The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-07-03
Iowa Rail Road Bills safe.

| iowa xt0sl xtO0u Bills S0t6s
We take the earliest opportunity to inform
our readers, that the bill for donating alternate
sections of land for the construction of the tw,
great Rail Road throughfares, have been engros
sed and ordered to third reading in the Senate
The House committee has reported favorably o
the Dubuque and Keokuk Road, but unfavorably
of the other. The bills being stacked" by tn,
senate, and passed us one bill induces us to hops
that they will pass the House in their presen
form.
We subjoin the debate which took place il
Senate on the Second reading of the bill.
| Donation Of Lands.
Mr.. Jones. Mr.. President, rise to ask ia
vor of the Senate; and, as it is but seldom that
make calls upon the time of this body, 1 hope
the indulgence Will be accorded to me. move
you to take up and consider at this time, though
not strictly in the order of business, bill No. 20
to grant alternate sections of the public lands to
aid the State of Iowa to construct railroad from
Dubuque, via Iowa City and Keokuk, in Iowa
This bill, Mr.. President, as have amended and
prepared it, is made to conform in its provisions
to the bill making grant ofland to the State Of
Illinois to aid that State in the construction Of
what is called the Central Railroad. have pur-
poscly made its provisions conform to the bill
|
necessity for amendment or discussed in relation
to its provisions and principles, the whole having
been fully discussed in this body at the time ol
the passage of that bill. This bill, as amended
by my colleague and myself will! ~: lie consent of
TIC TIC Committee on Public Lands, unites the two
bills reported from that committee providing for
grants of land to construct railroad from Du-
buque to Keokuk, and one from Davenport via
Iowa City, to the Missouri river. The quantity
of land proposed to be appropriated, as near as I
can estimate the same, with the data now given
the whole country through which the proposed
roads are to be constructed not being yet survey
eds about one million four hundred and fifty
thousand acres; being some seventy or eighty
thousand acres less than that granted to our sis
ter State of Illinois.
The bill was taken up and read, together with
substitute reported as an amendment by the
committee, and an amendment to the amendment
which was offered by Mr.. Jones.
Mr. Hamlin. There are two or three things
which desire to know before l vote on this bill,
and presume the Senator from Iowa can give
me the information l desire. | wish to know,
first, the number of acres appropriated by the
amendment proposed by the Senator from Iowa;
and, second, l desire to know whether there is
any provision in either of the amendments, or in
the original bill-for believe this is triangu-
lar bill-providing for the disposition of the re-
naming sections, after the alternate sections
shall have been selected for the railroad for any
sum beyond the maximum price established by
law, 81 25?
MIR. Jones. In answer to the inquiry of the
Senator, have to state, that the alternate Sec
tons reserved to the United States within the
limits of this grant. are to be increased in the
minimum price ST. IS per acre-to So SO.
consider this an iiberal provision; but as it was
incorporated in the illinois grant, and as the
passage of our bill might be endangered were
the reserved sections not enhanced in price, we
have been constrained to submit to this Gas we
regard it onerous provision, imposed upon us by
the committee before presenting it to the Senate
for its action. The Government will lose moth
ing by the grant at all, but, on the contrary, will
be greatly benefited, ind its treasury replenished
I by the immediate and much more rapid sale of
its public domain. The anticipated construc-
ton of these roads will direct the attention of the
emgrants to the country through which they
| are to pass, and will cause the sale of millions
OF acres of land-the prairie and other less val
liable portions OF which would not otherwise be
sold for many years to conc, because of the
difficulty of procuring timber; and of transport
ing to market the immense amount of surplus
produce which our State must eventually, and
at no distant day, yield.
The first of these railroads is to connect with
the great national railroads which bind the
wealthy eastern cities of Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, and the western cities of Buffalo,
Detroit, Chicago, and Galena, with the Father
of Waters, at the Furnishing young city Of Du-
buque, which is the heart OF one Of the richest
and most extensive mineral and agricultural re-
gions in America. tits to run distance of about
one hundred and eighty miles, in southwestern
direction, through the interior of our State, and
by way Of our seat of government, Iowa City,
Fairfield, and other tlourishing towns and rich
portions of Iowa, to the city of Keokuk, in
the most wealthy and populous county Of our
State.
The other road, from Davenport to the Mis-
souri, river, is intended to be the last link which
is to unite the territories of the United States,
which lie west of the Missouri river with ano-
Their branch of railroads which run further to the
South, through the States of Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois, and which are now being prosecuted
with considerable energy, as | am informed, by
those States. The completion of these works of
internal improvement, is earnestly desired by the
people of our State, who have held public meet
Jugs, conventions, &c., in various places, and at
themselves Sir, as one oftheir Representatives,
sincerely hope this boon may be granted to
them.
MIR. Underwood. wish to get some add-
tional information from the gentleman from Iowa
before l vote upon this amendment. want to
know whether these railroads which are contem-
plated here have been begun? Whether any
steps have been taken to make any Of them?-
Whether any company has been chartered to
construct them? Whether the State has done
anything to put these works into operation? Or
whether it is merely grant of land, in contem-
paton that the State viii hereafter do something
to construct these roads and to provide the neces
sary funds? Now, sir, have been quite liberal
in granting lands, and feel disposed to be libe-
raj in granting lands for the purposes of internal
improvement, for that is one of the articles ofmy
political creed. lift is not done by the United
States let it be done by the States and if not by
the States, let it be done by companies. But it
seems to me that this bill probably contemplates
going further than we ever have gone heretofore
by granting lands in anticipation that the State
will do something for the purpose of constructing
the roads. I am disposed to wait until the State
shall have commenced operations, us in the case
of Illinois the other day; and iflowa has actually
commenced these works, have no objection al
all to give to her, SO fur as she may have COM
menced them, the same grant which we gave to
Illinois. | do not think it would be proper to
mako tho rronf without inflammation m thie