The daily gazette., 1881-02-01
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TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 1, 1881.

tTUESDAT, FEBRUARY 4, 1881.
TRE RAILROAD BILL now before
the legislature to amend the charter Of
the Delaware western Railroad Com
pany, has given rise to q very cen.
siderable opposition, If We believe all
that correspondents from Dover say in
the newspapers. But as yet very little
opposition to the passage of the bill has
been made In the Senate where it origi-
mated. The bill has had two readings
ana been amended to conform to the
demands OF the State so far as taxes are
concerned; and in this matter the new
road which 1t is alleged this bill is in
tended to charter, will be required to
pay annually to the State the same
amount of tax that is paid by the Phila-
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad Company. This tax would
augment the receipts of the State trea-
sury considerably; and to that extent
all the people of the State would be
baDe6ted financially by the passage of
the bill in question, II a new through
railroad was built within the borders of
our State.
We simply desire to lay before the
readers Of the GAZETTE the facts. We
see no necessity for any more exciting
correspondence on the subject. There
has been enough of this already pub
lished.
We have heard 1t asserted that a
new through line railroad will be built
whether IL is permitted to 60 through
Delaware or not. But we have no
assurance Of this at all beyond hearsay
and it would be simply an outrage upon
our people to grant charter to be held
ard hawked about for sale, and perhaps
never used at all, except 10 prevent real
parties who have the means to build, |
doing so. 1t would, therefore, seem |
right and proper that those who want
the privilege OF going through our State
should come forward and openly show
their hands and avow their intentions.
This amendment to the charter of the
Delaware Western road is said TO be
intended to cover the design of building
new through line road. But this is
not expressed in the amendment; nor
do any names appear as is usual in bills
for charters for new roads. Repre-
sentatiVes very naturally desire 10
know the object for which they grant
charters, delay therefore might reasona-
bly, be expected in this case. Senator
Belts, who introduced the bill, is no
doubt prepared to answer all questions
and his colleagues, thel efore, may be
well posted upon the matter; but the
people of Stale are yet in the dark
We should like to be able to enlighten
them; but we are compelled, as we
said before, to rely wholly on hearsay.
And now, it is said that Col. McComb
who had been given the credit of be-
% ohS SAASL OpCtdLOE Ill luB amend |
ment of the Delaware Western
railroad charter has sold out his stock
In that road to the Baltimore and
Ohio road; and that the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad company have the ma.
jority of the stock of the D. w. and
that the supplementary legislation is
to enable the Baltimore d Ohio rail-
road company to build connections
that would give that road a compete
and through line en- which they intend
to run express trains reducing the
time between the cities of PhiladeI-
phia and Baltimore to two hours and
half. OF course the people on the
line of the new road are favorable to
its construction. twill improve their
property. So are the people of Will
nington favorable inasmuch as it
would lead to the expenditure of large
sums of money here and afterward
give labor and employment to many
men, whether the chief workshops
were established here CT not.