| From the Memphis Appeal |
| |
| October 11, 1861 |
| |
| Governor's Message |
| Executive Department |
| Nashville, Oct. 7, 1861 |
| |
| Gentlemen of the Senate and House of
Representatives: |
| |
| ***** |
| Railroads |
| By the act of the 7th of May,
1861, it is left to the discretion of the Governor to appoint
receivers to take possession of the roads, property and offices of
railroad companies failing to pay the semi-annual interest upon the
bonds of the State, loaned to aid in the construction of the roads. |
| The Controller has reported
the following railroad companies as having failed to pay the interest
falling due July 1st, 1861, to wit: |
| Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company |
$33,720.00 |
| Memphis & Little Rock |
10,500.00 |
| Nashville & Northwestern |
43,650.00 |
| Rogersville & Jefferson |
4,770.00 |
| Tennessee & Alabama |
21,000.00 |
| Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville |
31,260.00 |
| East Tennessee & Virginia |
27,970.00 |
| Nashville & Chattanooga |
4,500.00 |
|
| Believing, as I do, that their
failure to pay resulted from no want of inclination on their part, nor
from bad or improper management on the part of their officers and
employees, but from the fact of the general prostration of trade and
commerce, almost their entire business for the last six months having
been the transportation of troops and munitions of war, which they
have done with the utmost promptitude and upon the most accommodating
terms, I have felt that neither the security of the State nor the
interest of the companies would be promoted by placing them in the
hands of receivers, and I have therefore declined appointing such
receivers. |
| The Edgefield & Kentucky
and the Winchester & Alabama railroad companies having failed to
pay the interest due upon their bonds on the 1st of January, 1861,
previous to the passage of the above act, I appointed Adam Anderson
receiver, to take charge of the former, and James B. Lamb, receiver
for the latter. These roads with the property and effects of the
companies were placed in the hands of their respective receivers, and
have been operated by them up to this time; the operations of neither
having as yet refunded to the treasury the amount of interest paid on
their account. |
| ***** |
| Isham G. Harris |
|