The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-03-16

To allow Chatham county to issue
bonds and levy special tax. Passed.
To allow Washington county to levy
special tax. Passed.
To incorporate the town Of Saratoga,
in Wilson county. Tabled.
To incorporate the town of Mayodan,
n Rockingham county. Passed.
To provide for working the public
roads of Hartford county. Passed.
To allow Jackson county to levy
special tax. Passed.
To allow Pennsylvania to levy special
tax. Passed.
To establish a graded school for
Greenville, Pitt county. Passed.
To authorize the commissioners OF
Madison county to build a bridge over
Ivey creek. Passed.
To establish graded schools in the
town Of Hickory. Passed.
To amend the charter OF Edenton,
Chowen county. Passed over, and re
committed to Committee on Corpora
tions.
To allow PeEquimans county to issue
bonds. Passed.
To amend the charter of the Marion
and Asheville Turnpike Company.
! Passed second reading.
To allow Caldwell county to levy q
| special tax. Passed second reading.
To locate and construct bridges in
Craven county. Passed second read
ing.
To allow the town of Monroe to issue
bonds to build waterWorks. Passed
second reading.
To authoriz9 the town of Concord to
hold an election to vote on issuing
bonds. Passed second reading.
THE INVESTIGATING or MM1TTEE.
The following majority report of the
special committee appointed to inves
tigate the making of the lease Of the N.
Q. Railroad signed by Grant. Alexan-
der, Mccarthy, Abel and Whedbee,
was sent by Grant and read:
We, the undersigned, special com
mittee appointed by the Senate, under
and by virtue OF a memorial and petit
ton from the Board OF Directors OF the
North Carolina Railroad Company, to
investigate and enquire into the intima-
tiOns and allegations OF fraud against
said Board of Directors in leasing the
North Carolina Railroad to the South
ern Railway Company, beg to submit
the following report:
First. That as part of the report of
your committee, we submit the sworn
testimony OF all the witnesses examined,
taken by a sworn ste~nographer.
Second. That after a careful and
painstaking investigation and a close
scrutiny into the motives, inducements,
intent and purposes of said Board of
Directors in leasing the North Carolina
Railroad to the Southern Railway
Company, we find no suspicion of
fraud or intimatiOn of corruption.
That in our opinion every deed and act
Of said Board of Directors enanated
from q desire and the purpose to pro
teCt the States interest, as we'll as look
ing to the welfare of the private stock
holders.
Third. That we recommend that
the evidence hereto attached and this
report by your committee be spread
upon the Senate Journal"
Mr.. Butler presented the following
minority report from the committee:
10 the Senate of North Carolina:
"a minority Of your special commit
tee appointed to investigate the memo
rial and petition from the Board of
Directors of. the North Carolina Rail
way Company regret that we cannot
join the majority in their report be.
cause, 1st. the committee failed to ex
anime x-Gov, Carr. Col A. B.. An
drews and Mr.. r Q. Hoffman. A full
and complete investigation demanded
this. The people Of the State want the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth. This was imposs. bic
unless all the actors were heard upon
oath and subjected to cross examlna
ton.
ID. The majority failed to find as q
fact, that there was no competition in
the sale OF this most valuable property.
Bed. The majority failed to find as a
fact, that Mr. Hoffman, representing
the Seaboard Air Line, the only possible
competitor of the Southern, had an Cd
portunity to bid. Mr.. Maxwell, a
director on the part of the State testi,
fed that Mr.. H. fman said he could
not bid six years before the expiration
Of the Smith lease of 1871, be iuse the
Southern would run the road down.
That l voted for the SO year lease be
cause l knew the Southern would run
the road down on U.s." Director Max
well further testified that Mr.. Hoffman
could not bid intelligently before the
expiration of the Ole lease, because he
could not know in what condition he
would receive the property.
Ssh. The majority failed TO find as q
fact, that any member of the Board of
Directors knew or took any steps to as
certain the real value of this properly,
or what the Southern was paying for
similar property, and of less value,
than the North Carolina Railroad. The
minority refers the Senate to the testi-
mony of Mr. Overman, Mr.. Alexander,
Mr.. Maxwell and others Of the board
OF directors on this point, who testified
in substance that they did not know
the value of any other railroad prop
erty in North Carolina, South Carolina
or GnOrria And tho nninnn;tu Rnl q