The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-07-16


MIR DOUGLAS. | beg leave 10 say 10 the senator from
Georgia that feel bound 70 resist any reference TO that
committee, Ter this simple reason reference TO the
MILITARY Committee uader the present circumstances, and
al this late stage Of the session. equivalent rejection
Of the bali. And with The same propriey when the
Military COMMITTEE have reported upon il, the subject
may be referred 10 another committee.
Mr. DAWSON. II you will only show me the esli-
mates OF lhe cost Of transportation, &c, there viii be
need 70 refer II 20 that committee. That is the sole OBJ
Mr BUTLER Let Us postpone H.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. | wish 10 say that the same argu-
ment now used for referring this bill to the Military Com
mitlee, with equal and with more propety can be made
Tor reference 10 the committee over which YOU MT.
President, (Alr BRioHT in The cair) preside Inc gen.
emsn may make more plausible speech 70 snow ihat
the object OF tins bill is TO make great ROAD across maj
vast wilderness, and put up bridges and therefore mat
ought 10 GO the Committee on Roads and Canals TO
have estimates made for the cost OF building road Or
even after The Committee on Roads and Canals have
ported on 1t, another motion could be nade-which
would produce still more delay-to refer II to the
! Committee on the Post Othce and Post Roads, be-
cause il provides for carrying the mails And them
alter that, il might with equal proprety he referred
to another committee, 10 vii: the Committee on Pub
lie Lands. TO report upon that part OF il relating TO the
granting of lands 10 soldiers along the line You will
find that when you deprive the Committee on Territories
OF jurisdiction Of these matters within the Territories,
you have committee in this body that il is proper to
refer the whole bill 10. And with the same plausibiliiy
with which the gentleman urges reference to the Mill
tary Committee, after the subject has been referred to
these committees that have mentioned you might refer
| 10 one or two other committees.
Sir, the effect OF the inference is 10 kill the bill The
gentleman says he wishes estimates OF the cost OF the
buildings along the line. Why does be want estimates
And II he wants them, how is your Military COMMITTEE
TO get them !
Mr.. DAWSON Call for them
MIR. DOUGLAS. Call for them Where will they
call from From the vast wilderness where you have
not civil officer nor soldier nor an Indian Are you
going to send your agent there and wat m next year o
will wait till next year To get reply TO your call, That
is the very why object to this refereace. You
have not the means OF getting me esnma'es You nave
not man in the Union prepared 10 make any. And
what do you want OF any estimates. The provision IN
the bill IS, that these troops shall build these station
and post themselves, with their hands, out
of the materials TO be acquired along the route and no
matter what the cost OF the posts is il does not cost the
government dollar for they are 10 built out OF the
materials along the line, and by the soldiers themse
who are to be paid fair compensation provided IN the
| bill
1 The gentleman talks about the transportation OF lum-
Der along the line of these praes TO erect these posts
with see that the Committee on Military Affairs. or
OF IFS members, do not understand the spirit OF the
bill Whoever dreamed of hauling lumber hundreds of
miles into these prares 10 erect military posts with,
when you can build your house of adobe brick made
upon the very site ; for, dig ont the very place you
want for cellar, and you can erect your house with
sun-dried brick, dug and dried upon the very spot
dare say the senator from Georgia would get the ex.
penses of this bill up to four millions if he is 10 reckon
among them estimates for hauling lumber from the nte-
ror instead OF using the material along the line take
il for granted that brick TO be used where they
cheapest, aud lumber where it is 10 be had.
/ Mr. DAWSON. How is IT about building your bridges
/ Mr. DOUGLAS | do not wonder that the gentleman
is suggesting bridges and ferry boats TO draw my aen
ion away from the building of houses But SIR, will
take up that point IL so happens that he has not studied
the geography oil that country, because IN these prairie
regions the almost universal rule sand every man who
has seen prairie knows tha when you approach the
banks OF steam you find bodies OF timber skrng each
Imaigin You cross the stream aud 90 short distance
and you come again into vast prairie When you see
the timber rice in front OF you, you rest assured that
VI will ind ukt hp finhp / aNu hat
Providence has provided timber upon The banks OF the
streams for the purpose of bridging them, and Of making
lferIy- boats for crossing them.
I SO you may go through with all the estimates. The
gentleman wishes estimate OF the cost OF iranspoIla
aon Why sir This bill provides for dispensing with the
TRANSPORTATION by compelling these troops TO their
supplies along the line, and thus you avoid that enormous
Item OF expenditure which your regular army oos up
against the government every year Tor transportation
The gentleman cannot get II out oil has head that this Is
10 be conducted upon the same exaysgant scale OF ex-
pendure OF the regular army aud am opposed 10 hav-
ing the bill go TO the Military Committee Tor fear they
will make that mistake and kill il by the great amount
OF expenditure OF money that they will insert among its
provisions.
Sir we wish 10 accomplish an object, and the object
TO make road and 10 protect that Toadio protect all
the people who settle along travel over the road. We
wish to do That IN the cheapest possible mode, and we
know that the best mode TO do u TO make 1t the inter.
est oil the man owning the soil 10 protect bis home.
There is mode in which you do II, except by a
line OF settlers from the Mississippi TO the Pacific That
line OF settlers only be formed by making road and
for commercial and domestic purposes. You need 1t 10
regulate your intercourse with the Indians and 1t your
duty 10 make il for the protection OF those who have
already gone there under the protection oil your laws
Then when you 10 look al the matter, all these
Inmates which the senator desires unnecessary, be-
The expenditures TO be made there by the
themselves.
But the senator says these must constantly be
gagged IN their military duties, and therefore would not
have time 10 build these houses Why, cir, the moment
you get hundred men stationed at post with in
their hands their presence operates perfect security
Fifty OF them go TO the next post and erect the
buildings and twenty or thirty OF tho remaining fifty
20 TO eultiyatIng the soil about the post
And the gentleman asks how long is going to take 10
clear up this country and prepare II tor cultivation The
senator does not happen 10 live in prairie country, and
that the land is already cleared and ready for
| the plough at this moment
| MIR DAWS0N II wt take a year TO raise the crops
and do you intend they shall raise their hogsi
i Mr. DOUGLAS. No, sir; not 10 raise their hogs. /
expect they TO bring their hogs, cattle and horses
with them as emigranis now do Whenever they 90 TO
take their position at the different posts. they will take
their cattle, hogs, hoses, sheep, and everything that Is
necessary OF that kind with Them and THAI stock will be
able TO subsls upon the pares during the summer, and
these very praifes constitute vast meadows upon which
you will cut grass 10 support them during the winter
The only thing, therefore, that you are bound 10 provide
for will be smp the brsadstus tor position OF the FIRST
year until your crop may mature and Tor that
suggested that the expenditures OF the fret year
would be much larger than they would be at any other
time.
But must remind the senator again that The pointing
out OF these difficulties and suggesting these expenditures
shows that the design to afford protection at all
for that whole section OF country because be points to