The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-15

words per month, and over that amount on terms
named in the accompanying bill. Orders from
the w ar, Navy, Treasury, Interior, and Post or
fee Departments would be found going over this
ne to the great advantage of the several services
Accidents in acknowledgements which,
before we hear from them, have hardened into
history-could be arrested or prevented by the aid
OF the telegraph. The movements of hostile Indian
tribes and of our troops could be daily known at
the War Department Should national vessel
cast anchor in the harbor of San Francisco. her
arrival would be known at the Department here
almost as soon as a boat from her could reach the
| shore BY the facilities this line furnishes for
giving orders from the Departments, the great
delays now experienced, and the necessity of spe-
clal messengers, would be avoided.
In the coast survey, which is already begun on
the Pacific side, the telegraph is invaluable. The
speed and accuracy by which the longitude can be
determined has made it, for the of the survey,
almost indispensable. We state, on information
Iurnlshed by intelligent officers connected with
the survey, that the observations of one night with
the telegraph are worth more than months work
without its aid.
SUCH being the return given to the Government
Tor that which Ia now of no value to them, it will
be seen that the rights to land which the accom-
panylng bill proposes to confer scarce wear the
character of grant
But It is to the people of the Republic, from one
end of it to the other, that telegraph to the Pacific
Is eminently desirable and advantageous. The
amount of American shipping engaged in the
whale fishery and in general commerce now in the
racihc ID vast, and would largely exceed the esti
mate winch any person, without consulting au.
thentic data, would be inclined to form. Few,
however, but know that San Francisco has already
| become one of the most important commercial
places on this continent; and few but have locked
forward to the time when large Asiatic traffic
ehall find its depot there. None except commercial
men who have used the graph know it's value in
commercial business But it's advantages between
the great cities of the Atlantic border are dwared
by the facilities of travel the locomotive runs by its
side, and in eighteen hours the passenger from
Washington who has teegraphed his starting for
Boston overtakes his message. But in the line
proposed, the telegraph epans continent in an
instant OF time, and leaves the traveller in the
| present facilities of conveyance, month behind.
Inc merchant at San Francisco might order his
goods an hour before the sailing Of the steamer
from New York. In fact, if he consulted only the
dial In his own counting room, he could send his
order two hours after the New York time fixed
| for her sailing. The telegraph too, would equal
ize the markets of the Pacific with those of the At
lantic, and the excessive fluctuations now expert
enced in the prices of the necessities of life in Cali
| fornia would disappear.
But it is in its social bearing that the advantage
OF telegraph to the Pacific will be most striking
| ly seen. Every hamlet, it might almost be said
every home, in thirty States Of the Union has its
representative on the Pacific Shore By the aid of
telegraph they would be in immediate communi-
cation with each other. Every message, whether
OF JOY or sorrow, could be instantly transmitted
either way; and sons and fathers, wives and mo.
theirs, whose relations are now a thousand miles
asunder, would be, for the purposes of the inter-
change OF intelligence, as it were, under the same
roof. 1t is found in telegraphs this side of the
Mississippi that the affairs of social life make IN
the contents of the larger part of the communica
tons. The same feature will be at least as largely
developed in the case of telegraph to the Pacific
The memoraists proposes to complete the line with
in eighteen months. Your committee would favor
it's immediate commencement Much time must
necessarily elapse before any railway communca-
ton can reach the Pacific, and in all probability
this telegraph will be completed before the road is
fairly commenced.
Your committee, in view of the foregoing, beg
leave to report the accompanying bill
A Bill authorizing the construction of a line OF
telegraph from the Mississippi river to the Pa :
cifc ocean.
Be ii enacted By the Senate and House of Repre.
senatiUes of the Uited States of america IL,
assembled, That Hiram o. Alden and James Eddv.
their associates and assigns, hereby authorized
and empowered to construct, at their own ex-
pense, line OF telegraph from Saint Louis, in
Missouri, any other point on the western hank
of the Mississippi river they may select, through
the public lands belonging to and under the iuris.
diction of the United States, to San Francisco in
California, or to some other point on the Pacific
ocean, in direct line as practicable with lib.
erty to construct branch. or diverging lines to
Texas, to New Mexico, to Utah, and to Oregon. as
is hereinafter set forth.
SEC. q. 4nd be it further enacted, That said line
of telegraph shall be constructed of durah e mate
rails, thoroughly insulated, securely placed under
the surface of the earth, rock, water with test
ing tubes every five miles, and with working
stations at distances averaging not more than one
hundred miles, to secure the through. WORKING of
the same, and for its repair AMI protection. Said
working stations shall be supplied with the neces-
sary telegraph instruments, operators and men,
And said line of telegraph shall be completed and
put in operation within eighteen month"; from the
enactng of this bill, and shall thereafter be kept
III operation by night as we'll as by day.
Sec 3. And be it. further enacted, That there shall
be granted and reserved to the General Govern
ment forever the free and prior use of said line for
the transmission of all official dispatches and com
munications between said Government and its
officers: Provided, ho,oeuer, That said free de-
spatches and communications shall not exceed a
monthly aggregate of more than seven thousand
words, but still reserving to the Government the
prior use to any extent which said line is capable
OF transmitting, by paying the same fees paid by
ineivldaais Tor lke services, and no more
transmission OF all private dispatches and COM
municatons over the main line of said telegraph
from the Mississippi to the Pacific, the charges in
no case shall exceed ten dollars for each message
of ten words or less, exclusive of date, address,
and signature; and not exceeding seventy. five
cents for each added word.
SEC. s. And be 1t further enacted, That said AL
den and Eddy, their associates and assigns, shall,
at their own expense, keep said line of telegraph
IN working order, and shall, at their own COST op.
crate and protect the same; and fthey shall un-
reasonably neglect SO to do for the space of six
ooCCSooifO
voidable calamity, arising from the sickness of
operators upon the line, or from Indian hostility
and depredation-said line of telegraph, with all
it's instruments, fixtures and appurtenances, shall
be forfeited to-, and become the property of, the
United States
SEC. 6. And be 1t further enacted, That upon the
completion of said line of telegraph and so soon as
the same shall be put in operation, and the free use
thereof, as aforesaid, rendered to the Government
Of the United States, there shall be issued to said
Alden and Eddy, their heirs or assigns, land war.
rants for fifteen hundred thousand acres of land,
which they may select and locate as follows: From
and after the completion as aforesaid, they shall
be at liberty to select from any of the public lands
along and near said line of telegraph, not before
sold or appropriated, any quantity not less than
section nor more than township in one BODY;
and II more than one township shall be taken in
the same locality, alternate townships only shall
be selected. The President of the United States
snail cause the unsurveyed lands upon said line of
telegraph, which may be selected as aforesaid to-
be surveyed; and if, after the expiration of two
years from the completion aforesaid, said lands
email not have been surveyed. they shall be at lib
erty to relocate the like quantities in any State
or territory where the lands are surveyed, and
open to private entry sale; and as fast as said
LANDS shall be thus located the Commissioner of
tine General Land Office shall, on application
therefor, issue patents for the same: Provided.
That In the event a railroad to the Pacific ocean
on nrr