National Republican., 1876-04-08
THE RAILROAD PROBLEM.

This subject is receiving its fall share ofat-
tcnticn at the hands Of Congress the presen
session. Two bills are now pending asking
the sanction of our Federal legislators to
the building Of roads within the city limits,
and third has been introduced into both
houses, providing "For the removal OF all
"railroad tracks from the public streets and
avenues of the Federal capital" We
propose to consider the merits of each of
these measures. The first in chronological
order was introduced in the House on the
10th Of January, by Mr.. Hunton, Of Tir-
ginia, and is entitled, ga bill to incorpo-
'trate the Union Railway Company of
"Washington, Georgetown, and Northern
"Virginia, and was referred to the Com
mittee on the District of Columbia. 1t
names as incorporators some of our most
enterprising. influential, and wealthy citi-
zens, and bears upon its face the marks Of
q genuine effort to provide an important
link of communication, which, when COM
pleted, cannot fail to be vastly beneficial to
the mercantile and manufacturing interests
Of the community. 1t begins on the west
ern line of the District of Columbia, fol-
lows the bank Of the river TO Georgetown,
passes the extensive Touring mills of our
sister city on Water street, crosses Rock
creek at its junction with the Potomac,
follows in near proximity the old Chesa.
pcske and Ohio canal to Seventeenth street
west. provides for a depot at some conve-
Dient point between L street south and the
river, also for O depot IN Water street,
Georgetown, crosses over the flats to Long
bridge, passes along Water street, Wash
ington, 20 X street south, sffording much
needed commercial facilities along our own
wafer front. and joins the Baltimore and
Potomac road near c street south. The
privilege CT uniting with the railroad sys.
ten Of Virginia by q bridge near George
town IS also desired.
Before enlarging upon the merits and
advantages Of this enterprise, to avoid mis-
apprehension ON the part Of the public, it
is necessary to allude to the other PROPOSE
ton referred to above. Several non.resi-
dent adventures, learning that q number
of our prominent business men and capi-
talists had caused o survey of the route
above indicated to be made, and were by
bill petitioning Congress for a charter to
prosecute and finish the projected road,
made overtures to them proposing to assist
in obtaining the franchise for a speculative
purpose. This magnanimous offer being
declined with thanks, one Gideon L.
Walker, the head and front of the above
mentioned clique, filching, almost YER
batim, the very good name of the former
incorporators, induced Gen. Banks to in
troduce into the House bill Approving
'fhe building Of the Union railroad ofthe
District Of Columbia
Owing to this similarity of names, the
odium attaching to the latter scheme, and
The opposition 1t has justly provoked, has
reacted greatly to the prejudice Of most
commeHdable enterprise Of some of our
own best citizens, the public, and espe-
cially those 10 be injuriously effected, not
being aware that there are two distinct
and independent propositions before Con-
gress-the one projected by home enter
prise and capital, in directions that all un-
preiudiced minds admit to be entirely free
from objection the other by routes the
mention Of which has provoked storm of
Justly merited Indignation.
This latter scheme proposes to COM
pletely environ the city on the north with
belt of iron, guarded with grim and.
fiery sentinels, whose sleepless vigilance,
both day and night, will effectually bar
the way TO all who would with safety pass
in or out In South Washington they
propose TO traverse Virginia avenue and
E street, thereby perpetuating grievances
already greater than free people should
ever be called upon to bear.
Coupled with these insurmouutable OBJ
jections in their route is the modest request
that the Government of the United States
will give them a quit. claim deed to all the
land lying between Easby's Point and the
Long bridge. Argument to prove that
such legislation should not be enacted
would be superduous. On the contrary.
the home project to which we have re-
ferred retains all that is free from objection
in the former bill, reserves for future con-
sideration an independent Northern con-
nection via Rock creek, and in uniting
with the Baltimore and Potomac road
chooses route so southerly that after leav-
ing the immediate water front, where the
necessities of trade and commerce demand
it shall 60, comes in close proximity to
nothing more valuable than few neglected
fields and half deserted brick-kilns.