Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-25
WILL NOT SELL.
The Nonongahola Navigation Company Re-
fuses to Enter Into Negotiations With
the United States Government---Ghe
Property Must be Condemned.

WASHINGTON, January PA sensational
communication was sent . Congress to-
day ov the Secretary OF War relative to
the requirement by the government OF
the Monongahela Navigation Company's
locks and dams. Secretary Lamonts
views upon the subject are em bodied In the
following letter from Gen. Casey, CEfet OF
Engineers, under date OF January q:
The attorney for the MonOngahe!a Navi-
cation Company addressed communlca-
tion TO the Secretary of War on August
%, 1894. on the subject of the appointment
of d suitable person TO take testimony and
report on the value of the cOmpauy's prop
erty, and having reference to that commun-
ication. | recommended that the company
be REQUIRED to submit TO the Secretary OF
War on or before Novemberl, l, 1894, writ
ten testimony as 20 the value OF its prop
erty. and this testimony be taken under
oath in the presence Of Capt Z. l.. Hoxle,
corps of engineers, al Pittsourg. In let
ter TO the Secretary of War dated August
2S, the attorney for the company requested
that he be permitted to submit views on
the subject before the investigation com
menced, and this privilege was accorded
by the War Department IN a letter oil sep
tember l3.
after a delay of four months the attor-
ney has submitted a communication dated
the 18th inst, in which occurs the follow
ing: Il am instructed by the Board OF
Directors of the company to say that tue
property of the company is not Tor sa!ei
that the Board has no power delegated 10
it to make such sale or 10 negotiate IN re-
sDect 10 a sale, and that 1t does not feel dis-
posed TO enter into dealings with the Uni
ted States that bear the semblance OF ne
gotiation looking TO the sale OF the proper
i.
that the company's property snail De taken
for the bensht of the coal men, 1t must pro-
vide for condemnation proceedings and a
pavment of such compensation TO the com
panv as the court may award, upon the
evidence produced
las the company thereby declines to sell
its property, or TO enter into any neRotia-
tion with the Uuited States looking to
sale. it is evident that the property cannot
be acquired by purchase, and II would
seem useless to pursue the investigation
authorized and directed by the river ana
harbor act. The question OF the value ana
commercial Importance Of the companys
works was in pursuance TO provision IN
the river and harbor act OF 1885, lnvestlga-
ted by a board of engineers, VINO reported,
aud careful and thorough consideration
was given the report at the tlIne.
81 have the honor TO recommend, there
fore that under the correspondence had
with the attorney of the company be trans
mitted TO Congress for its information
and for such action in the premises rs may
be deemed proper in view OF The position
taken
II beg leave to say further that in my
Judgment. as the STATE of Pennsylvania
placed portion of this river, which is
navigable water OF the United States, in
the hands of this private corporation and
granted it certain rights and franchises
the SAID State should extinguish these
franchises and relieve commerce from
the exactions of a corporation created by
its own laws before action IS taken look
ing to the assumption Of control by the
United States"