Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-22
BACKED BY BELL COMPANY
Bill to Charter Virginia Telephone and
Telegraph Company.
Strong Opposition to Ii in Legislature
adjournment Expected in
Two Weeks.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
RICHMOND, Va, February p, 1860
1t is now openly charged, and not denied
by any one SO far, that the Southern Bell
Telephone Company is behind the bill to
charter the Virginia Telephone and Tele-
graph Company. This measure is exciting
a great deal of interest in legislative cir
Giles. Nearly every city in the state has
representatives here fighting its provisions.
The principal objection to it is that 1t sus
ponds a portion of the law that has been
upon the statute books for fifty-two years,
which in effect provides that a city or a
town council shall have the right to say
whether or not telegraph or telephone
company can use its streets.
Under this act the company proposed to
be incorporated can enter a city or town
without the permission of the council. but
will be subject to such reasonable regula-
tons as may be imposed. 1t is claimed
by the opposition that the reasonable reg
ulations" provision would cause much liti-
CATION. The hearings on the bill will
hardly be concluded before Thursday.
1t Is foregone conclusion that the bill
will not be reported favorably in Its pres
are seven of the best-known citizens Of
Virginia. They are: J. Taylor ElIyson,
chairman Of the state democratic party;
George L. Christian, John B. Purcell and
Richmond chamber of commerce: r. S.
Bosher. a prominent tobacco manufacturer
Of Richmond; Judge John D. Hors!ey of
Lynchburg and Richard E. Byrd of Win
chester. Senator Glass has stated on the
floor of the senate that he has learned upon
what he regards as reliable authority that
New York banker. representing the Bell
company of its auxiliary companies
stands ready to pay 100000 for this char
ter.
The bill to give the Seaboard Air Line the
right to parallel the Richmond Fredericks-
burg and Potomac road to Washington will
probably not have such easy sailing in the
house as it did in the senate. More than
two-thirds of the senators approved of it
in all of its provisions. Friends of the
measure claim twenty-five majority in the
house. but when pressed to give names
they admit that they can count on only
fifteen majority. Some of the leading mem
bers of the house will oppose this bill,
among them Speaker Saunders, Capt JOS
E. Willard of Fairfax and Delegate r. S.
Parks of Page county. Had the corporators
been willing to give a guarantee bond of
$500 600 that the proposed road would be
built it is probable that there would have
been no objection made to the granting Of
the charter, but number Of members Of
the legislature openly assert that they do
not believe the road will be built.
They claim that when the Seaboard has
bought out the states holdings in the R.,
F. and P. it will be enabled to make such
terms with tina. company as not to justify
the expense Of building a new line. The
forfeit is SIPS 900. 1t is pointed out that the
interest of the stock this company will buy
III the old road will more than pay the
amount of the forfeit in two years There
is great danger. it is claimed by some, that
the Seaboard will be able to secure a con-
trolling interest in the old road and thus
operate the monopoly it has been fighting
to. its own advantage.
The legislature will adjourn within two
weeks. There has been less legislation en-
acted of general character than in many
passed; the most of them relief measures.
The finance committees of the two houses
are now busily engaged on the appropria-
ton bills
The state treasury is in very much bet
ter condition now than it has been within
the last twenty years OF more. Larger APP