| Executive Department |
| Milledgeville, Georgia
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| November 6th, 1862
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| To the Senate and House of
Representatives:
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| WESTERN & ATLANTIC RAILROAD
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| For the operations of the Western &
Atlantic Railroad during the past fiscal year, you are referred to
the Report of its faithful Superintendent. It will be observed that
the Road is now out of debt, so far as the existence of any just
claim against it is ascertained. It has paid into the Treasury of
the State four hundred and forty thousand dollars out of net
earnings for the past year, and there was due on the road on the
30th of September last, $577,864.78 from the Confederate Government
for the transportation of troops and military stores. Payment had
been demanded, but not made, the Secretary of the Treasury insisting
that we should receive Confederate bonds. This I have declined to
do, on the grounds that there is no law of the State authorizing the
Superintendent to receive bonds and pay them into the Treasury; and
on the further ground, that it is not the policy of the State, while
she is in debt, to invest in the bonds of any other State or
government. I have therefore demanded Confederate Treasury notes
which pass as currency, and can be used by the State in payment of
her own indebtedness and her current expenses. I trust the claim may
be paid without much further delay.
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| The Road bed is in excellent condition,
and I have at my command the means to keep it sol I was so fortunate
last winter as to be able to purchase eleven hundred tons of new
railroad bar at fifty dollars per ton. This iron is now worth in the
market at least one hundred and fifty thousand dollars more than I
paid for it. I was not the legal purchasing agent of the Road, and
if iron had fallen as much as it has risen it is quite probably that
there might have been loud complaints, had I insisted that the Road
take the iron. I have, however, given the Road the benefit of the
contract, which is worth to the State the sum above mentioned. I
could sell the iron at any time, and after refunding the sum paid
for it, could pay into the Treasury of the State one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars as a balance of the proceeds of the sale.
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| Since I was first inaugurated as
Governor of the State, the Road has paid the State Treasury
$1,948,000, and has paid $302,681.07 in satisfaction of debts and
unliquidated demands for which it was then liable. It is now in as
good condition in every respect as it then was with the exception of
the rolling stock, which has not been kept up as well as usual for
the last two years, on account of the impossibility of procuring, at
any price, part of the material used in construction and repairs.
The amount due the Road from the Confederacy is, however, more than
double the sum that would be required to make the repairs complete.
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| Upon the application of the military
authorities of the Confederate States they have frequently been
permitted to take our cars and engines and carry them on other
Roads, to such points as emergencies might require. The lamented
General Albert Sidney Johnston had ordered a large number of our
cars upon the Memphis & Charleston Road, a short time before the
battle of Shiloh, which, on account of the possession of that Road
by the enemy, have not been returned. At this and other points we
have lost 180 cars while in Confederate service. Should they never
be returned, it is expected that the Confederacy will pay for them
just compensation.
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| The Railroad companies of the State have
promptly responded to a request made by me, that they carry the
State's salt to the depots of deposit, and thence to the depot of
distribution for each citizen free of charge. This act
entitles them to the thanks of the whole people. I have ordered that
the State salt, the salt made by the two companies from this State,
and all salt purchased at the works by persons or county
associations for their own use, when no speculation is intended, be
carried free of charge over the State Road.
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| As no appropriation has been made which
could be used in carrying out my contract for the Virginia salt, I
ordered the Treasurer of the W. & A. Railroad to advance to the
Commissary General sufficient funds to meet the necessity. It will
be necessary that the money be refunded to him to enable him to keep
his accounts correctly. For this purpose, I recommend the
appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars to be used in the
purchase of salt and refunded to the Treasury of the State when the
salt is sold.
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| Joseph E. Brown
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