the continental basin, Which, now iii
their infancy, yield annually more than q
thousand millions OF Bushels OF grain. 1t will
cut ineNhulstible beds Of steam Goals, and with
its annual capacity to transport eight millions
of tons Of COS without diminishing the due
proportion OF o, her freigllts, it will warm and
feed the manufacturing States, and it will
locate on the shore of the Chesapeake, the lar
gest, cheapest, and best coal depot of the east
ern coast, for the steam-shipping OF the world.
We have been often and lsnjllstly tainted in
the past. Let our answer be given by pioll-
cering the Development OF the whole country.
Instead of proving to be abstractionists With
out action, and obstructionists without reason.
let lbs show to the world tiiat, While we hold
firmly to every guarantee OF the constitution.
we yet go forward and inaugurate the era OF
practical craftsmanship.
No provincial spirit inspires Virginia. Her