The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-01
NIGH SESSION..
he Richmond and Manassas Eli Ordered
toIt. FngrOssinent.

The Senate met at o'clock and passed
bills authorizing an Increase of salary
for the county judges Of King George and
! Sufry counties and b'Uii"'i"ii anu DiSh-
inson counties.
The Richmond and Manassas railroad
bill was then called up and Senator Mush-
bach spoke in opposition 10 the charter.
! Mr. Mushbach said he was embarrassed
| because he renreseute1 a divided cOnstitu-
ency. King william and other parts OF
this district being for and Alexandria and
other parts against II, ana ne, therefore,
| would not discuss u from local stand
point He said he regarded 1t one or the
most important bills IN the SIX Sessions
that he had been In the Legislature, and
| during that time he had seen -iS'V0V'W.
Of stock and other property OF the state
! disposed Of. and much Of IL for nothing
and now protested against giving away
the last remnant that is LETT
lie eraphicallv described the manner in
which the States agnihcent property
had been disposed Of 10 railroad schemes.
he said IL had been demonstrated mat
this was a fight for Richmond against
the balance OF the state. he recited
Alexandrias experience with railroads
and said they had made her a way-statioh
and that he sympathized with Rlchmono
IN this because this road, which was IN
Tie interest Of Baltimore. would make
Richmond & way-station, too.
At this point the Senate took a recess
TO attend the caucus Of the Committee
| on Privileges and Elections. At 1920 the
Senate again assembled, and Senator
Mushbach resumed his speech. lie said
one Of the results would be 10 injure his
city and lay tributary 10 Baltimore q
large territory Of Virginia, and he pro
tested against the policy TO make Nir-
sinia a suburb OF Baltimore. lie did not
want any more Virginia cities ruined be-
cause Richmond could not get satisfactory
freight rates. He was opposed 10 the biil
because he was constrained TO feel fear
that the railroad would never be built
and because it might be that those outside
Of Virginia desired 10 get hold Of the
States property and had no intention OF
building the road. The road will not b.
built unless the States stock is sold.
At this point he referred to the price
which the road had guaranteed the sale
Of the stock. and Senator Lovenstein
Stated that the Finance Committee hao
reported an amendment providing that
the price should be increased from ~
and 10 10 l35 and 49,
lie EIil 10 one Knew certainty NID Wa
behind the scheme. but If it was the Bal
timore ana Ohio Richmond would be dis
eliminated against in favor OF Baltimore
He then took the ground that the effect
of the bill was 10 deprecate the stock OF
the State and put It up at auction where
there can be but one bidder, and thai
when the incorporatOrs secured the stoch
they would not build q parallel line e
ruin that which they have acquired.
Senator McIlwaine followed Senator
Mushbach, and spoke principally in re-
gard 10 Petersburg's interest In the mat
ter lie said that Petersburg subscribed
$4,000 to the Virginia and North Carolina
railroad, and that IN the counties south
of Petersburg the road was partially
constructed. that as soon az this none.
was expended in grading and stone work
the road was sold out 10 the Coast Line
and that Petersburg would welcome any
body who would come and give them a
connection. lie held that Petersburg was
more vitality interested than Richmond
and made an earnest appeal for the relief
Of his people, who We're penned up by
the Coast Line.
n he Southwest.
Senator Watts spoke next. and argued
the question from the standpoint OF a
entire State He laid down as a PROPOSE
ti0n that anything was worth only what
II would bring, and that this stock was
worth IN the market only SIP, and had
never sold for over sl2j. lie held that
Virginia could not AFFORD 10 refuse a
charter 10 railroad which, II built
would diffuse sl.S00.e00 among the people
Of the State. He called attention TO the
immense Improvement railroad build
ing had wrought in the southwest, and
said that wherever a railroad had been
built in the deiles Of that country the
Inhabitants had increased by hundreds
and thousands. He held that the state, IL
get another railroad, could afford TO sell
its stock without the guarantee OF one
hundred thousand IN century bonds BY
the Richmond and Manassas road which
is worth 100000 or S60,0Jt as we OF me
state OF irsinia may be honest or dis
honest Senator Watts made several com
plimen;ary references TO Richmond, an
was applauded by the large crowd pres
ent
Senator Little then took up the cudgels
in opposition TO the charter, ana SAID mat
he did not understand when he LETT the
Senate Tuesday that the question was
to be made a special order FOR the noon
hour yesterday, or that debate wouid DC
muzzled by restricting 1t to two hours
and that too. when the Finance commit
tee had had no opportunity TO make
report on its companion bill, when wa
indissOlubly connected with 1t. providing
for the sale OF the States interest; that
he could see no reason for 1t. unless
it was the hidden hand which was evil
dent but had not been shown from the
beginning.
AR. Little said the effect would be TO
depreciate the States interest in the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac,
and that the holding in the hands OF
widows and orphans-mOrc than . per
cent.--woud not be worth anything ike
a fair value: that when they secured
the stock they would be as CAREFUL as
the State is now not 70 have its proper
~ deprecated, and that Richmond
would be thr0ttled as II never was De-
fore. He said, that the whole schemc
was 10 get the States interest SO thal
they can depreciate the balance ana get
IL at their own price. after which lney
would not want 10 build any pa'i''e'
lines. ana would not build the MANASSAS
road
He wanted to know II this were not
so, why .ney declined TO say they "oulu
come 10 Fredericksburg; that IL Duill
in direct line the road would run III
a half mile OF Fredericksburg, and mat
If IL belted that city It would injure IT'S
taxable values a half million dollars
and its business interests stu more.
He said that If the States interest were
sold it would be visited on the dominant
party in the State.
Senator Hav closed the debate. Upon