The Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1852-1872, 1853-03-19

+, The Pacific Railroad project still hangs in the
| Senate of the United States Some of its friends
begin to despair of its success at the present SEES
sion. l am not among the croakers. On the
contrary, my hopes still high that ere Con-
gress adlourns. some initiative III this good work
will have been taken. DIR. OWNS bin, as l ex-
pected, has been abandoned The scheme GER
| tainly embodied some inherent elements of
| strength which have not been prominently pre-
sented 1t placed upon the States the duty of
constructing all the work except about six or
seven hundred miles through the territory of the
United States, and thus left comparatively
small portion of the enterprise to the care the
general government But the scheme has been
laid on the shelf, and it is useless to comment
upon It's virtues or frailties. In the upper House
the great battle is being fought. The House Of
Representatives will probably accept any meas
ure of this character which may be sent to it by
the Senate.
Mr.. Rusk, from select committee on the SUBJ
.ect has reported I" bill to provide for the con-
structlon of railroad and telegraphic line from
the valley of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean
which is the project now especially under dis
cussion in the Senate. 1t authorizes the Presi-
dent to select the general route for the railroad
and telegraphic line, designating the mountain
passes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
through which they shall be constructed; but
leaving the intermediate portions to be located
by those who undertake the construction. To
aid in the construction, the bill provides mixed
fund, of alternate sections of public lands; and
donation OF twenty millions of money from the
public treasury in five per cent. bonds. The
work is to be performed under contract to the
lowest bidder. This measure will not pass in
the shape proposed by Mr.. Rusk. The Senate
will not give the President the exclusive power
of selecting the parties to do the work under the
bids which may be sent in. l am of the opinion
that Mr. Rusks bill will be so modified as to COM
bine with its authorization of survey, under
direction of the President, the essential features
of the New York scheme, of which have here
tofore advised you; and that it will pass in
shape which will place the work of construction
to be carried on by that company. If such be
the result, you may look out for the snort of the
iron horse in the great plains of the interior, and
in the passes of the Sieras, in time to welcome
the Inauguration of General Pierce's successor
in 1857.
While on the subject of railroads, let me notice
the fact that Mr.. McCorkle introduced into the
House bill donating alternate sections of the
public lands to the Benicia and Marysville Pacific
and Atlantic Railroad Company, to aid in the
construction of said road. The bill also donates
the public land at Benicia the Military Reserve)
to the company for deposite. Also, alternate
sections of land for the extension of the road to
the Columbia river, Oregon; and the same aid
in the construction of a railroad from San Fran
cisco to San Jose, and thence through Walkers
Pass to the State line-to connect with the
railroad from tn Atlantic border If the bill
can be reached this session, little opposition to
its passage is expected.-C0r. S. r. Herald, Feb
ruaru 4k.