The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-06
IN CONGRESS- OF THE u. STATES
Thirty Second Congressional session.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 90, 1883
In CONTINUATION
PACIFIC RAILROAD.


PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Mr.. BELL continued hls remarks as follows:
II ls. then, national object Where do honorable sen
aiors find the principle that money be appropriated
to great national road within Slate. matter how i'm
porani and necessary may be for the military dsences
OF the country or for carrying the mails appeal TO
them 10 point TO me where they lind II admitted in the
democratic creed established by the veneraed fathers
OF democracy! DO you find il in the platform OF the
Baltimore Convention that money shall be taken from
the treasury TO aid in the construction of any great
onal work in State either for the public defence for
carrying The mails | say il is not find no such prin
cipe avowed in that platform But il no such principle
s to be found either in the constitution the Baltimore
platform, what other sources remain from which can
be derived except the most distinguishes and eminent
men, who, from time 10 time, have laid down the prnc
pies oil The democratic party Ii, them appeal 10 their
authority, from which OF them do you derive this
doctrine! need not go back to Jefferson.
Sir need go no further back than to Andrew Jack
son. the true founder OF democracy it exists in this
country al this time. unless some principle is to be
IEgrafted upon from this time forward Andrew Jack
son-whom every democrat delights to refer to as the
great exeHplar and champion of his creedwha did he
say' Why, cir, he held that Congress could consliiu
tonay appropriate moneys from the public treasury 10
the construction Of roads of national character within
Stale; and so did Monroe, and 80 did Madison, and
dld Calhoun, and other eminent men OF the South, as
veil as Of the North, who have been considered the
lights OF democracy Do you desire higher authority
than such as these furnish' Do honorable
tors intend TO epudae the doctrines OF Jackson of Mad
son, Monroe, and Calhoun! This principle tha! the
construction OF national road IN State, OF the
powers considered at the time established by the eel
ebraed message OF General Jackson by which he vetoed
The Maysyllie road. That veto was distinctly placed
upon the ground that the road local in lie character
y was a mere road TO connect Lexngton village in
Kentucky, with The Ohio river with nothing national in
H. except tha,lt might become connecting link IN other
eat routes ask honorable senators again, in view of
the great importance oi this question: where do they find
the authority for the principle that you cannot appro-
pirate money from the public treasury for the
lion Of national road in State! For, If such prln-
ciple is 50 we'll established, and important TO be men
toned, that it is hencefoh to be regarded settled
and permanent article in the democratic creedso much
so that member OF the party may rise IN his place in the
Senate and proclaim that il the principle is abandoned IN
this case, there s no longer democratic party in the
counlrysurey honorable senators will be loss to
point to the authority Tor such doctrine.
Again: would ask, what is the difference in princi
pie between approprating money for this road and ap
pIiaons for river and barbor improvements in State
is there 10 be general reform change in the doctrines
and practice OF the democratic parly Is that the idea
There Is something, sir in all this mysterious,
strange TO that cannot avoid coming TO the concu
sion that there is more understood between honorable
senaos--for they have more opportunities OF under
standing or arriving al a knowledge OF some points than
have-than expressed on lhe floor. And the in
lerences which draw, which think am enabled to
draw and which think the country will draw, or ought
to draw, from the OF honorable senators on the
other side Of the chamber upon this question. are not
only that this bill pass, only that will not
gel any road to the Pacific authorized by law now but
that we cannot get commenced during the next
administration 1t is only end of this great
prise Tor the present session, which might be imputed 10
many causes, TO want OF time, to want OF co-opea-
on on the part of the House OF Representatives but
the principle avowed by some honorable senators, and
so vehemenly insisted upon and the change OF ground
unexpected OF other senator's lead me TO suppose that
such road can be commenced prosecuted in the next
four years.
The new position assumed by honorable senator's
has not only defeated the for the present session.
but my friend from Missouri (Mr. GEYER1 may console
himself in the best way he with the idea that there
will be no connexion between any great Pacific railroad
and his avoe Missouri road under democratic admin
straoD, unless majority shall be returned here by the
people who will not be found quite deferentia to the
exacons OF those members OF the party who seek to ex-
alt their individual ends into essential articles OF party
faitha majority who will renouDce and epudiate the
doctrine that this government has power to give its
counienance TO the construction OF great national high
way through State by sppoprialing money from the
treasury matter how important, matter how
sl 10 the public defence, 10 the public and the public
prosperity. But as things stand now, must repeat that
II TO there Is no, only no hope OF this bull now
but for the road under the incoming administration
Mr.. WALKER. The drift OF the argument OF the hon.
orabe SENATOR ii understand il, is this That this road
will not and cannot be made through the States by the
aid which ii proposed by the bill, amended the
motion OF the senator from California Mr. WELLER
yesterday, TO give Why not be made through the
States with the aid proposed Look, SIR al other States
which have proposed TO make railroads Take the State
OF Illinois, the State Of Missouri the State of Iowa, or
the State of Wisconsin. They have projected, and are
in process OF constructing railroads Which OF them has
got any aid from The general governmen For one road
Missouri has got aid for two. But what kind OF AID Is
it $40 900 900 in the agg egae OF national bonds drawing
an interest o live per cent per annumf Was II clear
out and donation OF alternate sections Tor miles
on each side of the road No, sir not al all. But
when you made grant OF land to those States to aid
them in the construction OF their roads. you increased
the price OF the reserved alternate sections TO 50 80 an
acre, leaving the government the receipt OF Just as
much money II would have got Tor the whole. And,
besides that you imposed upon the settlers in the conn
try the payment of hundred per cent more for The
sections reserved by the government than they would
otherwise have bcea obliged 10 pay Under these EN-
barrassmen's the people of those States have felt not
only able, but willing TO go and construct the roads
What kind OF roads those which they proposed TO
construct Mere State works-local TO the Siate-in
great many instances to accommodate the internal com
mercial interests OF the Stale
Why ha. il been that those States construct roads
with this kind OF aid |, because the roads would
pay; and yet they local and Stale works. Here,
however, great and magnificent work, TO command
the transit OF the commerce OF two continents, and
the internal commerce OF our own; yet II Is claim
ed by the from Tennessee that the State OF Ar.
kansas or Missouri, or Texas Louisiana, or Iowa,
cannot and will not construct this road there by ihelr
State authority by a company 10 be cfeaed by mem
Sir, what gentlemen doing by this argument lhey
declaring trumpet tones 10 the people oi Tue unen
States and the world that this road ~ not OF sumoeh'
Importance to pay
/ Mr.. BELL VIII The honorable senator ALLOW me to
ask him question How would IL be in regard 10 1ai
forna Where would be the capital invested ~ 'ne ROAD
from Memphis, for example three hundred miles 70 the
western boundary OF Arkansas Unul ten or twenty
ypars not one cent profit could be realized. The road
would not be available until the connexions westward
should be completed Then let me ask hun IN regard to
California where there hundred miles oil this
road 10 be constructed within the State line, hundred
of which completely desert region and the minerals
cannot be taken and where the probability s that the
1 y. kos III Ma