, 1874-09-28
RAILROAD NEWS.
Condition Of the Wisconsin Suits.
Fixing Tariffs Under the Potter Law--
The Toledo Conference.
miscellaneous Items.
WISCONSIN ROADS,
TIFF Nf11TH.

united effort will bo m.do 10 havo tho
Supreme Court dispose OF thu railway question at
tho October term. The attorneys ongagod in
tho auit decided Mt Madison In favor OF tho State
OF Wisconsin. In July last, will move to havo tho
case advanced upon tho docket. and day not for
its heating early this term. They havo the
assnranco OF Judge Davis that this would bo
practicable Tho record WAS filed III tho Clerks
Office tho first wcek IN August and Is now
printed: But tho snpronao Court mny rofuse to
entertain the motion. In that event tho caae
would hardly be roaehod for l,roo yoarH to come:
by which time tho progrosa Of events would
doubtloas eolyo tho prub'etn.
1t In presumed by many that tho Supreme
Court would prefer to let tllo question botlio it.
IL not an agreeable subject Of discussion. Be-
sidos the State courts nro being reqa1rcd to pasa
uron' It ; but u mono Of tlom IL # SO radically
nj plcaoutod Oh in tho Wisconsin naso. IN that
state all tho railroads Moro built under Consti-
tuition which reserved Tho right to alter Or ropcal
their charters ut tho pleasure Of tho LeglsEature.
Tho only question Is, whothor any limitation can
bo put upon this power. No precedent for such
Limitation was cited to tho satisfaction of tho
Uuised statoa Court at MatLnon. The State
clni,nod that it is absolute and unqualified, aul
don1etl tho right Of any tribunal to conBtruc it
otherwise. rhiB position tho corporations de-
Bircd tho State should assuulo. believing 1t WAS
| ablIorrcnt 10 every aonBo of Justice.
| Anticipating tho willineness Of tho Court to
| tuko up tue caso during tho ensuing term, tho
| Boscrul attor1loyH havo commenced tho ptepnra-
| tiou OF their briefs. For tho triat at Madlhon,
tue attorneys for the State. believing their case
beyond question, did not prepare brlofs.
| Tho death Of judge 3. II. Curtis was deeply
regretted by tho appellants in this Hnit. Ho hntl
been retaiuod as counsel and the policy thus far
pursued waB adopted upon bis advice. At Wasl1-
William ii. Evarta and bir. E. ". Stoughton. OF
New York, Judge G. B. Lawrence, Of THU city
aud tho Hon. Johu W. Cary, Of iilwa'i'
Aeo, for tho HALLWAY Company, and by tue Hon
1. G. Sloan, Assistant Attornoy-General Of Wlb'
conain, and Judge l.. g. Discou: q milwaukee, st't
Tor tho Htato. Tho Hon. D. q. Cook: Of thit
city, will submit printed argument on bohalf o1
tho appellants. Az q forensic display tho con: con
test viii be imposing. anl % isa issue involves
tho control Of over SG000o,00o worth Of prop.
orty in Wisconsin, and alfeotb..thousanas of,capi
| talIBts in this country mud Europe. the dccisiot
viii 10 awaited With peculiar sntoroat.
| TILE MEETINGS or THE WISCONSIN RA1fnoAD MAN
| AaERs.
The managers Of tic Wisconsin railroads are
still holding daily sessions Ut tho Office OF th'
Chicago l. Northwestern 1iaslroad IN this city
for tho purpose Of overcoming tho dfionltio.
arising from the adoption Of tue Commissioner
tariff.
The Milwaukee Nctcs, IN apeaking OF these meet
ings, Hatos. t1nt tho officials Of these roads tint
themselves confronted with tho difficulty tha
the Potter law, whilst ii makes very stringeu
CONDITIONS Ut TO Will buau VI tnc mAA!A1Au
rites Oh frcights and passeugcrs, nakos no pro
vision as to how they 1hall 10 diatribmted wheI
two or more companies participate. The North
Western will haul goods, say 13 mies, to tho ut
Paul connecticut and tho st. Paul Ii milca to
Wcst Wisconsin connection. or vlce versa. .fh
Northwestern will charge. under tho Potter laW
no much for the first 25 mites, tho st. Fan! 9
, much for tho secoud Is mileH, and tho Wost Wiz
cousin 10 much for tho third 81 miles, the rate
being, say cents tho first 25 miles per u
po,lnus 1 cents tho SECOND; and 2 cent
tic Third Is miles. Tho st. Paul Ron
: would thus bo compelled to charge Tor 1lE'
haul the rates for second laul mud the We'
= Wisconsin for first haul the rites Of THU
! hnul, and vice versa.
Tho aggregate traffic 50 exchanged betvee
' tho companies amounts to au enormous aui'
. aud the companies claim TINT tllo full ratos a
: loved for llsht haul would fall short OF cou
y :. pcnsatiug them Tor tue work. How much ths
. will lose by accepting second and third lla
ratoa for wllat IL in reality Il first haul cannot
estimntcl, bu. thoy say it must amount to q yo
large sum.
r Previous decisions compel the companies
d charge in tho manner shown aboVe.
n Tic new schedules arc preparing, but 1t :"
bo somo days before they eau ho ready.