The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-03-19
The valley Railroad charter.

We find in the Baltimore Sun Of the 9th,
inst, communication from Richmond under
date of the 4sh, giving the following infor-
nation about the bill Of Senator Cochran,
granting charter to the Valley Railroad
Company, for an extension Of their road: p
A very spirited and somewhat exciting
contest has sprung up before the committee
on roads and internal navigation Of the Sen
ate over the bill Of Senator Cochran, of Au-
gusta, proposing to allow the Valley Railroad
Company to extend its road FROM near Salem
to some point south of Bristol. At the
meeting OF the committee held in the Office
Of the second auditor this morning, Judge
w. r. Cecil, membe Of the House from
Tazewell-one Vi the counties through which
the road is 10 ass-made a very earnest
speech in favor Of the bill. He was follow.
ed by Gen. John lmboden. Of this city, rep
resenting the Richmond and Trans Allegha-
ny Railroad Company, which was recently
incorporated by the General Assembly. He
asserted that the Valley Railroad Company
and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad were
one and the same thing, and already had
foothold enough in Virgitia, and that to
give the Valley Company the privilege it
now asks would be to rob Richmond, Nor
folk aud Petersburg Of all the benefits Of the
southwestern trade; in fact, he sought to
show that it would enrich Baltimore at the
expense OF all the Virginia cities. Judge
Hugh w. Sheffey, Of, .Staupton, counsel for
the Valley Railroad Company, formerly
speaker of our House of Delegates, and one
Of the most eminent men of this State re-
piled to the objections of Gen. Imboden.-
He showed that If the compapy's line could
be extended as they asked it would cross the
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad at
Salem and the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
at Stanton; that Instead Of robbing Nor
folk and Petersburg Of trade now theirs, if
those Two cities would be cnterprising enough
it would open new fields to them. Freight
loaded in Tennessee would come along their
road as far as Salem and at that, point, with
out breaeing bulk or changing cars, might
be sent on down the Atlantic, Mississippi
and Ohio railroad to Norfolk and Peters
burg. In like manner, cars loaded in Ten
Epessee might come over their road to Staun-
ton, then be shifted to the track of the Ches-
apeake and Ohio railroad and sent on to
Richmond Baltimore would get just such
part Of the trade as her enterprising bust.
ness men might reach out for and the Vir-
GINA cities could do likewise Judge Shefey's
speech GOV sred all the points in the land
is conceded to have been very able effort
It was generally supposed that Gen. Malone
would appear in opposition to the BILL az the
road from Salem to. the neighborhood of
Bristol would necessarily come into compe-
tition with the Virginia and Tennessee divis-
ion Of his A. u. & @. R. R., but he has as
yet made no sign of approval or disapproval
to the committee. The representatives from
the Valley counties will nearly all vote for
the bill, but owing to the cry that the scheme
is for the advancement Of Baltimore at the
cost Of Virginia cities it is anticipated that
it will have very strong opposition, both be-
fore the committees and in the two houses.
The EXTRAORDINARILY Richmond cor
respondent Of the Baltimore Sun Of the 18th
has the following reference to the Nxche-
quer bill:
The committee Of the House Of Delegates
on federal relations have had before them
series Of resolutions drafted by Gen. Joseph
r. Anderson, member from this city. en-
dorsing tho national exchequer bill. They
have declined to recommend their adoption,
though they will report them hack without
any reoommendation whatever. This will
give Gen. Anderson fair opportunity to
speak in favor Of the prof act, although it is
hardly possible that be hop IS the two houses
! will PISS bin ycse.9tious, at this SESSION at