The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-24

scandalized at the success of the press of the
Free Democracy, to emulate the virtues, instead
of envying the rewards of honest people.
From the New York Evening Post.
THE BEGINNING OF THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
II is fair TO say that railway 10 connect tho
Mississippi valley with the Pacific ocean has
been commenced. Congress has appropriated
q large sum of money, $4,000 for the pur-
pose of exploring the country for the best route,
and invested the President with power to select
proper persons to make such explorations, and
report their result early in the session of the
next Congress.
We do not propose at present to discuss the
magni6cence of this enterprise, nor its import
ance to the commercial and industrial interests
of the world, for we have time and again given
| our humble testimony upon both these points
| We simply wish to record a brief but accurate
history of the passage of the first law by the
| American Congress looking to the construction
| of a work which is destined not only from its
utility but its stupendous magnitude to sink
all the memorable achievements of oriental
despotisms into comparative obscurity
The time will come, if it has not already ar
rived, when the world will be curious to know
through whose agency and by what instru-
mentality the Pacific Railroad was initiated
We purpose briefly to stake out the lines for
the future historian, that neither more nor less
than justice may be done to those who have
participated in the deliberations which promise
such momentous results.
| Early in the last session of the last Congress
Senator Gwin prepared a bill, which he intro
duced without the sanction of any committee
and asked to have it made special order for
certain day. After some debate it was laid
upon the table, and another bill, making pro-
vision for an emigrant route, was made the
special order, to which Mr. Gwin gave notice
that he should move his bill as an amendment
By this arrangement, Mr.. OWNS bill was re-
moved from the consideration of the Commit
tee on Roads and Canals, consisting of Messrs
Bright of Indiana, Douglas of Illinois Chase of
| Ohio Adams of Mississippi, and Spruance of
Delaware 1t is doing the parties interested in
withdrawing OWNS bill from this committee
no injustice, to say that they did not wish it to
be under the control of committee, majori-
ty of which was from the Northwest The
whole struggle of the session was to secure
Southern route.
| When the Emigrant Route bill came up
Mr. Gwin moved his bill as substitute, and it
was accepted as such. Mr.. Chase then moved
an amendment, the effect of which was to strike
out the halfdozen branch roads provided for in
OWNS bill, and to provide for a single road,
| with an eastern terminus on the Missouri riv-
er. Several DAYS debate followed
Pending this amendment of Mr.. Chase, a
select committee was appointed, consisting of
Messrs. Rusk of Texas, Gwin of California,
Dodge of Iowa. Davis of Massachusetts,, and an
other not now rccollected to which was refer
red bill and memorial relating to the rail
road for the purpose of giving jurisdiction over
the subject. The committee reported bill
providing for a single road, to be constructed
by corporation aided by grant of alternate
sections to the quantity of about fifteen millions
of acres, and by the advance of twenty millions
of dollars in Government bonds The deter
mination of all questions relating to the route,
termini the contract for construction, and the
organization of the association or corporation,
were left to the President.
This bill encountered strenuous opposition
from the start. An amendment was moved by
Mr.. Brodhead, requiring the survey of single
route. This amendment was modified, on the
motion of Mr.. Chase, so as to require surveys
and explorations of such routes as the Presi-
dent might think the public interest required,
by Government engineers, and others employed
for the purpose and to provide for concert OF
action between the Government employees and
the engineers of private companies, and for the
reception of proposals for construction, to be
laid before Congress at the next session This
amendment failed, and the bill, after severe
struggle, failed also
Mr. Gwin then offered the same amendment
further modified by MIR. Chase, so as to provide
for the division of the exploring force into az
many parties rs there were routes to be survey.
ed, and requiring that the reports of explora-
ton should be laid before Congress at the next
session, by the first Monday of February. The
amendment as offered by Mr.. Gwn was ruled
out of order because it did not come from a
standing committee
Mr.. Chase then took his amendment and
having consulted the Committee on Roads and
Canals, and obtained their sanction, offered
it himself; and, after protracted contest and
serious danger of defeat by amendments which
would themselves have been rejected, it was
agreed to by vote of 81 to II.
In the House, under a msapprehension the
valuable provisions permitting engineers of pri-
vate companies to act in concert with those of
the Government, and requiring the Secretary
of War to receive proposals for construction,
were stricken out but the main features of the
amendment are now law, and will doubtless
constitute the legislative initiative of the great
est work of modern times
Without designing to make any invidious
Determinations, it is but just to Senator Chase
to say, that upon the record it appears that
more is due to his tact and discernment in Of
fering the amendment which passed, in the
proper way and at the proper time, than to any
other person; and he, if any one, is entitled to
principal share of the credit which belongs
to the last Congress for an appropriation which
will be the means of not only materially expe-
ditiDg the construction of the Pacific railroad,
but Of commencing it in a safe and judicious
way. 1t now remains for the President to dis
charge the duty imposed on him by this law,
and we have no doubt he will discharge it
wisely.
If so by February next we shall have sur
veys of every route which is at ali feasible, and
the means of determining which is to be pre-
ferred
! SENTENCE OF THE MADIAI