New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-12-12
AND PacIMc RAILROAD.

A bill is before the Texas Legislature to in
corporate railroad to be built across that State
along the 32d parallel of latitude, from its east
ern to its western limits Its western extremi-
ty is to extend through Ell Paso, while on the
east it will connect with the vicksburg and
Shreveport or with the New Orleans and Ope-
lousas road. Whether the company shall find
it to their interest to connect with the New Or
leans and Opelousas, or with the vicksburg and
Shreveport road, is matter for after conside-
ration. If the object be to find a speedy and
advantageous market for the products of Texas
and Of the regions lying west of it, there can
be no hesitation about connecting the road with
that of the New Orleans and Opelousas Com
pany. The. products of the country, by being
brought to New Orleans, would meet with a
ready sale whereas if conveyed by the Vicks.
burg and Shreveport road they would have to
be reshipped there either for NewOrleans or
Charleston.
The bill proposed sets apart as special bonus
for the benefit of the road, twenty sections of
land for each and every mile of it undertaken
and contracted for.
Any company availing themselves of the pro-
visions of this act required. as an earnest of
their good faith and ability to put the road in
operation, to deposit in the State Treasury the
sum of three hundred thousand dollars. The
capital stock Of the company is not to exceed
three hundred thousand dollars, divided into
shares of one hundred dollars each
The company is to be empowered to form con-
nections with other railroads within or beyond
the boundaries of the State, and to make ar
rangements with such other companies for
transporting passengers and freight
At least fifty miles of the road are to be con.
structed within eighteen months after the or
ganization of the company, under penalty of
forfeiture of the three hundred thousand dollars
deposited, together with the property of the
road and its charter. As soon as one hundred
miles Of the road shall have been completed, the
three hundred thousand dollars deposited is to
be refunded-and the company is to construct
nifty miles of the road annually until completed.
As soon as the first fifty miles shall be
the Commissioner of the General Land
Office is required to issue patents to the COM
pany for one thousand acres of land (beipg
twenty square miles for every mile of road COM
pleted,) and when there is not land enough in
the belt Of reserved lands, certificates are to be
issued to make up the deficiency, which may be |
located on any other public lands in the State. |
All the lands thus granted are to be sold by the |
company within nine years, either at public or |
private sale. This provision prevents an i'm
nense land monopoly, which would otherwise
result from the grant
Estimating the distance across the State of
Texas at seven hundred miles, the contemplated
grant will comprise the enormous Ndmber of
',960,OOO acres-more than sufficient at the en-. |
ianced price which it will bring, to complete |
he entire work
We like this project of our Texas friends. It's
conceived in liberal spirit, and although the
rant is seemingly bountiful, the advantages in |
many ways to be derived from it will pour add |
lonal wealth into the Treasury of the State 1t |
gift that will not only cost the State nothing.
'ut will develop her agricultural resources to
uch an extent that her gains will be incalcu-
able
While Texas is preparing for this great enter
'rise, we are pushing on the rails of the Ope
ousas road to meet her half way Will she not
DIN US, and help to complete the connection to
he Pacific, which we have SO energetically be-
un! Push on the rails!