Mr. GARFIELD. I have the volume in my hand. I have here on my desk every law of Ohio and Pennsylvania on this subject, and I am responsible for the accuracy of every statement. that I make. In 1848 a charter was granted by the Legislature of Ohio to the Iahoning Railroad Company. That company did not comply with the terms ot their charter within 3 years and in 1851 the charter was renewed with no limitation of time in the charter itself. But there was on the statute book of Ohio a general corporation law, one section of which I will read: “ If any railroad companyshall not be organized within 3 yearsfromthe mssaze of the special mt incorporating the same, an not lessthan ten miles of such road shall bot ompleted sufficiently for use within 7 years fromthe same date. then the not creating the same shall be void. That is the only limitation of time imposed upon this company by the laws of Ohio. Now, sir. in 1553, after the road had been commenced. the Legislature of Pennsylvania reenacted. word for word. in express terms. the charter of the State of Ohio of 1851. without adding any limitation of time other than that embraced in the Ohio law. Now, what was that limitation ‘I Why, that the work should be begun on the Cleveland and Mahoning railroad within 3 years and that ten miles should be completed within 7 years. before the 7 years had elapsed 50 miles of road had been completed, and 70 miles are now completed. The whole road had been surveyed. the construction contracts were being made, and all the money had been raised for completing the road when this act of repeal was passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature. The tacts are fully setforth in the preamble of the endin bill. the Gentfrom Pennsylvania has said that the legislation of his State has been liberal. I grant that up to a certain time it was very liberal. Butvwithin the last. 8 or 10 years a marked change has come over the spirit of its railroad legislation. The gentleman says that Ohio was in fault in reference to the Wheeling bridge case. I remind the gentleman that Congress rebuked the State of Ohio and the State ot‘Pennsylvania for their narrow and illiheral policy in reference to the Wheeling bridge, and made that bridge, under the authority of an act of Congress, part of a national, military, and postal road. lam very glad that my State received such a merited rebuke when it attempted an illiberal policy that would shut up the great. avenues of trade between and among the States; and I am very glad alsothat Pennsylvania shared in the rebuke and that a great highway is now open by the authority of Congress. I ask that, in the same spirit, this Congress, now appealed to by this cm poration, which is trying to open this great and important. highway betweent ie West and the Atlantic coast, hall also throw the aegisof its protection over those men whose moucy was raised and whose labor has been expended until the work is so nearly completed that 18 months will see the whole. line finished. I wish to inform the House that an exGovernor of my State, who was one of the incorporators oftltis company, went to the Legislature of Pennsylvania this last.winteraud asked that they should reinstate the company in its righ‘s to complete the road. The committee on railroads of the Pennsylvania Legislature referred him to a railroad president, not a member of the Legislature. to ascertain whether that company could have its charter restored. And when the appealed to that railroad president