New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-03-18
The Pacific RaiIread-Plans for It's Constrnc-
lion.


la considering the various plans for the ccnstruc
ton Of the Pacific Railroad, we shall continue TO
aim rather u, setting the main points OF the subject
plainly before the public, and rendering its general
features perfectly iutellgble, than at minute ex-
animation OF every detail connected with it.
These plans resolve themselves substantially into
three, as follows
l. That the General Government shall build the
Road This plan is advocated by Col Benton
Lieut. Maury. MIR Loushborough, and others.
IL. That the Government shall issue s9s,00o, GOO
in stock, and lend it to Company which has
$4,000, 900 Of its own money, To help that Company
build it, This is Mr.. Degrand's. or the Boston
Plan.
Ill. That Congress shall set apart strip Of Wild
land sixty miles in width. extending from Lake
Michigan through to the Pacific, for the building OF
the Road, and authorize Asa Whitney to construct
IT, and paythereior with the proceeds derived rom
the sale of the land.
We will examine these plans IN the order In
which We have named them.
The objections made to the buibling OF the road
by the General Government are several. Ii is de
med thu, the power so To build such work
constitutonally exists it is also asserted that II
could not be built economically by the Govern
ment as by private enterprise that IL would aiiort
a new and immense and greatly varied means OF
plundering the public treasury and that it would
add dangerously TO the patronage Of the Federal
authorities. already overgrown that the interests
VI The country cry aloud 6r its sbohticn 10 the
atmost possible extent
To the first OF these objections we cannot con
eede any validity but the others have a force and
weight which would make us long hesitate to sup
port any plan which should make the Government
the Constructor of the work.
III. The scheme. which would commit the under
taxing TO n corporation with stock shares OF its
own and ninety-eight or any number o; millions OF
Government securities TO back it is still more Oh
jeotionable. In the first place il violates OF the
fundamental conditions necessary to the complete
success % the enterprise. Such company would
have 10 pay interest and make profits whereas
iths read mast do nothing more than pay its run
ming expenses and keep itself in repair, Ii mus;
be the free highway of the world. and not means
Of lsvyins tribute the world for the benefit of
corporation. Moreover this scheme, though good
for Safest. and Wallst where specals,ing ii
stocks 10 q regular branch Of business IL not gooG
fer the country We opposed ~ any such issas
Of government securities as il consemplstes WI
are opposed 10 supplying these millions OF pubhC
debt for the use 81 stock dealers and spectators.
III The objections to Mr. whitney's scheme are
as follows II converts the work into al indivdas
instead OF a National enterprise, the snswer Il
this 10 that the objection is merely sentimental tbs
real question being how the road can be best AM
soonest built on plan consistent with It's beins
run at rates which viii just pay its expenses and
Keep il in repair what want is to gain Ger
tain great advantages from the operation 81 the
road. and il that end can DO reached in one way
better than an another ought to adopt thai
way. Beside. the glory of the undertaking Mr.
whitney's, q, say rate he first conceived the
idea; his industry energy and NsPoleanie per
severance have forced universal attention so 'ss
grandeur and importance and however the wors
is DONE it carries his name honorably down 70 pos
terity. He is an American the road vii run over
American soil and II bail, on bis Plan the Ameri'
can Government win supervise and control its exc
cuticn, il this does not make ii sufficiently ns'
tioIal, we do not know how it ooad b made 80.
Mr. whsnsy, ii We understand bis views desires