Washington telegraph., 1852-07-28
Report of Col. u. II, Payne.

ssFs rc.effsa Ly this convention, be-. leave
respectfully 10 represent. that, when the
committee first met It was agreed tn. the
friends uf each proposed railroad should
lfaw up a statement setting forth. hricagi
the merits Sc, tf their respective routes
aad ihat the-e statements should constitute
the body uf their report Of the bazis ur1n
winch il #konll Be drawn, with their recom-
mandatian tn thp consideration OF the c1u-
Yeauon and the people Of Arkansas Such
was the understanding Of the undersigned,
and such the action Of the committee, %
flr as the Central Railroad from Memphis.
through Iaila Roek, to tie Texas border
iha ra.! HFam Helena to laari Smith aud
IH.l from Gaines Landing 10 liei River
f.a Camdau, But your honorable body
viii julss Of the surprise If the undersgiz
Il. when the New Orleans, Opelunsis, aud
sHsau#a road. ria l.iitle Rpek To $. Lou.
i s-s pfssou,e1. ilHt i met with oppasi.
iiaB. Ga4 from & delegate not of Afsanas.
Ii lum another sae, and ihl, there was
alan!ad n iis slral, that which suited is
enemies: and. con lngntly the proper
statements In reference 10 that important
md ars suppressed. Il is made the sfe.
F#al duvaf lie undersigned, by the Pres.
dsa. and pirce.asy q. the AcW Orleans.
unf'ou,,s and dna. Ne.,cm kaIlr1ad
Company. 10 l4y tn advantages u tiiis raad
haIorc tn convention, and before the pee.
pla of Arkansas Why gentlemen wished
IN have he information suppressed. in fe-
zaHl ta Iliis road. aud gIabpIa,ely gwen II
I#.trua to anuihar, de undersigned vii
MT attempt To explain. ini if thsfc vefe
aay afeH IN the arguments uscd faf it. llf-
preston. il /. 10 be iuuni IN the far. eXpres.
Il tlai. within The State, the people Of Ar
kansas would endorse Il rad specially re-
commended. af lie one upan which all their
elarsIa4 and money should be Grs. expended.
until It's completion: aud might, IN prefer.
enr,. take the PROPOSED rad direct To New
Orleans
impression produced upon hi. miud sine,
BIS arrival here, by citizens Of Little Rock
anil members d the cJmcniioa. was. thu
llc public m,ud IN Arkansas. had fully an,
almost uaauimGnsly settled down IN fayo
us the Central kilgoad, ns the one the,
would irt make but to Judge irom the re
marks made at the time alluded. il wouli
appear TINT i WAS found, that Il the claim
% ih1 New Orcaa rilral-lirec: ihrouel
A.ula Rock To S. Louis, Wcr. presented /,
Iin consideration Of m intelligent c1nmu
uii. ticy would adopt it rs the one bes
calculated To advance the prosperity o.. th,
State Of Arkansas and her people. On
this question, the undersigned Is content b,
Wy1i, Tie decision Of enlightened inycfira
Sion Buf. iHr undersigned ranna. refrain
.,um thc expression OF his deep regret. thai
ibis should have occurred, aud that thi
sIange aad unexpected action Of the e1m
mitiee should compel him to submit. in III,
.orm Of u minority report, to this convention
the paper that Otherwise, az an act ur cour
,e,', should have appeared in the genera
rcpyd, as wa, at iir.t agreed - in commit
iou. The paper is as follows. and the un
'.cr.gnI request. that it and the co,nmu
niclton. be aprcad upon the minute. Of thi
convention, and be printed with lis publish
ed proceedings.
q The New Orleans Opclousas and Grca
b Western Railroad is intended 10 reach IN
. Pacii, Ocean, and i, now under WY. witt
, l.ia ,oaE ne. ,ary lo build the rnad frou
New Orleans 20 the Texa. boundary. At o
near The 32d parallel Of latitude, disiauc
Of 32l miles
Tbis c1mpny If il meets tho yicws d
p the rufl 70. Arkansas proposes 20 take of
a' smc point hci1ra reaching the Snbin
9 river Che most suitable for the Interests a
d Artauas aud lnuisiana,J o branch road il
d lhe direction of Little Roek, and fror
{ ,hmcc, by the most eligible and direc
. route 10 s. Louis Missouri. to be- callc
2 the Arkansas and 50 Louis Branch,
!, will be seen, by looking at the maj
ilot this road will pass centrally throms
Arhana. That It will deyelope, in In
humble Judgment Of the undersigned an
those whom he represents, more fully an
hNNHhih-''HHlF INV lNHNul'tH ~ inc NiAlt
= and afford more direct and better acilitie
.tr reaching market, need not be argued
q To look at the map. and know tho points 8
b ho reached. is sufficient for tho candid an
= intelligent The distance from Little Roc
. To the Louisiana State line, is l20 miles,
! When this portion of the road is finished
& Little Rock and central Arkansas will b
, Within about ten hours Of Ncw Orleans
This pant Of the road, it is believed. can b
. constructed for the sane cost per mile ,
the Louisiana, and, the estimates of whic
are placed by their engineers under 50. 80
. per mile.
= The distance from Little Rock to the Nj.
souri, line, counted by section lines, is unde
us miles. This portion can be construct
cd at cost not varying far from the South
ern end Of the road. The whole disiuno
across the State will be les than 240 miles
With st. Louis and Missouri finishing thl
= remaining portion of the road to st. Louis
q will secure the great aggregation Of produc
{ ot the one end Of the road, with New Or
lcans m secura it on tho ofbar iha travel