The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-26

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the opposition on the w. & w. mat
ter. This bill was to repeal the
charter Of the Georgia, Carolina &
Northern railroad, which was passed
in 1857 and which road is now being
built, unless by August lst the Rai
eigh & CASTOR give up its chartered
exemptions. The former road forms
a southern connection with the lat
ter. The author, or rather intrOdu-
Ger, of this bill had the audacity to
say that he did not favor the bill
and would not vnte for it, but that
since we had "bottIed up'' the w.
& w railroad that he wanted to see
how We would vote on "bottling up'
other roads.
IL short those who we're displeas-
ed at the passage OF the bill with
reference to the w. & w. Road, at
tempted to take snap judgment up
on the majority by offering this bill
suddenly and without time for CON-
sideration, with the hope it is sup
posed Of putting the majority in IA
"hole." The majority, though TAX
en- by surprise, were not caught nap
ping, but readily took in the hesituation
and caught on their feet" How? By
simply offering an amendment stay
iLg the operation of the bill'fOr TWO
YEARS thereby to certain extent
putting the r. & G. Road on the
same footing as the w. & W.; and
to the chagrin of the authors Of
the bill the amendment passed and
the bill as amended went over to the
House. Then lively fight occurred
led by Mr.. Jones OF Wake. He
said that he was against the w. &
W. proposition and if the Senate
had not killed It that he would have
fought it in the House. He said that
he haG also strongly lvocated the
bills to repe,,l chapter 40 of the Code
and to limit the Petersburg charter
to two years, which was right be-
cause the States contract with that
Dad had expired and that we were
under no obligation to renew the
contract and certainly for no longer
time than we saw fit. He said that
beth the Petersburg and the w. &
w. Roads had come to the Legisla-
ture as petitions asking for favors
and that We had simply granted those
favors in so far as we conceived it to
be for the best interests of the State.
But that the case with the r. & G.
Railroad and the G. G.. & n. Rail-
road was entirely different; and
while there could be no real harm
resulting from passing the bill with
the two year amendment which the
Senate had wisely aud justly put on
il, yet the whole thing was wrong
in principle. For these roads had
violated no contract nor had asked
for any favors. That this bill put
them on trial without moments
notice and proposed to pass judgment
upon them hastily without so much
as giving them notice, much less
given them a hearing. That he was
in favor of making every road pay
taxes and give up their exemptions,
but he was not in favor cf changing
the contract made by the State at
this last moment of the session with
out giving a hearing to the other
parties to the contract. That he
could not do even a corporation a
wrong to secure right, much less
to satisfy the pique and chagrin of
certain other parties. He hoped the
bill would be voted down. Much
discussion followed, but the House
by a good majority sustained Mr..
Jones in his position. While we
were satisfied with the position of
the Senate on this question yet the
position taken by the House is sound.
manly and p patriotic. All this shows
that the next campaign will be g
4 square issue on taxation and railroad
matters and that the next Legisla
ture will be put on its metal; and if
that body represents truly the peo'
pie and their interests it will be equp
to the occasion.