The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-03-08
Railroad Supervision.


charter Of the Geor ia Pacific Railroad,
serving 10 the Legislature the right to prote
the people from oyereharges and diserimin
lions in freight and fares.
Ma SPEAKER: The Committee on COrpor
tons have had under consideration H. r. n
ll9 which was referred 10 them AMI have I
/ ported il back with the recommendations II
+ il do pass, and we, the undersigned. minori
4 Of said committee, being of the opinion th
1 said bill should nat have been 50 recommend,
in the torn in which it was reported bac
! respectfully submit the following expr ssioI
of our objections TO said Bill:
/ LIST. Allthe franchises, privileges immunitii
ana exemptions from taxation and 9TH
State police regulations which have bsen col
ierred by the States OF Mississippi and Ali
bama upon four different railroad companie
are sought TO be enscied for the benefit of, an
conferred upoR. the corporation which is to /
created BY sad bill.
| End. Because, in our opinion. said act give
or attempts 10 give TO said incorporation, tn
unrestricted power TO regulate its rates
freight and passenger tariff, aud not only doe
not recognize but implicitly denies th
right OF supervision over said corporation
StateanthoritIes and its subordination to Stat
legislation, in the interest and for the proiet
ton o the Peoplei and il Is our belief, that
said corporation is granted the unristricte
power sought to be conferred upon it by sal
BILL it will claim for all time To come a consti
tuti0nal and perpetual right to practice ex
tortion and unjust discrimination in its rate
of freight and passenger thrift, and will resis
I'll State legislation intended tn correct an
prevent such abuse of POWER; and even il sucl
legislation should ever be decided to be uncon
stitutional as to railroad charters ALREADY
granted, still we think the power should b.
clearly reserved in the people of this State T.
decide whether such supervisory Legislation
should or should not be exercised over corpora
I
IN every case and under ali circumstances flo
the people to have perfectly clear and unques
nouable right to prevent unreasonable exse
tons AID abuses OF power on the part of am
railroad, than for any railroad to have a pos
sihilitY of a perpetual and unlimited right Il
practice extortion aud unjust discrimination
Sd. Because the time tor which said corpo
ration Is sought TO be exempt from taxation i;
not perfectly certain; and its exemptions ex
tend not only to such property as is usua Is
used by railroads, but alsa, to all capital in,
vested BY said corporation in cotton com
presses, and in the selling and storing of Goa
ami coal yards, etc, etc., which would give i
hnSines, to the great injury of others engaged
in such avoeations, but who would have no such
privileges or exemptions.
We are friendly 10 railroad enterprises
both to those in course of construction or in
aud are willing and DESTROYS
y =
our sense Of public duty to aid and encourage
their construction in the State; but we can
not give our assistance or votes to the support OF
a bill which may in its possible effect perpetu.
ally prevent the people of this State of the ex-
ercl>e of portion of their sovereign power
and we therefore respectfully recommend that
the bill do not pass unless some such amend
ment to t e adopted, as those herewith of
fered by us, the adoption of which would OBJ
viate our chief obi lection 10 said bill and euttle
it to our support.
If tue Georgia Pacific Railway Company
already possesses the powers sought to be
given them by said bill, we see no necessity
Of another grant of their power, and the anne nd
IN mt offered by us will not abridge in any
way its previously acquired rights We
believe any attempt of a Legislature to confer
upon a public corporation such cha tered
gifts as to divest the people of the State of
the powers to protect its citizens by super
visory legislation from extortions and unjust
1 scrimiuaions on the part of said corpora
ii ms is null aud void by this act, but this
question is NOT, however, so perfectly settled
but what corporations whose charters contain
a grant o. such power, will use every means to
resist the enactment pr enforcement OF such
laws intended TO prevent the abusive use of
such powers
We desire, therefore, to make all future
charters to such corporations so plain and
clear as to avoid all constitutional and legal
questions on this point.
We are willing to exempt new railroad en-
,erprises from taxation and legislation for
limited number OF years but not forever.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
A. b. GUYNEs,
r, n. PRovINE.
The following amendments were proposed
BY Representatives Guynes and Provine in
accordance with the principles laid down in
heir report:
LIST To amend the first section Of House bill
No. ll9 by adding after the last word in said
J, ction the foil wing provided however
hat nothing contained in this act shall ever
)e held to vest any such power in the corpora
ion herein created as to prevent the people Of
his State from Guarding by just and reason
Ibla legislation against said corporation
making extortiOnate rates of freight or pas
enger tariff and unreasonable discrimination
Eainst persons or places.
u. Amend the eighth paragraph of section
said bill by adding atter the last word Of
aid paragraph the following words pro
Iiled, however, that the capital invested ty
he corporation herein created in carrying on
he business of dealing in coal, COMPRISING
otfon, cotton congresses and coal yards,
which are not necessary in operating such
shall not be exempted from taxa
ion. A. B: GUYNEs,
R. N. PRovINE.
of Senator HUMPHREYS on
A. and m. College Appropriation
Bill.
The Agricultural College Appropriation Bill
,=ing under consideration on the 2Sth inst.
1r. HUMPHREYS said That he thought the
mount was not sufficient, and that the amend
lent increasing it twenty thousand dollars,
hpuld be adopted that the estimates sub
uItted were in the interest of economy and
Progress; that toe object oforganizing and en-
lowing this college was for the benefit of the
classes, and that the Legislature
bould not hesitate to execute this de-
ign. Not to adopt this amendment, would be
failure to provide for the erection of
uTsble building for scientific purposes The
department. of Biology, needs at once, equip
nents for proper instruction. Collections
must be made for illustration in chemistry.
'otany, agriculture, horticulture, physiology,
eology, veterinary science, etc. These collec-
ions require room, and scientific building is
6sotUtety Indispensable. the cost of which will
equire this additional amount. If this pur-
iose eau be subserved, the College will be
rought in sympathy with all the agricultural
ocieties and interests in the State. Four
tths Of She people are interested ia the de-
eloDm NJ of his feature. The object o. this
,ollege. Mr.. President, Is to furnish liberal
ducation to the industrial young men OF IL ssis-
Ippl and II should not be thwarted. 1t is to in
truct them fully in theoretical and practical
griculture and the mechanic arts. II has been
rganised but little more than one year but in
hatshort space of time, under the splendid
of the able and distinguished
who is at Its head, il has subserved
be objects of its creation. IT'S prospects are
a an eminent degree hattering, and its per-
eet success as morally certain as anything
ot reduced to actuaIity can be- Your
ommittee are of the opinion that its Ger.
ain success must aud will largely depend
pom the support aud encouragement it
eeeives from the Legislature in IT'S infancy. |
Until it Is complete in all f its appointments,
will necessarily be expensive to the State
ut after this. the wise management that has
hus far directed it, will, in a great degree, be
be to make it selfsustaining. | hope, sir,
hat not only the bill. but the amendment
hereto, increasing this appropriation will
ASS.
Il is claimed that most of these colleges have
allied. Mr.. President. this is not so, where
he money has been spent in the spirit Of the
NV organizing these colleges. They have
allied when the money has been misappropri-
ted in colleges organized in other interests.
A GARD.
JACKSON, MISS, March l, 1882
Ton. T. z NoEand, Chairman Senate Commit