The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-07-07
Speech of Hon. l.. Clark in the House o
Representatives on the ssIOyva Land BILL


Speech OF Hon. l.. Clark in the IIonss or
the road upon it? If this were done, it would |
cross the Mississippi river several times. But
let me say to you, sir, that the road pursues TO
such direction. 1t moves from the point from
which it startes, at angle of at least foryfive
degrees if not more, with the course OF the riv |
err. into the interior. That road has been alrea-
DIV Surveyed seventy five or eighty miles
from the starting point, and that point is that
distance from thu nearest accessible point upon
the river; and it is to progress in the same d.
rection, and consequently the gentleman Will
see. upon the principles Of Fri gonometry-for
suppose that he is well velsed in the trigono. |
mery as he is IN parallelisms That it goes sun
further and further from the river until it comes
to the eliminating point-if may SO speak
and il will be at least hundred miles from Its
starting point and far in the INTERIOR. AT that
point it defects, and makes towards the river
again, IN the direction of Keokuk, the distance
and angle with the river being nearly the same
from the point of detection as TO it, until 1t
reaches the river at the place last named n
TIL, Gentleman says that no Western point is
named, Now, if he is exceedingly anxious-if
he is sincerely and honestly anxious-ihat this
road shall not be parallel road, and TINT there
should be security to that efect-if he will
move a Western paint-we will most cheerful
ly accept of the amendment, provided always,
that he mentions one that suits us. Now, let me
say to you, that this Dubuque and Keokuk road
is nothing more than two branches ofthe Dav-
export and Council Bluffs road And here !
meet another point which the gentleman SO un-
fairly made. He said that there was no outlet
that it began nowhere and ended nowhere. Now
| from the representations which have male,
think gentlemen can see the course OF this road;
| if they will look at the map, they will have no
difficulty 1t will be remembered that one bill
provides for road from Davenport to Council
Bluffs. This point, Davenport is about midway
between Dubuque and Keoknk That road Will
cut the State nearly in two. Our Dubuque
road is branch to intersect that road, at dis
lance from the river which | have mentioned.
| The Keokuk is another branch to intersect the
same road Now, gentlemen will be prepared
to see whether this road goes ''nowhere'
/ MIR. Fowler, Gnterrupting. Will the gentle
man allow me to make one inquiry II Is mere
lily to get information. 70 49, Is .E.E
Mr.. Clark. Certainly. %; -ssse.s
Mr. Fowler l desire to know whether the
road from Dubuque, of which he first speaks,
goes to the capital of the State.
Mr.. Clark Not necessarily.
i MIR. Fowler. Is it designed that either OF
them shall extend. to the capital ...,
I Mr.. Clark That is for the Legislature Of
the State to determine; that authority will
mark the precise track no other has power t.
do it, Ali can say is, that it is designed to
penetrate the interior. "A part Of It's course has
already been surveyed and located.
Mr.. Fowler. The gentleman means west Of
the capital not east. isys wkT~g s.ggA
Mr.. Clark My colleague says that one o
the memorials mentions the capital. Suffice \
to say, it is not point fixed, it is open, and II
, is for the Legislature to dispose of it. @
Now, Mr. Chairman, it seems to me that
have sufficiently and clearly shown the direc
ton of this road and, locking to the West
and to the course upon which internal improve
| ments is marking its way, can it be said tina
; we have no outlet. Why, sir, the Dubuque
branch of this road Is taking up the great centra
t line which comes from the waters of the Gul
of Mexico, as well as the Chicago and Galen
road, and carrying them in the direction o
: the Missouri river. From that point, in few
5 short years, they will converge, traverse tn
, valley Of the Platte, and, in few short year
, more, pass the Rocky Mountains and go to tn
/. Pacific. s'.t. y @t'3 IN ~a2t ~
The gentleman says that it is a local road-
nothing but neighborhood road. tits as ma
8 tional a. the great central Illinois road itself
and let me say, as to the other end oft, it con
h meets with point on the Mississippi river I
e where there is navigation almost the year round
d And let me say, further, as l have said before
: we have no intention Of superseding the neces
: sEy Of improving the rapids. But that porto
e of the river is shut Up nearly four months 9
;, the year and there will be an advantage, whic
e could be derived in no other way, during tina
3 season, in transporting commerce TO and fr
upon that road, and it would interfere with n
n other r,ghts-the rights Of no other State, q
v section Of the country.
! The gentleman is correct when he says it
n our intention to move an amendment to TIL
: bill, to include a road which is as much needle
Il as this, which has been reported having tn
:, sanction of the committee of this House
mean the Burlington and Missouri river roat
Here let me say to you, Mr. Chairman, tina
that road which we propose to add to the bill
takes up another road running through Obi
and Indiana to the illinois river, and frol
T thence it is desired to be carried to Burlingto
n in the State of Iowa; and it aoiU be carrie
there So that that road which we propose !
IS add as an amendment, takes up ether roads {
9 the greatest commercial importance from Pitts
n burgh and Wheeling, and thereby gives rallroa
= communication in that direction, to the Missor
n ri, through one of the most fertile regions tn
1t sun ever shone upon. The same is the cas-
: with the Davenport and Council Bluffs road
: That takes up the Chicago and the La Sail
road, which is now in the rapid process OF col
,fl struction You will see that, if these roae
1, are needed east of the Mississippi, they al
e needed west for they are but protracting thos
great channels which have received the appr
ID baton of an ente-prisng public, and which al
d IN rapid process of construction, every one
them.
j. Lam afraid ] am not redeeming my promis
i | believe my halt hour has expired. IT gentl
IS men-of their grace-will grant me about te
or fifteen minutes more, will be their huulb
u servant. - ~ #f@
# TCries of $50 on . Go on -
Il The gentleman spoke of the great burde
> which this system would cast upon the publ
Treasury, if understood him correctly; an
e yet he set out with an Argument to show tn;
$ these grants were in no degree injurious to IN
e public Treasury, but that they were an advaI
It tage. Now, how the gentleman reconcile
these two statements is more than am able
: understand If time would allow, | think
. could satisfactorily show that these grants wor
T no prejudice to the revenues of the country
butthat, on the other hand, they are a diret
: and decided advantage. | could show, too,
think, that they are perfectly constitutional.
The committee here rose. ana ''.f. ,..5
Mr.. Clark resumed. MIR. Chairman, whe
the committee was last in session, it was m
privilege to have made some remarks upon tn
e bill pending, proposing to donate lands to tn
. State Of Iowa, for the purpose of constructiri
, certain railroads therein. In those remarks,
: had considered to some extent certain objection
which have been raised by the gentleman fror
Illinois, Mr.. Campbell,] to portion of tina
BILL inas11uch as one of the roads therein spec
Y flied was parallel, as he alleged, to the Missis
sippi river. | wish to enlarge somewhat upo
, that view of the subject. endeavored to sho,
then, and think did successfully show, tina
, the road designated was not obnoxious to tn
, objection made to it. showed that its direction
was such, that it was not parallel road, and
now wish to compare this road with certain 9th
: er roads which have met with favor here.
supposed that the gentleman who raised this oh
- lection, was heartily in favor of the munifcenc
I of the Government; which gave to his owl
State, at the last Congress, grant Of lam
for road from the mouth of the Ohio river +
point high up in his own State. 1 wish nov
to ask the gentleman, If the road to which h
objected, and upon which he pounces with sucl
vigor--I might almost say unmitigated animos
ity-is any more subject to the charge which
he broupht apainst it. than the great Illinois