The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-07
THE UNION.

and the rest OF there might otherwise be- Ii
has been well sad that the age and the country demand
mat ms communication be open across the ishmus
some where and this feeling upon the pari OF the
Try has induced this government to take the initiative.
II we are now TO look for another locality another
opening, a thousand miles away from the sthmus OF
ranama, all can say, SIR, IS, that we taking the
back track we are abandoning what we have already
done
On the 18th of February ls47 a treaty was presented
to this body The Injunction OF secrecy has been re-
moved from that treaty and the papers connected with IT,
speak OF the treaty ratified with the government of New
Grenada As one of the principal reasons for which the
Executive called upon this bodyt confirm that treaty.
told that il the bestnay, that it was the only
practicable route according TO the information then before
u.s. TO connect this country with our possessions upon
the Pacific For reasons of the highest importance,
therefore, the Executive called upon us TO confirm and
rauIy that treaty. Under these circumstances did
ratiy it, We departed from that course of policy which
has always characterized our relations with foreign
country, and entered into treaty, offensive and deen-
sve, with the government OF New Grenada BY which
guaranteed the neutrality OF the shmusnot merely the
neutrality OF road 50 miles way and so feet another
but we guaranteed the neutrality OF the entire ishmus and
province OF Panama.
That, sir, the connection between this government
and the government of New Grenada under this treaty.
and these are the relations which we bear to her, and
our obligations TO her.
Again, sir, we have-wh view 10 connecting our
country with western frontier aud the Pacific settle
ments-slipulated pay, and do pay $3.50 900
year for mail route from the North and East the 18th
mus OF Panama, and upon the other side up to the Ore
gon coast That stipulation is obligatory, and binding
anu permanent we nave SudTdHlleu lne Htutdhly vi
the isthmus of Panama. and we have agreed TO pay,
permanently, $i50,000 annually, for the purpose OF
keeping up the communication from our eastern country
to the sthmus, and IRON the isthmus to northwestern
coast We wish TO fill up the intermediate gap;
and the question is, whether we shall now fill up
that intermediate gap, upon the lslhmus OF Panama
or whether shall travel a thousand miles away
to the sthmus of Tehuantepec, for the purpose OF
embarking in scheme of speculation about which no
man knows anything II we do that, can only say we
doubling upon track. We negecting to avail
ourselves of the great beneft which we have purchased
by treaty. and of the benefit of those obligations al
ready incurred for the communication upon the two
oceans, because fail TO fill the Intermediate gap from
side of the ishmus to the other Well, sir, under
these circumstances, Iappehend there can be real DIFF
cuy upon this question in any other OF It's aspects than
as regards the price.
II has been said by my friend from Kentucky who has
just taken his seat Mr. USDERwooDl that we know
very little of this route that it has not been surveyed
and that we know little OF the distance and less perhaps
of the elevation With great Difference to my friend,
will say that this is an entire mistake True the route
never has been surveyed and probably never will be
surveyed by the official engineers of this government,
But il has been surveyed by the engineers of that gov
eminent, and has been surveyed also BY private engl-
neers, who reliable 1t surveyed by Mr.. G.,
French engineer, in the year 1874 1t surveyed by
Captain Pummer, OF the New Grenada engineers, some
years 1t was also surveyed some years since by
Mr. Baldwin, an eminent American engineer lhey all
concur in the same general expression OF opnIon both
as 10 the distance and as to the eevaionhat the eeva
ton will be about 800 feet and the distance about so
miles. II supposed that this elevation may be reduced
to about 300 feet We have. then. the ability Of
the route clearly settled by competent engineers, and
| upon recent exploration
Well, then sir to follow my friend who has just taken
his seat, (Mr UNDERwooD in his remarks, il becomes
question OF dollars and cents. We told that this
company to build the road and that point OF fact is
money enough to build the road Now, SIR as TO the
cost of the road Going to the judgments and estimates
OF our abest engineers, we told that its cost, inclu-
ding the cost piers and perhaps breakwates and other
matters upon this side and upon the other would amount
to about five millions of dollars. We are told how the
estimate is made and may fairy infer that the cost
will not fall short of their estimate. II it does, will be
the first road, think, built under the sun where
the cost fell short of the estimate. II Is much more
likely that the cost will overrun than fall short parcu'
lary in untried experiment. and in climate OF that
character scky, and subject to difficulties OF which we
know little or nothing, with an occasional earthquake
or trember to interfere with them both before and after
the road is built II is probable that the cost will not
| fail short of the estimate-hve millions.
Now, my friend says it will cost $250,o0o foy he says
that par cent. on this amount, (s5,oDO0oo0 IN the
course of ten years. will supply them with money enough
to build the road. Here is the mistake OF this whole
argument from the beginning to the end He has taken
for granted that pay the whole of the
per cent upon S. 0o00 900 for ten years at the com
mencement, at the very beginning and that this IS to be
capital fund with which to build the road By the pro-
visions of the bill we not to pay cent OF II until the
road is completed; andif my friend from Kentucky thinks
it important, he may render it still more clear by way oil
amendment. BY the bill it IS already provided
"That payment under such contract shall be made
until said railroad shall be far advanced as to permit
said transportation the shmus of Panama wholly
by steani-power"
1t is further provided, sir that the road shall be com.
peted within three years. and what shall be the price of
transportation across it, All these difficulties suggested,
if they be difficulties operating upon the minis OF sena-
tors, be relieved by the slightest mobilization or
amendment But, sir, in reference to the amount to
be paid, il is five per cent upon the cost OF tins road
| Mr. UNDERWOOD (interposing.) How do you make
that out, when Mr. Albert says it will not cost four mil
| lions2
Mr. DAYTON His estimate makes it about five
millions, including the necessary expenses in consexIon
with the road The entire cost and the capital invested
cent which is to be paid annually after the road is
peted. But how much does 1t cost to keep the road IN
| repair' In New England, in Massachusetts, 1t
is said that per cent at least is expended annually IN
repairs upon the road and II per cent would certainly not
be large estimate for keeping this road IN repair so tar
So that you must make II per cent, before the indvl-
duals who have undertaken to build the road can realize
a farhng 1t is great mistake TO speak OF the s
per cent. as capital stock 10 be PAID IN adj
vance for the construction of the road. You pay It
annually and AT the end of ten years the payment ceases
altogether, and then these must look to some other
resource or lose the whole.
But my friend thInks-ths is mere gratuity. "Upon
what data do you calculate these $3.50 0O0 y Now SIR
is perfectly obvious that data be obtained which
will enable you TO ascertain that many dollars and
cents must he paid by this government upon each man
it is not susceptible of that close dollar and cent cacua
ton But let whether it is gratulty as
he imagnes. 'Your men may amount to $40 900 year,
and your tonnage may amount TO $4,000 more In the
first place, my friend makes estimate at all for the
transportation and fro; and in the second place, he
takes as the price OF transportation 81 head, and VI
ton whereas by the charter it is IS head and So ton
for the first five years. and that is not high rate when
we consider the cost OF the road and the naureo the
country. Putting down, them the transportation both