Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-01-04
Abstract oflHr. Gwia's Railroad Bill.

Section l. Authorizes the President to con-
tract for the construction of a railroad from
point on Red River, near the Southwest corner of
Arkansas-with branch to the Gulf coast,
through Texas to q point on the eastern boun-
Diary of California; and from the Western boun-
Diary of Missouri and Iowa, to meet this road at
the eastern boundary of California; thence to run
to some suitable port in Oregon.
9. Appropriates the right OF way, 200 feet
wide, throug hout its entire length for the of
the road; and quantity of land, equal to the al
ternate section, for forty miles on each side of
said road and branches.
3. To connect the eastern end of said road
with the Atlantic, provision is made tor two
lines eastward from the Red River-one through
Louisiana, and the other through Arkansas, and
two others are through Missouri, and alternate
sections of land for twenty miles on each line, ara
granted to each ofthose States respectively and
for the purpose of extending the road westward
from the eastern boundary of California to the
Pacific, like quantity of lanl is granted to the
State of California.
4. If any of the lands herein granted shall
have been disposed of by the United States Gov
ernment the deficiency is to be made up by Sc.
lections from the nearest unimproved public
land.
5. The States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas,
Missouri and Iowa, are required to commence
the construction of the roads within their res-
pective States, within year from the first
session of the next Legislature after the passage
of this act, and to complete them within FIVE
years, aud the State of California is to complete
hers within ten years. The United States mails,
troops goods, munitions and Official persons, are
to be carried on this road forever free of ex-
pense; and in all cases of transportation, the u.
States Government shall have preference over all
others. Congress reserves power to regulate
charges for freight and passengers, the CORNER
never to fall below COST nor the latter below the
average rate per mile on first class roads ia the
United States.
6. The Secretary of War shall cause the
road to be located Immediately, and advertise
six months in each State for the construction of
the road through the territories of the United
States; and at the md of that time he shall select
the proposal which shall Il insure the compile
tion OF the road within the shortest time: (2)
insure them to be kept in good repair and surren-
dered to the United States within the shortest
time, not to exceed thirty years.
T. The Contractors shall be a body corporate
and polite during the period of their contracts,
and for FIVE years after.
8. As soon as one hundred miles shall have been
completed and put in operation, the President
shall issue tstor four:ftlhs OF the land set
apart along the line OF the road so completed
and so until the whole road shall be finished
when all the lands granted shall be conveyed.
9. 1t shall be stipulated in the contracts that a
certain number of miles of the road shall be COM
pleted in each year, arranged that the whole
shall be completed within ten years.
10. The road shall remain the property of the
contractors during the period specified in their
contracts
II. Tho privileges of free transit and transport
tation shall be secured to the United States during
the whole period of the contracts.
IL. If the States named fail to accept the
terms within the time specified, the Secretary
of War may award contracts for the construc-
ton of the road to the contractor having charge of
the line of which such roads and branches are ex-
tensions.
Is. Upon the expiration of the time during
which the road and branch es is to remain the pro-
perty of the contractors, much of them as may
lie within any State may be surrendered to that
State on the same terms are prescribed to the
States specified in the act.
ID. The road shall be we'll constructed, with
all the modern Improvements, with six feet guage
and iron rail. weighing not ess than GA pounds to
the yard.
Is. Commissioners shall be appointed by the
President and Senate to protect the public inte-
rest in regard to the road.
-A.xn.>n-~ss.