Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1851-01-18
Corespondenco ofthe Charleston Mercury.
ErOKaa yVasIRSRaglOr.
WAsHINGToN. Ian.

GAVAhh uH saSkAAhaA AOHhs
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.
The census Of Maryland, South
Carolina, kentucky, and one or two
other Southern States, has been re-
turned to the bureau here. Mary-
land has gained about IS, COO inhaM-
tants since 1910. There is an in-
crease of only one thousand in the
slave population. The whole popu-
latlon IS $4,000. Estimates have
been made here of the population of
every State, derived from the returns,
so Tar as they have come in. The
aggregate population is supposed to
be twenty three and halfmilEons.
The number of Representatives in
Congress is fixed at 223. So the RAJ
tIo tho VIII be about ninety~fiye thousand.
The Southern States will, according
to this estimate, have eighty six
members under the new appoint
ment.
Mr.. Whitney explained the other
night, TO a large audience, his Rail.
road project, which is now before
Congress, and has been recommen-
ded by The State Legislatures of
twentylone States. His proposed
route is from Lake Michigan, Prairie
du Chen, and thence to the South
Pass. Thence he follows the streams
which furnish the waters ofthe Co
lumbIa river. The terminus of the
road will be at Pugeti sound. The
whole distance is $4,000 miles. Ey
cry portion ofthe route is practical
bic, and no other is. No road can
be made TO California. Mountains
and deserts render it impossible. The
route from Memphis 10 San Diego,
which has been talked offs utterly
lmpractlcable. The first 500 miles
OF Whhney'sroute is through prai-
RE country, and one of the most fer
tile in the world. The lands on this
portion ofthe route are to supply
means for completing 1000 miles Of
road, one half of The distance the
route lying through a poor country,
Brt after reaching the head waters
o. the rivers which empty into the
Iaclhc, the country again becomes
fertile. Mr.. Whitney asks from the
Government a belt ofland sixty miles
wide on the route ofthe road, from
the sales of which he proposes to
build it. Upon the completion of the
road, he is to give it to the Govern
ment, and pay, besides, ten cents an
acre for the land
MIR. Benton's proposed route is the
same as MIR. Whitney's.. Mr.. Ben
tons bill provides for appropriating
lands on the route, to the construc-
ton the road, to the extent of fifty
miles on each side of the road, and to
pay any deficiency out ofthe Treasu-
ry. The public lands it is agreed,
furnish the only means by which the
Government will ever construct the
road, and they will after few years
be squandered. Their proceeds will
never go into the Treasury-and, if
the, routeis desirable, they might as
well be appropriated to that. / doubt
whether Congress will pass any bill
on the subject this session, but after
year or two, the lands nowrelied
upon as the means of constructing
the road, will have beengiven' over
to the new States and Territories, or
to actual settlers. There is said to
be a route for a rail road from the At
lantic to the Pacific, through the
northern possessions of Grest Britain
and that the British gover6met will
take up the enterprize. - Courier.