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

We take charge Of these territorial matters where i
seems proper the naiafe ot the case that we should
eoIsbine all The subjects IN the same bill t,s,
Bat do not wish 10 discuss tnis matter further,
only wished 10 make explanation so Lar az ooJecuons
have been made TO any particular section OF The bili
MT bORLAND have no particular objscnoh 70 ,he
reference OF this bill 10 the Committee on Military AZ,
fairs, ain member of that comnlttee and although
have not consulted the other members OF H. would IN
duge the hope that il referred to them II would be iavo
ably considered by hsm--at any Iaie maj iheH would
throw no obstacles In the way oil its passage bu 90
moi the necessity o giving that reference do not
see any interest il Affects which brings 4 within the par
cdlar jurisdiction OF or the range oil dunes assigned 70
the COMMITTEE Military Affairs. think IT IS mis-
apprehension OF IFS character and obect-he main OBJ
lec which lies al the bottom OF ,o regard this bill as
mnstarg measure. True, II has military ieallfe
not TO be permanent feature lis true character and
objects are emneny civil, and relate directly chiefly
and o ultimate permanency TO tbe disposition and sell
clement OF The public lands Connected with this gen
eral object, ia true IL has, admit, present I'M
portan military feature, But even in that, during its
temporary existence far from requiring, as the senaor
from Virginia Mr MASON seems to suppose. an extav-
aganL even Increased expenditure of money, Is
calculated, even as military measure in my OPINION 10
reduce The enormous cost oil our present military esiaD-
lishment.
We know that very large portion Of our moneyed ex
pendines tor the military service has resulted from the
transportation of troops, munitions of and provisions
along portion OF this very route aud maintenance oil
military force IN our new possessions West. appre-
hend that hls very kind OF service has cost us more lhan
all The military ESTABLISHMENTS
has been administered. At any rate, II has cost much
more in proportion the number OF troops employed in
that service and elsewhere, Such, al least II under
stand it, is the explanation given by tie present
administration for the amazing amount they have ex
pended for the military service during the last three years
Il is ue believe has been suggested here, that the
expenditure for our whole military establishment has
been, during that period something like thousand dol
lars l$ ,000 per annum for every man employed Prob
ably il is more than hat for, while our whole military
force does not, think, exceed ten thousand men. we
hau had tn ina mr. DlfU 0f
dollars (Sl2 20o,5o0) year for lis maintenance during
the past three years OF profound peace This pays ivsps
hundred dollars (sl ,2ool year for each man. ),
Gentlemen must be mistaken in snpposing that il will
cost anything like 200 per man. or an aggregate OF
So, 600 0O0 TO maintain the Three regiments proposed
to be raised by this bill How can II cost 50 much Z
Their ordinary pay and emolumens, provided in The
bill 10 be paid in the ordinary way, and al the we'll
known scale OF prices, we pay the other portions OF
the army, even N this region Of country-not what ~
COSTS now in the distant land where we propose TO en-
ploy this force 1t the object this bill expressly pro-
vidss to avoid and obvaie the beavy outlay which has
been and is paid for transportation &c, al the same
time that the service will be adapted to the end in view,
and be far efficiently and uselully performed
These troops are TO be paid no more than the rife reg
meat OF our regular army originally raised or this very
service, but diverted from il and besides that they
$50 raise, gather, and preserve, all the provisions,
breets,us forage and supplies. OF whatever kind, which
shall he necessary to sustain themselves and their
animals, p,t0 cot 10 the gsrerntnet, 10 The fullest
extent that The country can be made 10 yield and pro-
duce the same" And still further, they "shall furnish
Their clothes, and horses. and horse equipments
They 10 be allowed the same pay only as the
mounted troops OF the regular army. no matter where
employed, and, like those troops 10 be armed at the
expense of the United States" Here we see, that
while /, is in the matters Of pay and only they
cost the government anyhpg--and IN those items no
ban the number would cost in any portion OF
the country, matter how cheap-the whole cost OF
Bsoaa,ng. eiotng, eqppins. and subsisng. which
scarcely be estimated al less than Three hundred dollars
per for each man, saved to the governments for
II is Just so much more which we now pay for every
mn N L
merated than this bill proposes for these regiments
And in this saving have not estimated the transpora.
ton OF provisions and forage, its purchase at high
prce--al of which is avoided, aud therefore saved TO
the government Some compensation, IL is true, is 10 be
allowed each for these expenses in the way OF
grant Of landa section six hundred and forty acres
at the end Of his term of service But this be hardly
estimated 10 the expense the government; for have
long since granted 10 settlers in Oregon the quantity
OF land for the mere act OF settlement without requiring
any service al all
On the score of expense then think no objections 10
this bill can be allowed any weight
Mr. BRADBURY ] would inquire of the honorable
senator whether The regiments 10 be raised under this bill
not to be mounted, and whether that will not be
very great additional expense
Mr.. BORLAND. The men ore 10 be mounted but, as
have shown, the bill expressly provides at their own
expense.
But suppose, for the argument. everything the senator
from Virginia [Mf MAsnSl says, on the score OF ex-
pens be true suppose IL would cost three mill lions
year for this purpose for one, SIR, do not hesitate 10
say, that in OF all the advantages TO the country al
age the saving OF expense in other departments the in
creased value il would give TO The public lands, the
tension OF the settlement in our country the establish
men, OF proper communication between the Mlssls-
suppl valley and the pachc coast should regard such an
expenditure, double much, more than compen
saiei-as " dust in the balance" against the good il
would purchase for us.
Sir we have been talking for years about establishing
railroad the continent, from the Mississippi val
ley TO the Pacific ocean. Has any whoever consd-
cred that projecl-and we know how il has been
iavored-been startled when you spoke OF the expense
have known il discussed in reports and in speeches
but few millions OF dollars never entered in the argu-
men against IT, Suppose any one were TO come before
The Congress OF the United States aud suggest that good
communication from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific
ocean-even practical basis for raroad-could be
established, and line OF roads and Settlements made
Tor S90000O0, and propose TO do 1t Tor that sum. II we
did not suppose he was visionary or an insane man,
and that would be safe and proper TO have trans
actions with him, would hardly permit his PROPOSE
ton "a escape his lips before would close bargain
with him. apprehend there is man in either house
OF Congress anywhere in the country who would not
be willing pay So 0O0, 900 for such communication
have suggested. And yet, here is almost equiva-
lenta proposition from OF the ablest OF our commit
tees take the indispensable step, and make not
road, but continuous line OF American civilized settle
mens clear across the continent, and connecting by
living chain, the two great, and now widely separated
divisions OF possessions; and gentlemen imagine an
expense of S. 100000, and start back IN horror from
~ It's real cost, would not, in my opinion, be one-thlrd
part OF that sum
may be wrong in the view have taken ot this meas
ure. may be wrong IN the estimates have made OF
the advantages which are to result from IT, But ! am
more mistaken than have ever been ~ my lite NJ, Tor
the expenditure 10 establish this line of com
municaiion between the Pacific and Mississippi valley,
upon the plan proposed al which gentlemen seem TO be