The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-06-30
Our Railroad.

We wish there had been dozen bills Of this
kind granted, where there is one. The West
are entitled to all the aid from this source they
require, and The Eastern and Southern members
of Congress should give all such applications
their most earnest support. The whole country
is benefited by the construction Of these rail-
roads, more or less. The revenue of the gov
eminent from the sale Of public lands is largely
augmented, emigration encouraged cultivation
OF the soil exteneed, agricultural products in
creased, public works more productive-in fact
every interest is benefited in some wav The
railroad companies asking these grants of lands
do more fer the general government than the
general government do for them. They make
marketable, lands which have for years been
valueless. They bring population into ter
ritory which never before had any habi.ation but
the rude Indian hut. They carry civilization
into sections where none hu, the wild Indian
roamed, and they extend the area Of freedom
where the voice Of liberty never Ind before
been heard. 1t is perfectly absurd to talk OF
favors attended to these companies by Congress,
in granting one, two or three millions of land.
So long as the principle upon which the grants
which have been made 10 adhered to-so long
as the system of granting alternate sections is
not lost sig hit Oft would be well to dispose of
all the public lands for railroad purposes.
would be better to divide the grants into moder-
ate quantition, so to avoid all great monopo.
lies !; but they cannot be too general or too
much distributed There are too many secti-
onal pr iudces or jealouses In Congress, to
insure the greatest good to the greatest number
If members Of Congress would exhibit proper
and liberal spirit, and take sound and states
manlike view Of the different question as they
are presented, we should have less party bitter
ness less rancor, less difficulty in leglslating
for the country at large-for the people as a
whole. The East and the West, the North md
the South have in fact but one interest and that
IL, the growth, prosperity happiness, OF all
parties, in all parts of the Union. To obtain
and for our representatives TO net like statesmen
instead Of conducting themselves as petsifogg-
ing lawyers, SO short sighted and preiudiced in
their views that they cannot comprehend the
importance or necessity of any measure in which
their constituents are not Immediately and d.
rectly interested.
In connection with this subject, we cannot
omit mentioning the course pursued by Senator
Jones, of Iowa in relation to the bill granting
additional aid to the Collins steamers II Is his vote
that saved the amendment aud secured the pas.
cage the bill through the Senate. Had he
been less liberal in his views less Of statesmen
in his Legislative duties the East would have had
to regret the defeat of the bill. This is the spir-
1t which should animate members of Congress
from all sections of the country, and we trust
that the West will receive the aid and support
OF all other sections represented in Congress in
the extension Of her railroad system and the ra-
pid improvement of her immense tracts of puh-
lie lands.