Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-03-01

wv AuulduS-tO gel tnelT consent. ana LOT
that purpose the bill proposes to appropri.
ate sum ofmoney TO be expended by the
President in procuring the assent Of the
Indians, and 10 the extingushment of such
titles as may be necessary for the purpo.
ses of the road, for the stations and settle
ments 10 protect and supportit. We have
now al! the information that is necessary
10 fix the termini of the road--the rest is
matter Of detail. The most direct and best
route between the terminating points, of
course, is to be taken; and for that we have
and shall have, when the present expedition
of Mr.. Fremont is finished, all the informa-
ton which is necessary TO fix up the details
of the intermediate distance. His work is
public; his journals are public property;hs
maps are public property. He took no
copy right for anything which he did
while in the service of the United States;
and we now have all the information wan
ted for the purpose of locating this great
road. 1t may be assumed that no informa-
ton was ever more varied-more minute,
more accurate than that which he has fur
nished. The typographical map of 1000
miles which he has made, is replete with
information: his whole exploration of twen-
ty thousand miles can be laid down in the
same manner.
The means Of the United States for this
construction are ample. The length Of the
road appals some persons. Sir, it is case
in which the length, in reference to the
means, makes no difference. Ii is not
case in which money is 10 be raised from
another source in order TO defray the ex.
penses of the road. 1t makes itself The
whole country belongs 10 the United States
saving the mere extinction of the Indian IT,
tie. 1t is all public land-a great belt of
public land equal TO the whole length ofthe
Mississippi river, covering seventeen de-
grees on the Pacific coast, and as much in
the valley of the Mississippi. Out of that
the bill proposes that per centum shall be
taken from all the sales, and that per cen
tum shall be applied to The construction of
the road. Now, sir, in this point of view
the whole country being public land from
the frontier of Missouri 10 the Pacific ocean
every mile provides for itself. The distance
of five or six hundred miles right and left,
is public land, and this is put into contribu-
ton for the construction of the road. All
the sales are to contribute 1t is, there
fore, no more to make long road than a
short one.
Ipropose, Mr.. President, in view of the
magnitude of this work; in view Of our do
minion over the public land, throughout its
whole extent; in view of the uses TO which
this road may be applied, not only in our
day but by our children, to have it projec-
ted at once, and upon scale commensurate
TO its future destiny, be that as great as it
may.
The proposition in the bill is that there
be reserved breadth of one mile from the
frontier of Missouri TO the Pacfcc ocean-u
breadth of one entire mile, for the purpose
of laying down, at once, one track. one road
reserving enough for as many tracks, and in.
dependent of each other, as shall be neces
sary in all time; for all the varieties ofroads
that are now in use, or which may come
into use in the unnumbered generations
which that road is to benefit. begin with
railway as far as practical and advan,a.
geous, leaving it to practical men TO say
where it is not. The difficulty which pre-.
sents itselfto my mind is the deep snow
which continues for so many months in the
year, and lies so deep among the Rocky
mountains. 1t is for practical men to say
where the railroad can 60 there, or whether
it will be necessary to find some other
conference.-the sleigh, for example--fol
that region in the time ofthe SHOWS.
propose TO reserve ground for all sorts
ofroads--railway--plank--macadamizec
--more than that--room for track by
magnetic power according 10 the idet
stated, believe, by Professor Henry and
to me pIausibly pursued by Professor
Page, of the Patent Office, if that Idea ri.
pens into acknowledgement who can un.
dertake to say that any idea will not be
come practicable in the present agel Blu
Mr.. President, the bill contains another
provision, that there shall be a margin re
served for plain old English road; such al
we have been accustomed to all our lives
a road in which the farmer in his wag on
or carriage, on horse, or on foot, may trave
without fear, and without tax--with none
TO run over him, or make him Jump out o
the way. | look forward to the Ii me wher
this whole continent is to be settled from
one end to the other-wben there are to b
towns an villages upon it--when neighbor
will want a cow enient road. They ma,
there find space for them in which the
shall not give way to the cars or any thin
elsa road not to be interfered with .
The leading idea, then, is that we re
serve breadth of land upon which W
may lay down different tracks of road, in
dependent of each other, 10 be kept uncor
nected with each other; to be adapted I
the different means Of conveyance; aud I
be reserved for all time TO come. 1t is
| wonder fnl circumstance in the history I