Washington telegraph., 1853-01-26
Railroad to the Pacific.


Gw1N of California, providing for the con-
struction within ten years OF Railroad from
the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
Its leading features are, that 1t is to have at
its Eastern end tlco lines, connecting it with
the Atlantic through the North and South
resnectively, and t,co at its Western end,
connecting it with the Pacific through Ore
oon and California;-that the contractors for
its construction receive in payment alternate
sections of public lands 40 miles through the
States, and so through the territories that at
the end of thirty years it is to be surrendered
to the United States;and that the mails, troops,
and other transportations of the Government
shall always be free upon it.
This is certainly gigantic proposition,--
of trancendant Importance to the whole
country, and likely ere long to engage pub
lie attention to far greater degree than any
other topic of public concern The follow
ing is summary of the provisions of the
bill:
Sec l. Authorizes the President to con-
tract for the construction of railroad from
point on Red River near the Southwest
corner of Arkansas-with branch to the
Gulf coast, through Texas-to point on
the Eastern boundary of California: and
from the Western boundary of Missouri and
Iowa. to meet this road at the Eastern boun-
Diary of California, thence to run to some
suitable point in Oregon.
2. Appropriates the right of way, 200
feet wide, through It's entire length, for the
use of the road; and a quantity OF land, equal
to the alternate sections. 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 for
two lines Eastward from the Red river; one
throught louisiana, and the other through
Arkansas and two others, one through Iowa,
and the other through Missouri; and altern-
ate sections of land, for twenty miles on each
sioe of each line, are granted to each of those
States respectively; and for the purpose of
extending the road Westward, from the
Eas ern boundary of California, to the Pa
cific, like quantity of land is granted to the
State of California
4. If any of the lands herein granted shall
have been disposed of by the United States
Government the deficiency is to be made
up by selections from the nearest unimproved
public lands
5. The States of Louisiana, Arkansas
Texas, Missouri and Iowa, are required to
commense the construction of the roads with
in their respective States within one year
from the first session of the next Legisla-
ture after the passage of this act, and to
complete them within five years; and the
State of California is to complete hers with
in ten years.
The United States mails, troops goods
munitions and official persons, are to be car
ried on the road forever free of expense: and
IN all cases Of transportation the U. S. Gov
ernment shall have preference over all other
persons.
Congress reserves power to regulate charg-
es for freight and passengers. the former
never to fall below cost, nor the latter be-
low the average rate per mile on first class
roads in the United States
8. The Secretary of War shall cause the
road to be located Immediately, and adver-
tise six months in each State for the con-
struction of the road through the territories
of the United States: and at the end of that
time he shall select the proposal which shall
~ insure the completion of the road within
the shortest time; (2) insure them to be kept
IN good repair and surrendered to the United
States within the shortest time, not to ex
ceed thirty years.
I, The Contractors shall be body cor
porate and polite during the period Of their
contracts and for five years after.
s, As soon as 100 miles shall have been
completed and put in operation, the Presi-
dent shall issue patents for four ffths of the
land set apart along the line of the road so
completed; and so on until the whole road
shall be finished when all the lands granted
shall be conveyed
9. 1t shall be stipulated in the contracts
that certain number of miles of the road
shall be completed in each year, so 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
IL. The privileges of free transit and
transportation shall be secured to the United
States during the whole period of the con-
tracts.
II. If the States named fail to accept the
terms within the time specified, the Secre-
tary OF War may award contracts for the
construction of the road to the contractors
having charge of the line of which such roads
and branches are extensions.
l3. Upon the expiration of the time dur
ing which the road and branches is to re-
main the property of the contractors, so much
of them as may lie within any State may be
surrendered to that State on the same terms
as are prescribed to the States specified in
the act
IA. The road shall be we'll constructed, |
with all the modern improvements. with six