| From the Richmond Examiner |
| |
| December 20, 1861 |
| |
| Virginia Legislature |
| House of Delegates |
| ***** |
| Railroad Connection |
| A bill for making the
connection of the railroads in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg was
called up. |
| Mr. Orgain said that the
gentleman from Petersburg, who had a lively interest in the bill, was
necessarily absent from the House, and had requested him (Mr. Orgain) to
desire the House not to take up and act on the bill in his absence. The
bill was ordered to its second reading. |
| ***** |
| Richmond and Petersburg Railroad |
| On motion of Mr. Wynne, of the
city of Richmond, the bill providing for the connection of the railroads
in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg was taken up. |
| Mr. Collier, of Petersburg,
said he regretted that the patrons of this bill were in such hot haste
for its passage. He had hoped to have had time and opportunity well to
consider this bill, and to submit to this House a succinct and well
digested opinion on its merits -- such an opinion and statement as would
convince this House that the bill should not pass. This bill proposes to
step in and take from one of the largest cities of this Commonwealth its
corporate and vested rights. The city of Petersburg was subject to the
railroad laws of this Commonwealth that could in no wise be made subject
to this Legislature. The whole of the stock of the Petersburg road, with
the exception of $130,000 worth, was owned in the city of Petersburg.
Whatever rights and privileges and commercial advantages that city
enjoyed she had acquired by her indomitable energy and enterprise.
Should she be stripped of these to build up and benefit a railroad
corporation? |
| The people of Petersburg asked
no favours, but simply to be protected in their rights. No corporate
body should be empowered to run a railroad through the streets of a city
without the permission of the authorities of that city. He did not
profess to know a great deal about railroads or freight, but he believed
the Richmond & Petersburg railroad was now receiving from Petersburg
more freight than its employees could dispose of. He did not, on this
subject, warm as was his manner, express one half he felt in behalf of
the people of Petersburg. He was in favour of upholding the supremacy of
the laws but there were things to which human nature could not submit.
The principal merchants of Petersburg were of opinion that if this
connection was made permanent, a death blow would be struck at the
prosperity of their city. Petersburg would in future be but a wayside
station. |
| Mr. Lynn said the gentleman
had alluded to all the stock of the Petersburg road being owned in that
city, but he had not informed the House how Petersburg came into the
possession of said stock. |
| Mr. Collier said he could very
easily inform the House how Petersburg came into its possession. |
| Mr. Wynn remarked that he
happened to know all about the matter. The city of Petersburg had had a
trade with the Board of Public Works, in which the gallant city had
proved herself a little too much for the board. |
| Mr. Wynne continued -- This
bill proposed to make a different route through the city of Petersburg
-- a circuitous one which could not properly interfere with any of its
important thoroughfares. It was a source of constant complaint on the
part of the traveling public that they were forced to ride in omnibuses
through Petersburg. The loss also of freight incurred by the change of
cars was immense. He was willing to do justice to Petersburg. Her
chivalry, which had been alluded to, was notorious. The citizens of that
burg had the reputation of being last at the feast and first at the
fray. But there were also in that city some old fogies who invariably
set their forces against improvement. The fogies had always been anxious
to detain freight on its way North and South. They seemed to have a
vague and ill-defined notion that if they could stop freight on its
transit they might by some means make a little revenue out of it. But he
warned the gentleman if the city of Petersburg resisted the construction
of this connexion through her streets, it would be constructed around
that city, and then, indeed, Petersburg would not even aspire to the
dignity of a "way station." [Laughter] |
| Mr. Wynne's amendment,
providing that the railroad companies be authorized to make the
connections in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg, whether said
cities agreed or not, was adopted and the bill was ordered to its third
reading. |