The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-12-17


Mr.. SHIELDS, from the Committee on Public Lands
to whom WAS referred bill granting 10 the State OF Mis-
souri, the right OF way and portion OF the public land to
aa ~ constructing d ga railroad IRON IRON Hannibal 70 ,,
amendment and recommended It's passage.
Also from the same committee. to whom was referred
Senate bill No 364 being bill 10 make good TO the Stale
Of Missouri the two per cenlum OF the net proceeds Of
the public lands heretofore withheld from that State re-
ported back the same with an amendment, and recon-
Mr. Mr. HAMLiN, from tho Committee on Printing. re.
ported the following order which was adopted;
"0rdsrsd That the Committee Prnting be authorized
70 procure IN. prnng stitching, and binding q nve nun
the of the Commissioner Of Paent aud not TO exceed
1850 1850" : I'''' ''''''' = - $3.50 ~ "
RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. WHITCOMB submitted the following resolution |;
which lies over one day, under the rule;
Rssoipsd, That Secretary of the Interior inform the
Senate Of the number q insane persons a. present SUP
land the Of transporting the same from The Dsrct oil
Columbia. and the annual expense OF each person"
Mr.. CASS submitted the following resolution; which
lies over one day, under the rule:
"Rsoiped, That the President be requested II not In
compatible with the public interest TO Communicates TO the
Senate copies Of any conespondenee. 4 any has taken
charge daaes respecting the appointment or proceedings
the seat OUT 10 examine and report upon the con
don and prospects of the Hungarian people during their
recent struggle Tor Independence"
Mr.. GWIN submitted the following resolution; which
was considered by unanimous consent and agreed to:
= Rssolved, That he Committee the Judiciary be 10.
Tor holding term United States district for
the southern district Of California semi-anhaaiy at san
Diego"
HIGHWAY TO THE PACIFIC.
Agreeably 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, to
the bay Of San Francisco the Pacific coast aud said
that being OF the committee 70 which the considera
ton OF the bill might be referred, he took occasion to
plain its leading features before was referred 90 that
its object might the better be understood in the commit
tee. ltconforms all the ideas of national high way.
First centrally deem this cardinal idea in every
conception Of national road; and my bill conforms TO
end between the parallels 80 and 80 degrees oil north at
ude, and, with slight dehectlons to follow these lat-
udes from the mississippi 70 ne pacc nhsss are me
the Pacific They the central parts Of the Atlantic
States, the centre OF the valley Of the mississippi cut
the centre g. az the territory west o. Inc nsss,p and
possessions and that Of the whole North American coast
Beginning and ending between these latudes and FOL
lowing, with little variation, the route which the bill
proposes, fulfs with rigorous exacttude the essential
condition to every national hghwaythat OF cenality
Secondly II is TO be national in its form and USE con-
sisting not OF single road adapted TO single kind Of
transportation but OF system Of roads adapted 70 all
kinds Of travelling and all kinds OF carrying, free from
monopoly and private interests and free from tolls IL
once, and the common road finished next summer, with
such Other roads either macadamized plank, or additional
tracks Of railroad, and margin for lines OF magnetic
telegraphsall running parallel to each other and at
sufficient distances apart avoid interference, and yet
near enough together to admit OF easy transition from
TO the other This fulfs another requisite OF nation
aIty for nation must contain people OF all conditions,
rich and poor, and OF all tastes and tempers and adj
dicted to all the modes OF travelling Some, TO- whom
time is everything and money nothing. and who demand
rapidy without regard to cost others, TO whom money
object, and time subordinate consideration, aud
who want cheap conveyance, no matter how long /;
Others again, who may choose to carry themselves going
hora in a m nj ~
accommodated, and without crowding on jostling; mile
wide for the wholeand ample track for each-gyes
room for all 6
Thirdly Accommodation to the different parts OF ma
ton Is another requisite OF nationality This projected
highway ful6ls that condition. accommodates all the
populations west OF the Mississippi Its straight line
would accommodate California and Utah. and the Terri
tories hereafter to be formed the Kansas and Arkan
short branch at or near Bents Fort would lead
TO Santa Fe another branch would lead TO the Mormon
settlements on the Great Salt Lake, il the main way does
not pass il and branch still lower down in the great
basin would lead to Oregon Thus straight line and
two three branches will accommodate all our present
populations west of the Misslsspp-Calitorna, Oregon,
New Mexico and Utah-and also the valuable Terrific
res which may soon be formed on the Kansas and the
Fourihly Nationality requires the work TO be done,
and The highway to be owned, by the national govern
ment and so the bill provides The construction and
the jurisdiction OF the highway both to be in the
bends OF the general governments and these are the
hands in which every public and national consideration
public and what amounts to 'ps u
propney in this they are to come from the places
where the roads 10 go they 10 from beyond
the Misessippi-from beyond the frontier OF Missouri
so to leave untouched all the present OF
enue, needed for the payment OF the principal and
interest Of the national debt The proposed
in my bill /. strip of land from the frontiers OF
Missouri to the bay Of San Srancisco, hundred miles
wide and sixteen hundred long, for the main highway
O. strip fifty miles wide and about two hundred long,
from point on the main road, the Upper Arkansas
to Santa Fe for the New Mexican branch. 3. A strip
fifty miles wide and about five hundred long, from
point the main highway in the Great Basin to the
mouth OF the Columbia. for the Oregon branch. T. The
lands in California Oregon New Mexico, and above
the expenditures in those places Loans IN anticlpa
ton OF these founded upon their hypothecaon
These are the resources for constructing this great
national highway-al of them national-a 10 be de.
rived from the new countries to which the highways
to goand amply sufficient. in my opinion Tor the speedy
accomplishment of the work The lands set apart in the
three slips will be about one hundred and fifty millions
OF the one-tenh part OF the public lands be
longing TO the federal government; inwhch after deduct
ing for the tracks Of the highways and for donations to
rs settlers and for private claims and gold mines and
Tor that which may be unit for SALE II is probable that
one-tnird, fifty millions OF may be made avais
BILE ut the present minimum price for constructing the
roads Thai would be about sixty millions OF dollars
and immediate San Francisco alone will probably yield
two millions Of dollars the ensuing fiscal year. and in
crease forever The public lands to be sold in California
and the three Territories, after all deductions for liberal
donations 10 first settlers, will still be large, amounting
in few years to some millions of dollars per annum.
The proceeds OF the whoethe reserved slips, the
tom house revenue, and the income from the land sales
will soon be eight or ten millions per annum; which,
with loans in anticipation Of these avals, will yield
enough to have the system OF roads commenced al all