Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-12-21
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES,

REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.
Mr. SHIELDS, from the Committee on the Public Lands.
granting to the State Of Missouri the right of way and
on of the public land to aid in constructing railroad from
Hannibal TO St. Joseph in said State reported back the same
without amendment, and recommended it's passage.
Also from the committee 10 which referred Se-
nate bill No. 1854. being bill to make good to Missouri the
per centum Of the nett proceeds Of the public lands here
oore withheld from that State, reported back the with
an amendment, and recommended It's passage.
The amendment consists of the addition to the second
ton Of the following words To be faithfully applied by the
Legislature Of said State roads and canals and works Of
ternal improvement within the limits of the same"
RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
Mr. GWIN submitted the following resolution, which was
considered by unanimous consent and agreed to
Resolved That the Committee the Judiciary be instruct
term Of the United district for the southern dis
trct of California semi-annuay at San Diego.
HIGHWAY TO THE PACIFIC.
AgreeabIy to notice Mr. BENTON asked leave to bring
in bill for the location and construction OF great central
national highway from st. Louis the Mississippi the
Bay Of San Francisco the Pacific ocean and said that
not being of the committee which the consideration of the
bill might be REFERRED he took occasion to explain its leading
features before REFERRED that its object might the
better be understood in the committee.
Il conforms he Said to all the ideas of national highway
First centraity deem this cardinal idea in every
cepton Of national road and my bill conforms to it. II is
central under all aspects is to begin and to end between
degrees
slight deAecions to follow these attitudes from the Mss-
spp to the Pacific. These the middle ATTITUDES Of the
UEed States from the Atlantic TO the Pacific They
the central parts Of the Atlantic States the centre of the val
Of the Mississippi and strike the Pacific both at the
central point Of possessions and that Of the whole North
American coast. Beginning and ending between these at
udes, and following, with little variation, the route which
the bill proposes us with rigorous exactude the essential
condition to every national highwsy-that Of centrally
Secondly. Il is to be national in its form and use,
ssng of single road adapted single kind of trans
poaon, but Of system Of roads adapted to all kinds Of
and private interests and free from tolls. 1t proposes
railroad and common road, to be began at once, and
the common road finished next summer with such
other roads, either macadamzed, plank, or additional
tracks of railroad; and margin for lines Of magnetic
teegraphs-a running parallel 70 each other, and at
sufficient distances apart to avoid interference, and yet
enough together admit Of easy transition from to the
other This ful6s another requisite Of nationality for
ton must contain people Of all conditions, rich and poor,
and of all tastes and empes and addicted to all the modes
Of travelling Some to whom time is every thing and money
nothing, and who demand rapidy without regard to
Others to whom money is object, and time subordinate
considerations and who want cheap conveyance matter
how long. Others again who may choose to carry them
selves, going horse in vehicle, foot. All
these will be accommodated and without crowdng ost.
ling mile wide for the whole, and ample track for
each, gives room for all. a2@
Thirdly. Accommodation to the different parts of ma
ton another requisite of nationality. This projected high
way fulfls that condition accommodates all the popua
tons west Of the Mississippi Its straight line would
modate California and Utah. and the Territories hereafter to
be formed the Kansas and Aakansas short branch
or Bens Fort would lead Santa Fe another branch
would lead 10 the Mormon settlements the Great Salt
Lake. if the main way does not pass 1t and branch, still
lower down in the great ban would lead to Oregon Thus
straight line and three branches, will accommodate
all our present populations west Of the
na Oregon, New Mexico and Utahand also the valuable
Territories which may be formed the Kansas and the
Arkansas
Fourhy Nationality requires the work to be done and
the highway to be owned by the National Government and
the bill provides The construction and the jurisdiction
Of the highway are both to be in the hands Of the Cen
era Government and these the hands in which every
public and national consideration would require them to be-
The from the public resources and what
amounts to particular propety in this case, they are
to come from the places where the roads to go they
from beyond the Mississippfrom beyond the from
tier Of Missour-so to leave untouched all the present
Of revenue needed for the payment Of the prn
cpa and interest of the national debt The means pro-
posed in my bill /. strip of land from the frontiers Of
Missouri to the Bay Of San Francisco, hundred miles
wide and sixteen hundred long, for the main highway g.
strip fifty miles wide and abou. two hundred long, from
point the main road the Upper Arkansas to Santa Fe
for the New Mexican branch. g.. strip fifty miles wide
and about five hundred long, from point the main
highway in the Great Basin the mouth of the Columbia,
for the Oregon Branch. A. The income from the customs
and the sales Of the public lands in California, Oregon, New
Mexico and above the expenditures in those pieces
Loans in anticipation Of these founded upon
their hypothecaton.
These are the resources for constructing this great national
Of them nationaal to be derived from the
countries to which the highways 10 go-and amply
sufficient my opinion for the speedy accomplishment Of the
work. The lands apart in the three slips will be about
hundred and fifty millions Of acres the oneenh part
of the public lands belonging TO the Federal Governments In
which, after deductng for the tracks Of the highways and for
donations first settlers, and for private claims and gold
mnes and for that which may be unfit for SALE probable
that one-thrd fifty millions OF acres, may be made avail
able the present minimum price for constructing the roads,
That would be about sixty millions Of dollars The income
from the would be considerable and immediate San
Francisco alone will probably yield two millions Of dollars the
ensuing fiscal year and increase forever The public lands
be sold 10 California and the three Territories, after all de-
ductons for liberal donations TO first settlers will still be large
amounting in few years millions Of dollars per
mum. The proceeds of the wholehe reserved Slips the
house revenue and the income from the land sales
will be eight ten millions per aDnum which, with
loans in anticipation Of these avas will yield enough to have
the system Of roads commenced at all pont-boh ends and
the middle, and all alonga the time and with men
enough work upon every section to finish the whole in as
short time any section Of it could be finished.
These the leading features Of the BILL every fulfil
ling the condition Of nationality, and preserving to this high
way the exalted benefcen and disineresed character of
public work. No tolls or local Jurisdictions, private ine-
should be allowed degrade the chaacee impede
the use, or diminish the utility Of such work
Pactcabty and upon the parallels Indicated is the only
question and that the voice Of experienced men
enables The Of the mountaineering men
who have spent their eeD twenty thirty years IN tne
region Of the Rocky Mountains and in the regions beyond
they the question and that the loaded wagon can
60 upon that route with little assistance at few
and pickaxes-to distractions lnese
men say there is way for straight road across the CONT
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