The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-29
stf.,.9 I.iY EiI.s AGREED'TO,as!i7jDs IEiJi
Senate resolutions .iempow erihg Finance
Committees to meet creditors, &c.fiq ahi

xAiJoahbNNs' =
A Letter Answering Questions Asked
by the Norfolk virginian as TO the
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad.
RICHMOND, January IS, 1879.
Mr.. Editor: In your issue OF yesterday
you address me by name and request reply
70 certain questions. cannot in the proper
limits Of letter answer completely. AS to
the first question, Why any one can have
the assurance to say that q railroad would
succeed where a canal would fail, the
reasons are many, but perhaps examples
would speak louder. There are over
twenty railroads built in this country on
The works Of abandoned canals, and in at
least two instances there are two rail-
roads occupying the territory that one canal
abandoned. / nave not yet heard Of the
railroad that was torn up to make place for
a canal. The offerings per mile. for the last
ten years to the James River and kanaWha
Company have been greater than the local
business. affords to any railroad in Virginia,
and the developing power OF railroad is
well understood. q; 4. @.s.r.4
"Will the railroad stand the freshets bet
ter than caua:" Certainly. -...l,s, ?.
.s1f the canal is a failure on account Of
freshcts, will not u railroad be failure! for
| the same reason p, t-.r .. /:
The canal is not failure on account OF
! freshets alone. The actual damage OF the
recent Ireshets even was not lurge. The
damage to the Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio railroad was probably greater in dol
lars than to the canal in. 1877, and yet travel
was hardly interrupted. The principal
damage was from deposits and injury to
masonry. The bankruptcy occurred not
because the damage was so great, but be-
cause the company was so weak, It is safe
enough to place an iron track on the level
where men build their houses and plant
their fields. There ,oas less than sir miles
| of to1r.path actually destroyed in the food
of 1877 in too hundred miles. .a-.r
Whenyou build your road to Richmond
do you propose to stopat Richmond"
Certainly. The Richmond and Allie
ghany has no authority to build east OF
Richmced, and has neyernasked for any,
and does, not intendto have never heard
of any good reason why we should build
there, and can conceive OF none. 49,.
docs your charter require you to pro-
rate with other railroads in the State?"
1t does not mention this, but general
law ante-dating 1t requires this. Our great
anxiety Is whether other railroads with
older charters than ours will pro-rate with
US. I can assure You that we would be
very glad to pro-rate with evcrybody's rail
road. :.y, r.sea..a #..'.. .aa.a. ,1Hmr
Have you any understanding, direct or
indirect. with any one looking to the con-
soIidation Oh combination with any other
road in the State" --t-
have never heard such suggestion
made. and [ don't think any one would en-
terrain it. We have no authority to do this,
and know of no incentive to it. Every
good reason is against it. We have never
entertained thought OF building one mile
east of Richmond or west: Of Clifton Forge,
and if the company is to succeed in the
out Of the rich valley except by short
branches for feeders.
"Do you claim the right to control the
James rivel?'' We claim nothing under
the bill. It neither gives nor assumes to
give anything. The canal company asks to
sell what it has for the consideration OF the
assumption of its debts, amounting to over
81, 5000 and the quick building OF long
railroad. Everything it has-Dowcrs. pro-
perry. and privileges been twice I'M
der Legislative authority conveyed to trus-
tees to secure debts Of which it can neither
pay principal or interest. There is no mo-
! nopoly Of this valley given. The dams can
not be destroyed because they furnish wa
| ter-power to two cities and TO many mills on
leases that cannot be cancelled, but there is
nothing to prohibit the State from giving to
government or corporation any new privi-
| ieee or charter. Have replied frankly? !
| have tried 10.
We have no'right TO object to your op.
position to the present bill, strange as it
seems to lis, but / must say That 1 do re-
eret to see the assaults that have been
made upon individuals in this debate.
These men have notscome rs public enc
mics. They were earnestly invited They
did not prepare the present bill. They did
not prepare the contract or q single line
OF it. 1t was a proposition prepared by
n committee Of the canal company, com-
posed of various men, made By the .tnani-
nous uote OF the stockholders and accepted
6y our company. They now ask authority
from the Legislature. As PARASITIC unani-
nous request OF the State proxies goes,
the State asks it. Tt seems to that company,
trying to avert, a calamity that may bring
isolation, anu ruin to large communities,
that the contract ought to be approved.
There would seem to be- no place for pas
sion or jealousy here. 1t seems to me that
the interest OF eur people. Of the canht COM
pany, Of the stare, and Of Norfolk, lie in the
same direction, but Il may be mistaken, and
i cen assure you there Will Ebe no sense OF
wrong, and littleesense OF loss on the part
or our friends,Iif the. Legislature shall de.
eide that. the contract should not be carried
into effect. You obedient servant, 7!Asf
gsst ass,fI H. G.. PARSONS.
z,,-.i 80 49,. y.
Matt. Carpenter said in his Milwaukee re-
ception. speech: T., III
Z Is a chief duty, and chief means Of in
creasing the prosperity of the country, Is
that the existing differences in the South be
healed. Bayonet rule has had its r,tfa as
long, as 1T tcas asefu!, and ciuil government