The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-09-20
INTELLIGENCE BY THE MAILS.


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Our WashiDston Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Is, 1850.
.Sgarery IN this Distriet-Mr. Pratt's Bal-Alarm-
ing Increase ofths Fee Coiored Populatiom-Nfort
Erc,tement-Afieda Line of Steamers necessary.
Mr.. Pratt called up his Compromise bill to-day,
being the sixth of the Senate in the general adjust
ment-a bill for the punishment of kiiaappers of
slaves from this District and arrest the alarming
increase of free negroes by grant of power to the
local authorities 10 prevent the incoming of free
colored persons aud To order them out of the Dis
tnct, on pam OF fine aud imprisonment.
The proceedings upon this bill will show you
that agitation is not oyer-that the question oil the
abolition of slavery here is 10 be continued before
the people.
Meantime moe serious evil to the citizens has
come upon them ihan The aboil ION OF slavery, in
the extraordinary ofthe free colored popu-
iation. We UIc, rstaUd that from the census re-
turns there are 1900 free co,ored people in this
District. The hotes and boarding houses require
vast number Of servants, w sherwomen, &c., and
the free colored ruled cut of Maryland and
Virginia. have hnckrd uo this place of refuge until
they number One-,tIid at the whole population.
This Vast increase ~ tins class has created pretty
safe retreat tor Iubs~a, slaves from the neighhor-
hood, whence desire OF Mr.. Pratt TO protect his
constituents oi ih- State ot Mary land.
The disclosuf- II ihs of the free colored
people will be yriy apr tins session or the next, to
Heed 10 the tsLblsniIr nj Of the Ebony line Of
steamers 10 the co,st II Africa, for the transporid
ton Ut The surplus ~, c"l0rrd folks 10 Liberia
We uude H. thr - cfetsry of State is firmly
cCmmitItd tu IA, ,tfrip'i-e of the Lbony line,
great scntmc i"' 10" ueiora;lon Of the blacks,
and the rrhti - 'te WAT oi Ia" southern States.
ia his great Conn "u.-r speech of last spring, he
I'd he woa wiling 10 voc away eighty MD
Ions for The pip 90 culonizinH the free colored
people 81 jtIs tuuIry "u thr coast of Africa aRd
unless sCmr surf -c.-,uir be- adopted wi hiu a few
years, the Nmtt'.n -f,trs will have the double
difficulty Ia con ru'. e he ahuisn Of 81 avery and
tl,t disposition "a be made of the increasing free
TC0ile Of CClur
We Anticipate ssne movement for the Ebony
iur, m The cU"st' tu"H at The Navy bill, aud for
tie present postpone 40, further remarks upon the
sub Jet.
"a ,>niAGroS, Sept. Is. 1850.
S-naN Rfyort aud BH on ihs Pacjfc Railroad.
Mir Bright, of The Committee on Roads and Ca
nals, 10 whom were referred the memorial Of
Thomas Allen aLd other- committee of a meeting
of delegates icr st',ag states, held in ct Louis the
CONSTRUCTION o. u-t,un" railroad aud electric iec
graph from the Ai'i, ih river 70 the Pacific ocean
also the Eat nora q "tUslos. LaDier, aud Company
sad iour huDtI'i atd t"'niy three citizens OF she
Bited States Ia A''r 81 granting to 7. T. DegrAnd
aud Others clAt.r tr liE- object; also, various
aud NUMEROUS p buttons. memorials and petitions.
nom State g.ibI br'-. the Chamber OF Commerce Of
New lcIs lHrl' P"fitc m'.ttugs in several different
cities G. lbt uHi"r aod on-r-ut CONNIE relal firms md
private tiE-Ls va 'a,"r at the plan of Mr. Asa Witt
ney Of New Yak log the construction Of such road,
rcpGTi.-
That. after Guy siit.u1 weighing. aud comparing
the IssEtLs iuI IL uih.isBt and the differs
VlsBs. your uurtt.r have come to the conclusion
that the plan ,Du.iit'-d by Mr. Asa whitney Of New
York Is the Que ~ pu- TT TO be adopted and have
sccoidiBgly II'In'o bill &C.
l. i ne commune II' pusr 10 get over the con-
sn,utoIsl dtheuny Toy leaving the project to phi
yaie .nierinsr
The bill pro,ss-- that a belt Of territory, sixty
miles wide, thus Inllts on each side of the road,
nom Lake Mirngau io the Pacific via the South
Pass and the Gtrat SAT- Late, about ~ 600 QUO
aCres, shall he tuIu'd over, AoVd, bad and indif.
feren', 10 MIR hruty, N ten ceais an acre,
amounting to LeailJ SouU0O0O, which he is TO pay
for the whole.
3. The capitol To be created by the increased
value 81 the lbIcs fc,m the building OF the road,
and when crrai'd and thus invested, the bill pro-
Ndes MAT The uet ~ the road shall be a positive
and perpetual lisiulty Ia trade and commerce. will
no oiker tax Ter uauspnti OF passengers aud me r.
chandise bab su'h TOLLS as may be necessary 10
st eP the road abd us apparatus in working order
which tolis "tt 10 he determined on and regu.
lated BY CuBsUss.
And they L. i,Ne that this road, 80 constructed
wil allow OF ti'' transportation of Illinois corn q
china al good IHuhi, by way OF the road TO ia,
Facihc.
The road on this plain is estimated to cost $50.
ttO,COO. The thrt reliance Is the fret 500 mile.
~ the lands 80 the Toute The ball proposes
therefore, certain trsrfvHiiOna within this distance
AZ security Tor the pfusecutIOn Of the work through
rbe bad county, h' oad, and provides also, that II
AT. Whitney shaii iail 81 any stage he shalt forei
he compensation, ~hrh TO be- all that the sixty
miles kfrgdih at l~u1 vii produce afJ pay ing a.
the conn lttitu 80 thn ruad from one end TO IA f,
other and . coo 90 into the trrasur-ihe roai
then 10 be sufTs bdsfed iO the nation. Congress il
the meantime, T. Ia retain the supervisory power
and nay dlspscr Mr.. Whitney, VI faithitss TO O.
2nCOmYett ut tur The tack, at any time.
The commune a. he out strong argument in
favor Of he chime snd ~ feasibility but there
~ one thifP "a ~hich ihey have fallen short For
more than a uussn miles there no timber, aud
that IN the heart ~ he route and there are five
hundred miles ~ ~. Rocky Mountains, which will
Coz, cunsldefIr The hravy sTadings, and the
transportation Tor upwards ot a Thousand miles Of
materials atd PROVISIONS, at least $50, 900 ger mile
60 build the rod.
But u Will b. time enough 10 discuss this subject
~ The neat s,,ti,n % CODgtefs. IL ought 20 be
suihcicn Tor Mr.. Whitney. Tor the present that he
hes The start Of 81 he com, Editors.