Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-22


thought there was any chance of kill
ing the bill.
Mr.. Blease said Major Hart, of York
Vile and Messrs. Hunt & Culbert, of
Newberry, wanted to be heard and
should be given an audience. All that
was wanted was fair play. He wanted
to hear fully what these gentlemen
had to say.
Mr.. Woodward said there was alb
solutely nothing for the committee to
hear.
Mr.. Ragsdale said he was member
of the railroad committee. For him.
self he did not think any other report
could be gotten from the committee.
If the bondholders have any rights
they can get them through the courts.
This body acts for the public and not
private interests. There is conflict
of rival corporations, and that is the
thing in a nutshell. When corpora
tion intends to falsify it does not mince
its methods.
The bondholders will, in all events,
have to 60 to the courts. This legisla-
ture can do nothing for the bondhold-
ers. He wanted the road notwith-
standing what the Southern wants.
Mr.. Mellow said it was known that
the railroads have been lobbying for a
week or more on the bill, and nothing
could be lost by hearing men who
know what effect this bill will have on
large interests. The committee will
be better able TO present the whole
matter clearly. He would vote for
the bill to grant the charter.
Mr.. Sanders said it was altogether
an error to say that the Southern rail-
road was blocking the bill. He was
local attorney for the Southern, and
knew the Southern wants the road to
come. The whole question now is a
matter of private interests. The COM
mittee agreed to hear these gentlemen
this morning and only four members
of the committee appeared. The
house cannot undertake to decide on
vested rights. There was no reason
to delay the bill.
Mr.. Bacot said the very interests
now clamoring were heard for an hour
and half, as he understood the mat
ter. To delay the bill on the very
verge of passage is wrong, and any
amendment can be made on the floor
of the house. Delay is prejudiclal
now.
The previous question was ordered.
The house refused to adjourn debate
on the bill until $50 by vote of 33 to
no further count. .-
Mr.. Mellow offered an amendment
relative to the interests of certain con-
tractors.
Mr.. M. B. Woodward offered an
amendment to require work to be
started within two years and complet-
ed in ten years, as to the Augusta,
Edge6eld and Newberry railroad right
of way. The amendment was adopted.
Mr.. McDow's amendment was as
follows, and debate recurred on it:
Section 9. That the acceptance OF
this amended charter by the South
Carolina and Georgia Extension COM
pany shall involve the condition that
it release to the persons who graded
the roadbed between Newberry and
Blacksburg the work for which pay
ment was not made, or shall pay them
for the work done according to the
engineers estimates therefor.
His object was simply to. get pay for
ub-contractors who did work on what
was known as the Augusta extension.
The sub-contractors were due about
$4,000 with interest since 1890. All
the amendment seeks to do is that the
contractors be paid before the South
Carolina and Georgia Extension COM
pany gets the roadway which has been
graded by these contractors. 1t was
right and proper for the South Caro-
lima and Georgia Extension company,
which has the Three C's road, to pay
for these rights. The Three C's is in
solvent and that was why they had
not gotten their money. The South
Carolina and Georgia Extension COM
pany and the Ohio River and Charles
ton people paid nothing for these
rights. He thought the contractors
had the highest equity. The property
was bought Under foreclosure.
Mr.. Woodward said the South Car
olina and Georgia company had abso-
lutely nothing to do with this debt.
This was trying to force 100000 out
of the South Carolina and Georgia Ex-
tension company. The claim is barred
in every way and the legislature has
no right to pass such an amendment.
The contractors have no possible equi-
ty here if they have no equity before
the courts.
Mr.. Mellow said the amendment re-
ferred only to an abandoned roadway
and not to the Spartanburg extension.
The amendment was lost.
Mr.. Sanders, for the committee, pro-
posed number of amendments, all OF
which were agreed upon in advance
and were adopted.
The much battered bill, as finally
passed, reads:
Section1. "a concurrent resolution al
lowing this bill to be introduced having
been passed by two-thirds vote of each
house, as required by the constitution.)
That the charter of the South Carolina
and Georgia Extension Railroad compa-
ny of South Carolina, heretofore incorpo-
rated and now existing under the pro-
visions of Sections 1,6l0 to 1,6l4, inclusive,
of Revised Statutes of 1893, be, and the
same is hereby confirmed. and said corpo-
ration, is hereby recognized as an exist