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

the bill by adding after the end of the last section
the following words: "Provided the said State O.
Iowa shall, by its Legislature, accept said gran,
Islands for the purposes and on the condition:
named in this act"
Mr.. King. think my friend will see that the
amendment is unnecessary.
Mr. Dodge Well will withdraw it.
The amendment was accordingly withdrawn
Mr.. Davis, of Mississippi. There is one
feature of the BILL which has hereto fore been OBJ
jected to, of which should like to have some
information. mean the right to 60 beyond
the adjoining sections to hunt for any amount
of land which may be deficient within these
tiers. er
Mr. Shields 1t is limited to fiftcen-the
same as the Illinois BILL
Mr.. Douglass. 1t is a precise copy Of the
bill already discussed and past by the Senate and
has new provisions in it at all
Mr.. Pearce. 1 do not know what is the pre-
else form of the bill at present, but believe that
ton provision for the carrying of the mails at a
reasonable price. Now, we make pretty large
donation to this railroad understand the Sen.
ator from Iowa to say the number ofacres appro-
priated by this bill is between eleven and twelve
hundred thousand, which, at the rate ofone dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre, amounts to about
million and half OF dollars, the interest on
which would be about ninety thousand dollars
year. Lands given in alternate scctions-six
alternate sections on each side-is equivalent to
grant Of continuous line of land six miles
wide. suppose the road will be about three
hundred miles in length. Am right?
Wlr Jones. Rather less. 81
Mr.. Pearce. The maximum price for trans
portation on railroads is about three hundred dol
lars per mile; so that it would be about ninety
thousand dollars for the whole road; or rather
less as the road is less in extent than three hun
drcd miles suppose that the interest upon the
value of this land, thus given as contribution
to this railroad, will be about equal to the max
imum price of transportation of the mails over
that road, and yet by this bill the Government
is to pay reasonable price for the transportation
OF these mails. 1t seems to me that we should
have quid pro quo. The interest on the grant
of and($9O,O OO is the exact rate ofthe trans
portation of the mails. therefore move to
amend the 9Th section, providing for the trans
portation of the mails, by striking out all after
the words "Post Office Department" and in
sorting "transportcd free of any charge"
The Vice President. That amendment will
not be in order until the bill is reported back to
the Senate.
MIR. Douglass. wish to say one word only
upon this matter. The error into which the Sen
ator has fallen is this; This is not a donation en-
tlrely because the Government is to have
double price for the other alternate sections
The Vice President. The Chair begs leave
to state that there is no question pending
There being no further proposition to amend,
the bill was reported back to the Senate, and the
amendments were concurrcd in.
Mr.. Pearce moved to amend the section of
the bill providing for the transportation of the
mail by striking out the words sat such price as
Congress may by law Direct and inserting in
lieu thereof "frce of all charge to the United
States
MIR. Douglas. have only to state, that
whilst the bill grants alternate sections to the
State, on condition that the road shall be made,
it also provides that the price of the other alter
nate sections should be doubled so thut the Gov
ernment will lose nothing by the passage of this
BILL and think we may safely leave the rate to
fixed by Congress, as proposed by this section.
shall not argue the question, because this point
was thoroughly discussed on the Illinois bill, and
received the sanction of the Senate by an over
whelming majority; and, as an Illinoian, dis
like to see our friends from Iowa worse treated
than the Senate treated us, and less liberality
shown towards them than was shown towards
U.S.
Mr.. Pearcc. The payment of double price
for the other alternate sections will fall upon
others than the railroad company. They will be
benefited by this grant, and it is right that we
should have some consideration from them. /
SHALL therefore, not withdraw my amendment.
The question was then taken on the amend
ment, and it was ncgativcd.
The question then REQUIRED on ordering the
bill to be cngrosscd for a third reading.
Mr. Hale. do not know that want to OBJ
ject to this individual case, because do not want
to be invidious; but | want to make this sugges-
ton for the consideration of the Senate. 1t has
been decided to be pretty orthodox doctrine that
we should not enter upon SYSTEM ofinternal i'm
provements for the General Government. That
is a part of the Baltimore platform, believe
There is no objection to individual cases, but
only to "a SYSTEM" Now, how many cases
were needed to make ga SYSTEM" 1 believe
grants have been already made to Indiana,
illinois, and Iowa. | am willing to 90 as far
as we can with individual cases, but [ think
there is some danger of our getting into sys-
tenn.
The bill was then ordered to be cngrossed for
a third reading.