Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-03-24

certain dav. Alter some debate, It was laid
on the table, and another bill making provision
for an eniptant route was made the special OF
der 10 which Nj Gwin gave notice that he
should move his bill as an anendmeEt'
nv this ARRANGEMENT Mr.. Owns bal was re-
moved from the consideration OF the Committee
on Roads and Canals, consisting OF Messrs.
BRIGHT. of Indiana, Douglass. OF Illinois, Chasel
of Ohio. Adams Of Mississippi, and Spruance,
of Delaware. 1t is dong The parties interested
IN wl,hdrrs ing Owns bill froa ihls committee,
M Injustice 10 say ,la they did ntf wish ltlc pc
under the control Of committee, majority OF
which was from the northwest. The wnole
struggle OF the session vas to secure soul,ier
routs 500 =,
When the Emisrant Route bill came up, Mr..
Gwip moved bis bill Substitute, and 1t was &C
cep,ed as snch. Mr.. Chase then moved an
amendment. the effect of which was to strike
ont the half dozen branch roads provided for in
OWNS biIl and to provide itr single road with
an eastern terminus on the Missouri river. SeY-
era days debate followed.
Pending this alnendneht Of Mr.. Chase, Sc
ect conmtte was appointed, consisting OF Mr..
Rusk, of Texas, Own of California, Dodge, OF
Iowa, Davis, of Massachusetts, and another not
now recoected, to which wa5retefrega PIN and
a memorial relating to flie railroad, for tho iir-
pose If giving Jurisdiction over the subject. The
committee reported bill providing for single
road to be constructed by 2 corporation, aided
by grant of alternate sectlons 10 the Quantity
of about fifteen nilons of acres, aad. by the
advance Of twenty millions of dollars in .;;oyern.
ment bonds The determination of allqncstlOns
relating to the route, lcfnin the contract for
construction. and the ofganlgsion of The asso-
citation or corporation, were 'Ie!: q the Presi-.
dent. 80
This bill pncountesed strenuous esaAHea1
from the start. An amendment was moved
mr. Rroadhead, requiring lhe survey of singie'
ou', 'rhis amepdinent was odi!ed, as The mo
tlon of Mr. Chase, so as to regnlIe Surveys and
explorations oil such rouls as The President
might pk the ppbiia interests required, BY
, government eng neeis and others employed TOR
the purpose. and to pr vide for concert Of action
between the government enpoyes aid the en-
einee!s Of private companies. bnd tor the re-
cepion OF proposals j.r tqe.lEelipn, y be laid
before Congress # he neIt sessIpn. The amend
mrnt lscd, ant .!2 b! aHcr severe struggle,
taed also
Mr.. GNin then fired the same amendment,
tnrbrr modified by Mr. Chase SC as 10 provide
,ur the dtepslou ii HE exploring force into as
manv parties rs there were routs to he surveyed,
and requiring that the reports Of exploration
shonld be laid beure Congress q the next sess-
ION by the first Monday OF February. The
amendment, as Offered by Mr.. Gwlu, was ruled
ost Of order. because it do not GONG from
standing conn tee
Mr.. Chase then took his amendment, and hav.
ing consulted the Comm,liee on Roads and
md Icir off.
himself; and alter protracted contest and
serou. danger of defeat by amendpepis which
would themselves have been rejected, it was
agr.ed to by ii vote of 81 to IL.
ia the House under nisapprehenslon, 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
SIT ECKER out ; but the main features Of the amend
ment are now law, and will doubtless constitute
the legislative initiative Of the greatest work of
modern times.
Without des gnlng to make any invidions dis
ordinations, it Is bn just to Senator Chase to
say, that upon the record It appears that more
is due to his tact and discernnent in offering
the amendment which passed, in the proper way
and al the proper time. than to any other person,
and he, if any one, Is entitled to a principal
share of the credit which belongs to The last
Congress tor an appropriation which will be the !
means of not only materially ex?edlting the cen
siruclon of the Pacific railroad, bnt of cnnt
mencing it in safe and judiclous way. tnowV
remains for the President to discharge the duty \
imposed on him by this law, and we have ne
doubt he will discharge II wisely If 80, bv Feb,
rusry nex we shall have surveys Of every rou
which is at all feasible and the means of deter;
inning which is to be prefcrred.-.Nsw York
EUening Post.