Year: 1860

"a Communication in the Richmond Enquirerl


We call attention to the bill authoriz-
ing the Holiday Cove Railroad Company
to bridge the Ohio river at Steubenville,
which passed the House of Delegates last
week. This bill, as we propose to show,
is bill ofgreatcst moment, and will sub
vert the whole policy of this Common
wealth in relation to her great commercial
purposes.


There was no opposition to the passage
of this bill Tor at least none of any conse-
Quence) in the House of Delegates; and we
are inclined to think that its passage there
was more tue result of inadvcrtance, than
of Il we'll considered judgement The bill,
rs it passed, was q substitute for n bill
which had been printed, and the substitute
lcd8 neUer printed, SO that the HOnse did not
have an opportunity to read and consider
the bearings of the law; besides which, de-
bate was limited to ten minutes, as we are
informed.


On enquiry, We find that this grant to
the Holiday Cove Railroad Company of a
righ to bridge the Ohio at Steubenville, is
the result of compromise between the
Holiday Cove Railroad Company, under the
terms whereof the city of Wheeling has
agreed to withdraw all opposition to the
erection of this bridge Ot Stcubenville, and
to give her vote and influence to procure
the important grant. On the other hand,
the Holiday Cove Railroad Company has
agreed TO aid the city of Wheeling, and
has contracted to furnish all the money
wanted for the construction of her bridge.


Thus does this mere branch road, lead
ing from the Philadelphia and Pittsbnrg
road, contract to build the bridges over the
Ohio river-onc for itself and one for its
l,o fOFn 81 Elo nd nnn II
sideration that Virginia will grant this
bridge franchise at Steubenville.


There is yet third proposition, modest
ly vending its silent way, through the
forms of legitlation, and following in the
wake of these high contracting parties,
ready to burst its petals and blossom into
Il sovereign grant rs soon as these. two
bridges have obtained II legislative sane
ton. We refer to the bill authorizing the
building of n bridge over the Ohio river ut
Parkersburg. This is II very quiet affair,
and is only to become a law in the event
that the other two bridges are sanctioned
by the Legislature Whether this baslful
movement is in concert with the other two,
we are not informed; but its friends, up to
this point of time, have made no Opposi-
ton to those schemes which must operate
large injury to Parkersburg, unless she,
too, has this important grant awarded her.


Thus we find in progress plan for the
bridging of the Ohio river at three several
points, under compromises and agreements
to which the State of Virginia is, ignor-
antly, we believe, n party, and under which
the city of Wheeling cxGcts from the city
of Philadelphia las we shall presently
show) at least S25O,OoO in money. We
feel it to be our duty to ventilate these
mysterious compromises and see whether
I, ,irr1, inf of 10
city of Wheeling and to be paid for by the
city of Philadelphia, do not involve sac
rifice of the highest interests of this Com
monwealth and the overthrow of her long
cherished policy.


Before presenting this view of the
question, however, we must revive the
memory of an effort made some eight or
nine years since by this Holiday Cove
Railroad to procure from the Legislature
this identical franchise to erect this very
bridge 1T Steubenville. AT that time the
subject was completely canvassed. Whec-
ling stood forth, in the person of her gifted
son, Charles Russell, and opposed the grant
as fatal to the best interests of Virginia,
delphia and to the people of Ohio and In
diana. The whole scheme was then de-
feUted by an overwhelming voice of the
State, on grounds of State policy.


Wheeling has now changed sides-she is
now either sileuced or she is in open advo-
cncy of a measure which, nine years ago,
she denounced and demonstrated to be
fraught with immense public injury to the
State at large. Then this little branch road,
claiming to be Virginia road, was de-
nounced by Wheeling, and exposed as q
veritable arm of the PhiladeIphia and
Pittsburg road, and the whole movement
was exposed as commercial rusc, designed
to bring commercial advantage to Philn-
delphia in competition with the Covington
and Ohio Railroad. Nor, this same little
branch road, anxious to secure this impor-
tant franchise, contracts to build bridge
for Wheeling also, if the grant is made by
the present Legislature.


| In these facts we can readily see a reason
why Wheeling should change sides, but we
are totally at loss to comprehend the
reasoning which has induced a Virginia
| Legislature TO reverse the we'll established