The Arkansas banner., 1849-01-23
C8NGRgssI9EAL.

The great subject oG inlaad communication be- Tween the Atlantic and Pacific is calling forth an interesting debate in the Senate IL is on the aues- ton whether Congress shall aid Aspinwalt. Ste phens and Channesy in their railroad project. They have got charter from New Grenasn to build one, and apply fer contract to to the government busi- ness Tor term of years. his vast subject exeites as should, .ealousy and rigid inquiry, and ecits the views of Senators the way in which the communication should be effected. lMr. Douglas thus states what the contemplating indvidaals.Ste- phcus Is inc great trayeier-haye done already:
 "h would seem by that charter. which Is sub mtted to the Seaate-as l apprehend it will appear from e1sminst1on-that thcse individuals have secured the right of making road across that isth- mus--the exclusive right; and that the government Of New 6renada retains no right to give it to any body else, or to authorize this government to make it. III there Is any monopoly, therefore tho mo- noPoly is already inTestad in Messrs. Asptnwall stephens and Chaancey. fthere is any monopoly, that monopoly is granted by the government of New Orenada, who alone Lad the power to grant it. If 1t be monopoly, it is monopoly already possessed by individuals, and we cannot restrain h They al- ready possess ali the privileges of the charter and arc prepared 10 go on and make the roads but they come forward a'id say 10 us If this is monopoly, We propose to release that monopoly SO fur as we are concerned. IT you are afraid we shall charge you too much, we will now make c contract with you as 10 the price which we will charge for the transportation o you: frcights and passengers They offer to remove the monopoly by offering to make contract. They propose that the Secretary of the Navy should have tho power 10 contract with them for a sum not to exceed certain amount If the sum of $2so year is too much it is for us to investigate that and 10 reduce it ] was thers- fore somewhat surprised to hear my colleague as- sumo that we were to pay $6,000, GOO for the trans portation over this road. They propose to carry . our mails, our troops, our munitions of war, our naval stores our army supplies all public agents of the United States and all public property, at such rate as shall be agreed upon, which the bill says shall not exceed S26J 00O per annum If this is too much, in tho opinion of tlse Secretary, he may put it lower; or if the Senate think it too much we can change the sum here"
 Mir. Benton characterised the bill as follows: 'tIt puts into the hands of the Secretary Of the Navy for limited time, and for a sum not exceed ing certain amount, the great business of entering Into contract with the petitioners for the transpor tation of the mails military and naval stores, &c. by railway and mail steamers across the isthmus of Panama, from the Atlantic to the Pacific occan-- these mail steamers being subscrvient to naval ope- ration in other parts of the United States and liable 10 become part of it's naval force in case of ener- gency; and, that account, they are not to he under the control of the Postmaster General under whose control their immediate object would seem 10 place them; they 10 be under tho control of the Secretary of War. The Secretary of the Navy Is he person whom the bill refers because he has already in his hands the great business of guiding the steamboat lines. The only link 10 be completed is that which lies between the two oceans-the only point of communication between the two sides of our nation. Besides, 1t contempiates the trans portstion of naval we'll military storesoi per sons well as freight therefore the bill very properly pursues the course contemplated at ihe beginning, of putting 1t under the same officer the Secretary of the Navy"
 He contends that these petitioners are proper per to build this road that they had abundant cap- tai to go with the work; that it wasiOr their il- terest to complete it and that they had obtaines. from the government of New Granada the privilege of opening road. Mir. Benton, after dwelling up- the magnitude of this work. it's probability of a successful ssue adyerted 10 the plan of crossing the isthmus of TehuaDtePec by an English company, and said:
 But there is plan of crossing the sthmus oi Tehuantepec by an Eng 'ish company. Let it 20 on ! let 1t succeed Let there be as many as possible hut when it is accomplished, ii is still British 1 work--not our own. T. is not guaTaned to us. We have to take chance. We may also-in diff ierent way, perhaps-aecompiish the great idea ol Mr. Jefferson in sending expedition to the Pacific coast--the great object of which ia look iH,o the pI aeticabiIity of opening a communication be- ! tween the two sides of the continent We may vet sir, have an American road to the Pacific coast but l that must be work of time. A work across the lslhmus ot Fehuantepee may be called a foreign work ss far as concerns us. This, across the s,h- mus Of Darien may be called an American road. '' i MT. Breese wanted time to consider so vas; an undertaking. This line of communication. he said, across the isthmns of DsEieR Is about 60 miles in length, and will cost. on an average, $50 900 per mile, mak ing the entire cost about s GOO 900 Now the bill under consideration proposes 10 give them
 for % years transportation of all kinds the sum ol S6,0000 0G0, leaving profit of S3, GOO 900, without counting the toll levied on that portion of the com merce oi the world that may pass over the route" Mir Cameron said
 "fhis system is not new 10 me- sir II began in my State twenty years ago. It began with guar anty of one million 10 build little canal and it ended in making State debt of $l0, ,00o.0O0
 al am opposed to subiecting the government to the interest Of individuals l thInk that If, upon further examination, t shall appear that the con tract is conditional, shall produce competition
 in this county, and men of enterprise will be found to make this road without subeeting our interests 10 theirs. aIn as anxious as any that such a road should be built In my State we have crossed the Alleghany mountains, surmounting an elevation of 5000 feet, and al cost of less than S2, 900 GOO Here told that the sum of 1j or %, 900 n00 will be required, where grade will be required higher than 90 feet 10 he mile. Why, SIT, Il is a small affair. And shall we agree 10 give them $500, ,0Q0 year for carrying the mail, &c.. and leaving them besides the trade of the world, Why, sir there never was such a scheme as this in the history of the world! We are told that centuries have been wasted in efforts to get some convenient passage through across this isthmns as an argu- neht that the difficulties are almost nsurmonntable. Why, sir, these 300 years have been consumed be- cause the country was in ignorance and baTbarism, ana no rnan was permitted to look upon the route until lately. Recently we have msde treaty by which have acquired the right of way; and lt IS due Go this government that We should understand the position which assume. If WI make this contract, what is to prevent fhesc gentlemen in x. York from selling the road! Ought there not 10 be clause to prevent the road from becoming the pro- peItv of loreigners--of the British government for instance' We ought to have guaranty that the road will be made in scientific manner IL ought also to be wholly under the control of the American government. An these things, and many more, wish to be presented
 WASH ISGToN, Jan. 8, s, P. M.
 SENArE.--The slavery petition was finally lad on the table.
 The Senate then proceeded to the consideration of the bill respecting reciprocal trade between the un4ied States and Canada.
 Mir. Wescott spoke in favor of the biil.
 Messrs. Phelps, Downs and Mccalfe opposed the bill, ard thought 1t was unnecessary and improper
 rha as ienO I.d ora