The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-30
Communicates
The Proposed Rail road TO the Pacific.
Correspondence between Mr. Whitney and the Governor
Of Virginia.
WASHINGTON, January is, 1915

WASHINGTON, January Is, 1919.
SIR: few days since had the pleasure OF forwarding
to your address copy OF the bill 10 carry my project
which was reported to the Senate at the last session By
select committee, Mr. Niles, chairman Also copy OF
The report OF Mr. Pollock, of select committee, to the
House
hope you will be pleased read them and examine
the subject You will notice that it is proposition from
me 10 purchase sixty miles wide from Lake Michigan 10
the ocean or say about seventy eight millions OF OF
the pubic domain, good bad and Indifferent at ten cents
per acre, out OF which, by my efforts in connecting the
sale aid settlement with, am to procure means and
build railroad from sald lake TO the Pacific ocean, and
when completed, the government mails to be transported
free from charge and all the people have the free
OF the road except tolls sufficient only TO keep in opera
ton and Iepa Congress retaining power to regulate and
control The tolls
You will also notice that the lands do not ever come
INTO my direct possession, and cannot dispose OF them,
or parts thereof only after having completed sections of
the road IN advance and then the commissioner and gov
eminent having full power all my acts always hold
ing the Land and road Till satisfied that had fully per-
formed the conditions OF the purchase. My position and
that OF the government would always be this. As |
should advance with the road through the good land
eight hundred miles or more, when shall have compile
ted each ten miles OF road, which will cost $500 900, and
the commissioner satisfied with the work, and that il is
being continued onward should then be allowed to dis
pose OF half the land five miles by sixty, $4,000
acres but could not take this except under the certih
cate OF the commissioner and then Inc patents issue from
the land office directly to the purchaser, and not to
The government would hold the road and the other half
five miles by sixty 49,, 900 acres-through which the
road had been completed.
should continue the same through the good lands;
complete each ten miles OF road be allowed
sell one halt five miles OF the land and the government
holding the other half and all the road with lis machn
cry; and when advanced fifty hundred, five hun
bred miles, far the good available land
tends the position would be, the road completed thus
far, and in operation, the half The aernaed five
miles of land sold and settled the government holding
the road with it's machinery, with the other half the
unsod aenaed five miles of land enhanced By the set
Element OF the first half and by the road to several times
its present value and fund continue the road
through the poor lands that should stop here,
have feared, should have created sufficient fund
to continue and complete the work and the nation would
have gained from the operation, Congress retaining the
power to give it to another whenever cease fulfil the
conditions of the sale.
Thus will be that it purely an ind vidual en-
,eprse, still under the control of Congress and dscon
neced from all sectional party political Influences bear
ngs; and it appears the only point question in
voved is that of expediency.
Is the proposed sufficient compensation to the
nation for the lands Is iii all probable the nation could
any other way expect large Tor this tract
of land Would not the other government lands be
greatly enhanced in value by the road And is there
VERY large portion of this very tract which would
sell at all, or be made OF any TO value the
nation without this road Would not the use of the
road at the low tolls proposed YIELD beyond doubt,
benefits to the whole nation fifty times more valuable
than all these lands? And would all and every sec
lion of our widespread country participate equally in
these great benefits ?
From Charleston to where propose crossing the Mis-
sisspp would be- BY actual survey for railroad route,
follows