Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-04
THE RAILROAD BILL.
FEW AMENDMENTS ACTED ON.


"
The House Resolves that the Commissioner
snail be Elected bI the Tive Branches sf the
General Assembly.
At o'clock yesterday the Chair
mir. Cardwelll announced to the House
that the special order was the railroad
commissioners bill. The pending ques-
tion was the amendment Of Mr.. Powell,
proposing, in substance, that the three
commissioners shall be appointed by
the Governor by and with The advice OF
the Senate, instead Of the General As
sembly electing them. :,
Mr.. Stuart said that he was opposed
to the amendment. II would be far
easier for the railroad companies oil the
State to combine and elect Governor
than to elect Senate and House oil
Delegates. The General Assembly Is
peculiarly qualified to ascertain the
qualities needed by the commissioners,
and it ought neither to attempt to shit
nor shirk the responsibility.
1OO MANY tANDlDAl lEo.
Mr.. Peters said that he was over
whelmed already with applications to
vote for this or that man. Every mail
brought him letters on the subject.
But the sole question with him was
whether we can get the best commits
sioners through the Governor or an
election by the General Assembly. He
preferred that the Governor should have
this power, because he believed we
would be able to secure the services OF
better men.
Mr.. Downing, inasmuch as the
commissioners had to pass between
the people and the railroad compa-
MES, thought that the people should
elect these commissioners. Amy other
expedient may cause the power of the
railroad companies to be felt in the
politics Of the State. Give the people
the choice Of the commissioners and
you may be sure that no power can buy
the people up.
Mr.. Cuilett Republican, thought the
present Governor altogether worthy
and proper to appoint these officers.
Mr.. Waddill proposed an amendment
giyirg the election of these officers to
the people but Mr.. Downing offered
one as a substitute. and Mr.. Waddill
withdrew his proposition.
THE CHAIRMAN OPPOSES \ CHANGE.
Mr.. Stribling, chairman of the Com
mittee on Roads, objected to the amend
ment because it would bring the railroad
companies into politics. They would
become the party to determine every
election in this State. lie saw in the
proposition great danger, and warned
the House against it.
Mr.. Downing DO you think that the
people can he easier managed by the
railroads than can the Legislature
Mr.. Stribling | think so.
lie then went on to argue that with
parties pretty evenly balanced the rail-
/ Dads would be strongly tempted to
come in and take a hand, and thus
would manage to control this matter.
IL being ascertained that Mr.. Down
ing's substitute did not fit into the bill,
he Withdrew it, and Mr.. Waddill re-
introduced his, as follows:
That the first commissioners under
this act shall be appointed by the Gov
eInor, and shall each hold their office
until the 1st day of January, 1888, and
that at the regular fall election in the
year 1887, and every four years there
after, the said commissioners shall be
elected by the people, and shall go into
office on the lst day of January, 1888,
and shall hold their Office for the pc
Rod Of four years
Mr.. Waddill (Republican) said that
unless the people are to elect this Board
The railroads will attempt to control the
commissioners if it costs them 800, 900.
"IT MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE"
Mr.. A. Pulkerson thought it made
little or no difference who appointed the
commissioners as long as the 18th
section was retained in the bill. That
section provides that the railroad COM
panies shall pay the expenses of the
commissioners, and you will not find the
commissioners antagonizing them, for
they will well know thatat almost any
time the railroads can carry the question
into the courts. and may smash the whole
thing Up. So far as he was informed,
the appointment of railroad commits
sioner, in the first place. came more
from the desire to give an office
to some good fellow "than to
DO good to the people. No, sir
the commissioners will not quar-
rel with their bread aud meat" So
he thought it made no great difference
how the commissioners were to be ap-
pointed; but he was free to say that Of
the three plans he preferred an election
by the two houses; the members are
Immediately responsible to the people
it would be more difficult to corrupt
them than it wOuld-were the thing
possible at ALTO corrupt a governor
and the Senate. AS for electing the
commissioners by the people, that would
not DO at all.
LEAVE THE BILL ALONE.
Mr.. Grimsley took a like position.
The two houses should elect. The
Governor would have to rely upon some
outside information or recommendation
in making these appointments. Natu-
rally the members of the General As
sembly would be among those upon
whom he relied. So it would be much
safer TO leave the question where the
committee. put it.
THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
Mr.. Saunders regarded this discus
sion as . putting the cart before the
horse" ..e would like the 18th sec
tion first to be passed on before be was
called on to vote on this matter off 49,
pointing commissioners. That wotnj
go far towards determining how he
would vote.
Mr.. Waddill's substitute was rejected.
AYFs.-NIessrS Acser, Bandy. Boiling. Bo-
rum, faulcou, Franklin. Gllls. Harris, Hart,
Jones W. b. Jordan. McCandlsh. Martin,
Mathews. Nance ThOrne Tillar. Turner.
Waddlll. Webb. and Wise-2l.
NoFs.-yessrs. Black. Bohannan. BOlen,
Brown. buchanan. Cardwel. Carter Cnal-
n ers. Chi,dress. Cornett, Crismond. cur.