The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-12-11

II 1
of President Taylor in regard to the opening OF
lime of communication between the Valley of the
| Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean.
No one can review the history of the American
continent for few years past without being forced
1 10 the conclusion that, within few years more,
the Mississippi Valley will be connected by Rail
| road with the Pacific.
Ten years ago there were scarcely ten thousand |
| human beings in both California and Oregon. Now |
| there is a population of two hundred thousand in
California, (the 31st State of the UnionO and not
less than fifty thousand in the Territory OF Oregon
This population is, in the main, composed OF IN
tegent, enterprising and industrious Anglo
Americans-oapabe Of encounterlng and suodwng |
all the difficulties incident to the settlement and |
improvement of new country. Within twenty |
or, at most, fifty years. the Pacific coast, from the
49th to the 32d degrees OF latitude, and reaching
out to the 105h line Longitude, embracing the vast
extent of country known as the Great Basin, will
contain a dense population, rivang that of the At
lantc States in physical and social advantages, in
the refinement and elegancies of cultivated society,
and in all the elements of prosperity and power.
The establishment of Railroad communication
between the Valley of the Mississippi and the Pa
ciic will aid in the accomplishment Of this mag
nifcent result That this road will be built can
taken within twelve months, or within five years;
but it is work which the necessities of the times
and growing interests of the nation will force to
| 4 contamination within limited period of time.
| Twice has it now been recommended by Presidents
of the United States That which has been the
subject of repeated and earnest recommendations
of two as practical Presidents Taylor and Fill
more cannot be regarded as chimercal. Besides,
II A. ,f A. ,1,lo ofo and
the most enterprisng of our capitalists, has for
several years been directed to this great work. not
to inquire into its practicabity, but to devise the
most expedent and practicable way in which it
shall be accomplished.
Three plans for the construction Of a Railroad tc
the Pacific have been laid before the country, and
in one shape or other, brought to the consideration
of Congress. The first proposes that it shall be a
1 Government ayOrb, the expenses to be betrayed
out of the national treasury. The second proposes
Z the organization of stock company, with small
! | capital with which to commence the work, the
y Government then to loan to the company a credi
Of eighty or ninety millions of dollars, besides Civ
& ng it grant of a strip of land ten miles wide OF
The North side of the road and such amount oflant
S IN the South side as may be necessary for station
. houses and buildings for the accommodation of thu
Is 1 Dad. This is the scheme of Mr. Degrand, o
, | Boston.
, The third plan is that of Mr.. Asa Whitney. l
briefly this large tract of land on the line o
The proposed road set apart for its construction
Of Of this land that in the first eight hundred miles
81 $ excellent, equal to any in the country. Tha
n which follows is poor; indeed, much of it neve
l support a dense population 1t follows that tn
al irst eight hundred miles must pay greater pal
III Of the expense of the whole road. Accordingly
e divided into sections of five miles each. AS 500
y rs ten miles of the road finished and in running
order Mr.. Whitney has the right to sell one OF thes
sections and so on successfully each ten miles
inished reservng each alternate five miles of Ian
to be sold after the work is carried through tn
b. eight hundred miles into the poor land which can
Ill, not pay, and in which there are to be no reserve
- sections. But not till that is done acre
these reserved sections be sold, and then they ca
he only be sold the work advances and the none
at required to meet the actual outlay, and sold a
a. public auction in lots of from forty to hundre
md sixty acres. Mr.. Whitney is merely charged
n with the right of selling the land the title come
y ] lirectly from the Government If when the roa
IS finished there any lands unsod, they mus
q be sold at public auction within ten years, thei
e proceeds to be paid to Mr.. w. or his legal repre-
sestatves. Should he fail at any stage Of the work
his grant is forfeited and all he has done become
le Internationally and without further consideration
/, the property of the Government. For all the land
in aiken, good, bad and Indifferent, the treasury is
be paid ten cents acre by Mr.. Whitney.
We thus particularly explain the plan of M
Whitney, because it isgeneraly regarded Il
safest and most practicable yet projected for III
to accomplishment of this great work. 1t is though
y to be the most practicable because instead of bun
thening the national treasury with an immens
lt debt, which the revenues of the road might neve
pay off, it will actually put into the treasury abou
l. SS,000,000 and by its own operation create til
means to build the road, while, at the time,
or opens up and settles with an industrious populato
r. large tract of country-gving employment an
homes not only to thousands of our native citizen
m but of tens of thousands of the oppressed lahore
10 Of Europe.
n The consideration of this subject will be contn
of ed in another article.