The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-03

Mr. UNDERWOOD Well, San Diego They are both
IN he Stale OF California That is the idea which wish
TO present 10 the Senate San Diego and San Francisco
are in State The Mississippi and the Missouri are
now located IN States until get up TO high latitude
and you must begin at points within States construct
lhe road You must begin al points accessible by nav
gauon because economy requires that you should thus
begn, and then use the road TO carry men,
and implements TO do the work the road progresses
II you cut oil facilities for obtaining supplies from nay
gable waters and conveying them along the road il
advances, you take away The means OF lacie construe
ton, and double or treble the expenses. Now, adopt
this amendment in any of iis shapes and you cannot
| begin the work in State
The object OF the amendment is to prevent beginning
The work in State, SO far as il depends upon the use
Of government funds The work cannot be begun un.
less the government will furnish large portion OF the
lunas H. Then, you prohibit the expenditure OF govern
men funds IN State, you thereby exclude the Mssis
spPi river, San Francisco, and San Diego points OF
beginning, because they within States In this way
the amendment prevents bringing the road in with
navgaon and thus denrves the contractors OF the ad
yantages OF cheap supplies. De that, and what good
VIII the bill accomplish just as soon as it is done
say what my friend from Texas said the other day. i, is
aead anu wash my hands OF it. To construct this
road, you must begin at termin upon navieabe
walters, which will enable you carry thence upon the
,;u ,Hau yoHr men, your provisions your tools and every
lhing Unless you allow 10 be begun in that way
not worth while to begin it at ALL Talk about begin
ning one hundred or two hundred miles in the interior
Wilderness where steamboats, cannot reach the points
OF commencement practical mind cannot tolerate
The idea tor moment Ii you will not allow us 10 use
The funds OF the government and begin proper points,
/,
we can do nothing Therefore, the OF the project
involved in this amendment, and prevails all is
| lost
Mr. WELLER Really, it seems yery strange to me
That the senator from kentucky able to comprehend
the true intent and meaning OF the amendment proposed
by my friend from lllinoh He has on more than one
occasion, during this debate, said that if this amendment
be adopted, II will be utterly impossible for the contract
ors to begin the road within the limits OF State Sir
that is not The case at all and although claim TO be
good naued man, confess have been little freted
II the contractors begin road within the State, they will
have nothing 10 rely upon for its construction except the
alternate sections of land, six miles each side If this
is not enough let us increase the quantity apprehend
that will be amply sufficient to enable the contractors to
obtain money for the prosecution OF the road until they
reach the territorial limits of the United States These
contractors will have the whole of the money and the
whole of the land under this amendment, precisely as
they would have had under the original bill For in
stance the road in the State Of Texas they
will have lands donated 10 them for six miles each
side Tor It's construction, until they reach the limits of
territory, when they will have the $50 0O0.0 900 which
appropriated, and alternate sections of land twelve miles
on each SIDE Ii was never designed intended by this
bill that the government should construct this road and
there seems 10 me, is the great objection TO the agu
men upon the other side for they assume that the gov
eminent OF the United States, donating this land and
money, undertakes TO complete ii Such is not the
The government of the United States regarding this as
great national work, important not only in CONNER
clal but Ia military point OF view, undertakes to
donate certain quantities of land in the States and
Territories, 10 the contractors, and in addition to that
$50 100000 IN government bonds. This, is to be
given to the contractors, by way of inducing them
10 construct this road IN other words, the govern
men proposes TO pay for nearly half of the of
the construction Of the road the contractors pay the
other half, estimating the cost at $4,000 OOO The road
is be the property Of the conracoIs they TO derive
The pohis resulting from the OF IT, Pass the bill In
the shape which PROPOSE and undertake to say there
will be plenty Of capitalists who will seek investments in
this work. 1t will think could demonstrate, be the
most profitable stock OF this character in the Union.
II does seem TO me that this is plain that every
ator upon this floor is able 10 comprehend it at
The contractors, repeat again, will have Just much
mOney and much land for the nstr of the
road under the amendment peHesed by my friend from
Illinois, as they would have received under the original
bill. Wherefore then, the objection! No OF the
States will be interested in il directly contractors be-
cause IL is proposed that company shall thus
road Ii they had intended expected that the States
through which the road passed should enter into compe
tton with private individuals for its construction, why
did they propose interpretations Did they intend TO in
corporate the State OF Texas the State of California
IL SO, why was the original bill So framed as TO allow
private corporations to come in Surely they did not in
tend 10 incorporate State They expected that this road
was TO be constructed by private Individuals and by way
OF inducing them to engage in that work ii proposed
togve certain quantity OF land and OF money. That
was certainly my undersanding-ibat is the plain Ian
guage of the bill the whole act is based upon the idea
that the work IS 10 be done by contractors aud not by the
States-that when completed il is to be the property OF
the contractors, and not OF the States federal govern
ment
Now. how would this impede the prosecution of the
wrk III the company constructed road within State,
as matter OF course they would have sufficient lands
to bypohecae in order TO obtain money for the construc
sad all the lands and all the money that they would have
obtained under the original bill What then, can be
the disastrous effect OF the amendment | said before.
in order TO make this bill consistent with ITSELF il is only
necessary to change two OF its sections II the amend
menbe adopted without any further modification OF the
bill, grant you that IL would be mpractcable
but il you incorporate the amendments the two
sections which intend TO propose, the congruy OF the
bill will be preserved and yet the time il will be
practicable and will establish the principle contained in
the OF the honorable senator from Illinois That
which in his amendment il abstract ] propose TO make
practical. The latter part Of his amendment is, in my
Judgment, wholly unnecessary, the bill already re-
quires the consent OF the States through which the road
passes
The government OF the United States is 10 transport
its troofs it's mails, and it's munitions Of war, &C.
this road In consideration OF that it donates $4,000 900
and certain quantity OF land Is not that the whole OF
1t Z Is not this donation amply sufficient Whether
they to spend the money in the Territories or in the
States Is matter OF no importance to them, for this
reason will take more than $40, 900 900 to make the
road brosgh the Territories OF the United States II will
take double that They would have TO expend more
than S20,0000OO within the Territories all events
! Why not therefore, incorporate this amendment II
the senator from Texas had presented good
why the principle should be abandoned, would accede
10 bis amendments but TO my mind there is no difficulty
whatever You can adopt this amendment You can
modify the sections OF the bill required, and prose-
cute the work with much more vigor and certain
ty OF success than you could under the original bill
That there will be much difficulty in constructing that
part of the road which through the Territories IS
undeniable the lands which will be found adjacent TO
IT, select whatever route you may are not OF the Dest
quality. Much of will turn out 10 be entirely worth
essa barren waste III the extreme northern route be
selected have doubt after the road enters California
# will give the contractors some Of the richest mineral
IN hal / speCuator. and desired