Year: 1871

The peOple of several rich and growing sec
tions of cw-Jcrsey are complaining bitterly,
and with good reason, of the embarrassments
they meet in attempts to develop the country.
The resources of several counties are ample
enough to bring cOnsidt rable trade to railroad
lines and add much to the taxable property of
the State, if some easy outlet were provided;
but the repressivc policy which has cursed the
State for a half century still keeps the channels
of communication clOgged. For dozen years
past the people of Monmouth and adjoining
seaboard counties have been endeavoring to
secure the construction Of an al-rail route from
Long Branch, by way OF Perth AmDoy, TO
this city. The advantages of such road are
obvious. 1t would open one OF the rlchest
agricultural regions of the State, contribute to
the wealth of New-Jcrsey, and promote the
convenience and prosperity of this city. as 1t
would enable producers to ship fruit and vege-
tables direct to the New-York market in few
hours from any point on the contemplated
line. The only means of access to that sec
ton of country is the steamboat line by way
of Kcyport, and this ia quito insult
ccnt, especially in Summer, when the
travel is large, and when expedi-
tious transit is specially desirable A
chatter was obtained for the New-Jersey
Southern Railroad, some years ago. from the
State Legislature; but the hostility of the
Camden and AmbOy Railroad people prevented
any progress in the work, although the man.
ayers of the new enterprise offered to put the
control of the road, when finished, into the
hands of the Camden and AmbOy manage
mcnt. Recently, however, the Central Rail-
road of New Jersey has taken hold of the en-
terprisc and commenced operations, proposing
to have the road in running order within
year. At this point, however, the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad Company, as lessee of the
united Railroads of New-Jersey, has intcrposed
to checl; further progress, and has applied for
an injunction on the work, basing its action on
the objection that proposed bridge across the
Raritan would be hinderance to navigation!
In view of the fact that the Camden and
AmbOy corporation in pursuance of its various
schemes. has bridgcd nearly every navigable
stream in the State this sudden interest in
the welfare of commerce looks little ridicu
lous. 1t remains to be seen if the Chancellor
will grant an injunction on such frivolous
grounds, and in the face of the popular feel
ing on the subject


Another illustration of the difficulties in the
way of these "Outside" railway enterprises is
afforded in the cavalier treatment by the
Legislature of the repeated applications for an
extension of the branch road Quilt by the
New-Jersey Central cOrporation) from Flem-
ington to the Delaware River. Pennington,
the seat of HunterdOn County, is a flourish
ing town, and is the center Of rich farming
country. But the town, and country east and
north Of it, have no communication with the
Delaware or Philadelphia, except by poorly
operated, ineffective line running to Lam
bertville, where connection is made with the
Belvidere Delaware Railroad Both these
lines are under Camden and AmbOy control,
and neither is operated to assist in the devel-
opment of the country whose needs they I'M
perfectly supply. The extension of the Cen
tral Branch is urgently demanded by every
consideration of public convenience, and, in>
any State but New-Jersey, authority for the
prosecution of an enterprise so desirable would
have been granted without question. That
the road was not built years ago is due solely
to fhe opposition of the railway corporation
which has virtually owned the Legislature
for so many terms The legislators have
had neither eyes nor ears for any industrial
or commercial enterprise upon which the great
landlords of New-Jersey have set their seal of
disapprobatlon. The Legislature will this
year, it is said, be asked to give its permission
for the building Of this road and We shall
see if the new body of men is to be any less
bound up with the ancient order of things
than that which preceded it. AS it is all
Southern New-Jerscy is suffering from lig-
ature drawn across the State from tide-water
to the Delaware.