The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-02-10

| Oraced the provision Tor the preliminary surveys
now proposed. lie thought much should be left
TO the discretion of the President. 1t was i'm
portant if any road was to be constructed that
it should be commenced now The amendment
would defeat the bill and the road.
Mr.. BRODHEAD said the object OF the am
endment was to defeat the passage of the bill
J He was opposed to rushing into such a work
this without knowing the cost, or where the road
was to be constructed. No private individual
or State government would direct a road to be
| made regardless of the cost, or without survey
| of the route. He was opposed to leaving the
determination of this question to the President
The representatives of the people, before laying
this heavy tax on them, should have some infor-
nation as to the practicablity of constructing
! the road.
| AIr. BORLAND opposed the amendment
! Mr.. WELLER expressed surprise that the
Senator from Pennsylvania should express such
distrust of the incoming President, as to be un-
willing to leave this question, so important to
the interests of the whole country to be decided
! by his judgment.
AIr. BR0DHEAD said he had as great conf
dence in the next President as any one, but he
was unwilling to devolve the duty on the Presi-
dent, which properly belonged to the immediate
representatives of the people-of imposing tax
alton.
| Mr.. HAMLIN was opposed to the amendment.
| He was in favor of the road, wherever it might
be situated. 1t was absolutely necessary. He
wanted the highway to be opened, that the com
merce of the Eastern World might pass through
and over this nation. He wanted the road to be
free as soon as finished. This amendment wo'd
delay the road four years, Without effecting any
good end.
Mr.. BAYARD was opposed to the bill itself.
1t required the President to contract for the
road without any limitation as to its cost. If
the road could be constructed at any cost, no
matter how great, it required the President TO
contract for it. a company with such amount
of capital and such unlimited means, would
WELD power and influence four-fold that of the
United States Bank 1t against the whole
policy of the Democratic party to incorporate
such companies. He thought it singular that
at this late day in the last session of Congress,
with one administration going out and another
coming in, with total change administration
that this vast and important measure should be
passed. He thought it argued a conviction in
the minds of the friends of the bill that such
measure would never receive the approval of the
next President. He did not believe, judging
from the antecedents of Franklin Pierce, that
he would ever sanction such measure as this
Mr.. BRIGHT said he was opposed to this bill,
and he never could and never would vote for it.
He was in favor OF road to the Pacific, with
proper starting points; and within the provis-
ions Of the Constitution. 1t made the President
of the United States the President of this road
company; and, judging from the present circuni-
stances the new President would have enough
to do without having this additional duty i'm
posed ON him. He was ready to vote for any
quantity Of land to construct this road but
would not vote either money or land to locate
road within any Of the States of the Union
Congress had no such power. He would never
vote either land or money for road till tie
route had been surveyed and ascertained. Who
knew the cost Of this road? How could it be
ascertained? 1t would cost hundreds OF mil
: lions OF dollars, and, before engaging in such a
work. Congress ought to be informed of all the
details Of the route and cost. lie was in favor
/ Of granting such aid to proper road so far as
/ the same might be within the constitutional
limit.
Mr.. RUSK said it was easy to talk of violating
| the Constitution and of unlimited cost, but not
so easy to prove this bill obnoxious to either
charge The bill particularly limited the Pres
ident TO an appropriation Of the land and the
twenty millions of dollars, and beyond that he
could not go. The bill also provided, that be-
fore constructing this road through any of the
| States of this Union, the assent of such States
| should first be obtained. Gentlemen talked
Ioudly of the Constitution. The Constitution
REQUIRED this Government to protect California
to protect the defenceless men, women and
children on the frontiers, from the savage bru-
tality of the Indians. 1t required this Govern
ment to protect its citizens who traversed this
region from one State to another-and how was
it DONE Every day brutal murder of men, the
horrid massacre OF children, and the violation
and reduction to abject slavery of women took
place, and yet gentlemen quietly objected that
the Constitution forbade the only means Of Civ
ing them protection from the hordes Of savagei
who committed these outrages. 1t would no
do to rear up in opposition TO this only measure
for affording safety and relief from this oppres
} sion the raw-Lead and bloody-bones of viola
t ted Constitution. The Constitution require'
E Congress to protect these people, and to do |
there must be the means of communication VIII