The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-03-07

States, Id oman our commerce. mud Will
TINT view many works Of improvement nt ar,
pressing westward, which we trust will ul
tinateIy reach our borders; and il is bo,t
} our interest and duty TO reach such improve
J mcnts aud TO extend them into, or through
our State in such manner as best 10 nd
, vance the public interest. The most mpor
iant oi these improvements and tho one that
Is attracting tho greatest attention is the
great National Railroad uniting she Allan!
tic toihe Pacific ocean; the northern branch
Of which, from the nature Of the country
must pass up the south shore Of Lake Erie.
extending westward By the Sandusky and
Manmee Bays 10 the south bend OF Lake
Michigan, thence The most direct route to
in,ersect the great National Railroad, nj
the Council Bluffs on the Missouri, will
cross the Mississippi at Davenport pass
through the interior of Iowa by Iowa CITY
md Fl Desmoines, TO the aforesaid inter
section. This will appear evident 10 every
impartial observer by reference 10 the maps
of the country. This route will open 10
the great commercial cities Of Baltimore,
Philadelphia, New York and Boston, as well
as other commercial cities in the Eastern
STATES, the most direct communication with
the great valley Of the Upper Mississippi.
which for fertility Of snil, particularly be-
tween the Illinois and Missouri rivers, in
clnding the country Above the mouths Of
these rivers, are surpassed by none in the
world.
Tho amended hi|l reported by Mr.. Niles,
on the 9ih of July, lS4S, 10 the Senate of
the United States. authorised Mr.. Whitney
and his assignees to construct railroad
from any point they might designate on
Lake Michigan or the Mississippi river, n,
his option, through the public lands belong
ing to, and under the jurisdiction Of the
United States, on line as nearly straight
as the face the country will admit, and
where the streams can be bridged, 10 some
point on the Pacific ocean, where suitable
harbor may be had. The bill grants to him
thirty miles wide, or five fu! townships Of
six sections ench, on each side of:he line Of
snid rond, md for any and all Of whatever
may be sold before the taking effect of the
act, an equivalent number ofacres Of other
governmen, land 70 make the full quantity
| Of thirty miles on each side of the road, for
which grant of sixty miles wide Whitney a.
greed to pay to the government, under GER
tain regulations, ten t. per acre.
" As the Railroad from Davenport, of Rock
| Island, BY Town City and Fl. Desmoincs, to
Cnnncil Bluffs, is . section of the same road
FOR which grant was proposed to be made
to Mr. Whitney, and as the government,
and citizens OF the United States generally,
will derive ns much advantage from the road,
as il constructed by Mr.. Whitney, we can
see no good reason why the United States
should not grant to the State Of Iowa snf
6cicnt quantity Of land to enable the State
to complete the road, securing 10 the United
States such privileges as might be deemed
| just. As there can no constitutional OBJ
jcciinns nrise in Congress. with regard 10
appropria,ing land 10 tho State for the con.
s,ruction Of this road, we respectfully urge
upon the consideration Of Congress the JUS
tice and propretv Of full and ample ap-
preparation. TO ennble the State to construct
tho entire road from the crossing Of the
Mississippi nt Davenport, through the inte.
rior ofihs State, by Iowa City and Fort
Des Moines, to Council Bluffs.
When we view The infant State Of Iowa,
the vast sums Of money that have been paid
by her citizens to the United States for
their public lands, and consider that the in
,ercst Of the U. S., and the Eastern States
in particular, are greatly advanced by the
construction Of said road; that on the sd
mission of Ohio into the Unon, the United
States agreed to construct National roat
from the Atlantic waters to that State, ane
in accordance with that agreement con
siructed the Cumberland road-lst, from
Cumberland, on the Potomac, TO Wheeling
on the Ohio River, thence, expended large
sums in extending j, trough Ohio, Indiana
and!llIinois, and would doubtless have reach
ed Iowa had not that kind Of Improvement
hcen abandoned by the general govern
ment. On full view Of the subject We
cannot resist the impression, that Congress
viii grant our request and furnish Us witt
fuil and ample means to construct the road
Resolred, That it is the duty Of the Genera
Government TO provide at the earliest possible
period, for the construction OF q central Natioha
Railroad from the Mississippi valley to the Pa
cifc ocean. and that grand trunk Railroad iron
the South Pass in Rocky Mountains, extending
westward branching at the most suitable point
and extending one branch to the Bay OF Sir
Francisco, in California, and another TO Puget
Sound in Oregon, aud also extending eastwart
TO the Council Bluffs on the Missouri River, witt
three branches; one southward to such poin
on the Lower Mississippi as may be most suita
BILE to connect with the Improvements in th'
Southern States; one central to such point on thu
Mississippi ms may be deemed most suitable 4
! the various Improvements on its borders; and th
other branch from the Council Blnffs eas,war.
crossing the Mississippi at Rock Island to Chca
go on the southern bend Of Lake Michigan
would he such central and National Railroad
i Resohed, That the public lands constitute
: legitimate and proper fund to DC applied TO tn
construction Of public Improvements, and tha
appropriations public lands in sufficient quan
! ,,ies should be made 10 the several states to en-