The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-17

He wanted light on this matter. The
Legislature connot get this light
unless the matter be looked into.
4r. Skinner said his sole object
was to do exact justice to the corpora
tions and to the people. If there
Was any way to make the Whining
ton and Weldon come in and pay its
taxes, if that could be done, was right
he vas for it. But he did not want
to do a wrong to make a corporation
do something which he conceived to
be right. All the Petersburg Rail
road is In Northampton county. There
is no local objection to the recharter-
ing. The charter of the road expired
some months ago. He alluded to it
Gs one of the most important roads In
the county. The Wilmington and
Weldon is not entirely dependent
upon the recharter of the Petersburg.
A charter can be had in Virginia and
by building two and a half miles of
road the connection can be made. He
wanted light on the subject, but
thought there wGs a better way to get
this. He sent up and had read as .
part Of his remarks an amendment to
the railway commission bill, giving
the commission the right to investi,
gate any property of railways on
which the State should receive taxes,
and to order actions brought TO recover
these taxes. He desired the State to
receive every cent of taxes due it by
any and all companies. He took
occasion to pay a high compliment to
the committee on Investigation for its
great work. He thought the profits
of the W. & w. railway a Legitimate
subject of taxation. Mr.. Skinner
said he also had a letter from Mr..
Rittenhouse on the subject in ques,
ton.
MI. Alexander was opposed to any
re consideration. If a sheriff went to
serve a warrant on a man who had
stolen goods in his house the man
would raise a row; but if they were
not in his house he would say to the
sheriff to enter aud search away.
GHughter.) The railway in this case
is raising a row and it is easy to see
the cause of it. He would not vote
to charter the Petersburg road if its
owners had in their pocket money
which belonged to the people of the
State.
Mr.. Ray spoke warmly in reply TO
Mr. Alexander, saying his remarks
were unjust to the committee on judi
ciary. Twice had the bill to charter
been before this committee and wGs
before another committee. The mat
ter of immunity of the W. & W. from
taxation had been taken up to the u.
8. Supreme Court, which cannot de.
eide but that there was a contract be
tween the State and the road. The
State officers had done their duty and
brought the suits against the W. & w.
aud the R & G.. roads. We cannot
trEmple these contracts under our feet
and preserve our dignity and our
manhood. Mr.. PEBBLES defended tie
judiciary committee and declared it
had given great care and much tina
in regard to the re charter matter. de
thought Mr.. Alexander language and
comparison unjust and ungenerous.
MI. Bryan, of Wayne, said no man
was more earnest than he in defence OF
the peoples rights. His desire was to
be honest and fair in dealing with rail
ways as in all other things. No mat
ter was more important than this. He
was not prepared to see this stormy
fight here. Why wGs charter of the
Petersburg railroad injected SO strong
ly into the question ? For his part he
wanted light. The matter should
most assurodly go before the commit
tee. That was the way in which to
get light. It Is not a question of with
holding the charter of the Peters ourg
railway; it 10 to raise a committee to
look into the charter asked for by the
W. & ". railway, and a 50 to look in
to matters relative to its connection
with the Petersburg railway.
The fact this charter of the Peters
burg railway was almost to expire Was
the cause of the apparently liberal of.
10E Oh Gu0 w o. w IL u. ~ SuE1O4u0L
certain old rightS in return for certain
new ones. He said the attorney of the
w. & W. railroad had to day told him
he knew of no chuarter under which
it could get out of the State. A branch
road could not be built beyond the
limits of the main stem.
M. Ray said Mr.. Bryan had MOI
gone before the committee which had
had the recharter bill in charge, 81
though he had opportunities to do so.
He said he had this day heard the
first word of complaint against the
railway investigating committee. He
characterized Mr.. Bryan as q "kickOr."
Mr.. McGill said that after hearing
the discussion be was more than eve