Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-14
Gen. Echols Position on the Canal
Railroad Bill.

We find the following extract from
I private letter from Gen. Echols, dated OF
Thursday the 9th inst, published in the
"Spectator'' of Tuesday. Our eighborpub
| fishes it as an Authoritative statement
of Gen. Els views, and we are very gat
to find from it that his opposition was
| founded neither on his objection to the
railroad nor on any supposed Valley, OF
still more local interests to be antagonized
by it:
My position seems to be misunderstood
by some parties inr gard to the Richmond
& Allegheny r. r. bill. ilm not, and
never have been. opposed to the construc-
I ton of Railroad up the James River
Valley. On the contrary ] think that
such an improv ment would b. very valu-
able to the State and to the citizens along
the line of the proposed road. My objec-
lions to the bill were, first, that it did not
demand sufficient guarantees of compll-
ance with the contract, and did not prop
erly guard the Interests of the State. This
objection was partly removed by the
amendments which those who agreed with
me succeeded in putting to the bill. And
secondly objected to the Bill, because
thought that. if the proper C ,urse was pur-
sued, and If we would invite competition
we might have the Railroad built, and save
something besides out of the immense in
vestment ($7 400 ,GO0) which the State has
in the work. There IS no mar in the Gen.
eral Assembly whose priva"e interests
would be more advanced than mine would
be by the construction of this road, but,
acting in my representative capacity, |
have no right to consult my private inter
est, but am bound to look alone to what |
think is the interest of the whole State.
By a heavy outlay, the Canal has again
been put in good repair, and the President
OF the Company has reported til it will
soon be better able than ever before to re-
sist the action of floods. In his report to
his stockholders, made on the 18th Novem-
Der last. he said-'One of the most dis
couraging features of the situation is, that
it has become common among certain of
our own people to decry and underes l.
mate the y'lueu of 1Ae Great. Central
Route But
If needed, ase haze also onqa.estiona5le eui-
dence (of its ralete) IN the manifest eagerness
Of priudte persons ond corp0r0tors to obtain
the ownership and control of it. 1t was
upon such evidence of the alue in the
market Of this property, that l as per,
suaded that we might do better for the
SGctto. Ny lh'ili'isS PioP ,''Ao ANt Aea pun
chase from every body, 'psivate per
sons and corporators, whose eagerness
to obtain it had thus been reported
by the President, rather than by
closing in with the Richmond Il Allegha-
ny Railroad Company, upon the terms pro-
posed by them without competition. |
thus give you my position, and am glad to
know that you agree with me. Ii I have
erred, it is from my desire to protect and
ensure as far as possible the interest Of the
State. TIE Il will unquestionably pass
by a larae majoii il the s. ouse of Dele,
gates, the amendments alrea dy adopted
sllenoipg q good many OF the opponents of
he biil.''
The following is the vote by which the
Dill Was passed in the House:
YEa-htessrs Adams, Anderson, Attkisson, Bar
Jour, BE pard, Bocock Bohanan. Burger, Coghill |
LEX, Crank Crutchd Id, Dtnce, Davis EdmInds /
Try, Goode Graves, GRAY, Green, Hanger, Esardts-
fealy Henry, r B. James, ". i. JSines, Johnstos,
Ar Ra lazy la Lady a p , hT2Hb9i MAJ Me-
'arlsh, Fl t., ,P,phain; Powell Fulll.l.l j. r. Rob
asoA RY and, >andidge shanron L. III smith, j
ioEard Smith, Sonthwa, 4. Spessaid <arke, W. /.
:.lliafeTro, Audrey J. rayior, Wiuiala Taylor,
VILLAIN M Walker, Wa lace, Walsh, Smith j. L.
,1 e. h mas White, ingfeld, Wright, Young
Noe c5as srES hasers Band j. Carter
ulkerso.. Fulton, Girls y, Hal, Hami ton, saenkel
We Me- abe, Mcconnell Mushbaeh, Nelson Rag,
md, ShelDurne. ~humate, Stevens sykes w T
aliiaferro, Watson, Whitacre and witten-2a.