New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-25
LEGISLATION FOR THE PEOPLE.

When did the poor man ever have so much to expec.
and to lear from Congress from the present one ?
First there is the Homestead bill which all parties at
The North have come 10 acknowledge as a wise and
tenefcent measure. Why should it not pass There
are u any members in the House Jealous aud deter
mined in it, behalf and in the Senate it has within
short tine gained sew raj friends The only serious
opposition to it comes from the South. kis said it
will depOpulate The South Of all its free white labOrers
and that it is too democratic in It's character and ten
denotes No such objections come from the North
except from those who are the allies OF the slave
power In the House there are 1i3 members from the
North and 90 from the South and yet act just and
wise ms this cannot be passed Next there is the Pact
fc Rrlroad-a measure akin to tie Homestead bill
Tie two should pass together. One gives land and
homes to the settlers and the other enables them to
reach these homes with ease and economy. And who
can estimate the vast rewards that labor must receive
the construction of the work Think of the mil
lions of bats, coats, shoes and other articles that will
he required to supply the armies OF workers employed
in building the road Estimate the provisions that win
be neces airy to feed the lsborers Contemplate the
whole subject in this light and discover, if possible,
any class or any person ia the community not directly
nterested in this measure.
The people Of New York more than all others, should
appreciate the need and understand the utility of this
great work The construction of the Erie Canal il
miniature illustration of the benefits to be derived
from the Pacific Railroad. What the Canal has been
to tie State OF NewYork the Pacific Railroad will be
to the whole Unios only in an almost an infinitely
greater ratio Look at the facts in regard to the Erie
Canal In 1916 the assessors valuation OF property in
the State Of NewYork was $50 0542O0 and in 1924 it
had Only increased to Ss3C75 676, or little more than
one per cent This during the eight years preced-
ing tie completion of the Erie Canal In 1892 eight,
years serwsrd the vaus reached ,302 6l5 In
smother eight years, lsi0 it went up 70 252 SIS,
and has kept on increasing at similar ratio to the
present time. The City of Boston afosds another
example Of the prosperity which accrues from opening
any great avenue Of communication with the bOundess
West. For many years previous to the completion ef
the Boston and Albany Railroad Boston had remained
nearly stationary Ia its growth But in four years
after the completion of that road, its valuation in.
creased more than S37 100000
Look at regard 70 the proposed gres!
avenue TO the Pacific Bulo in ls20 had 100 inhabi
taut all told and now it has nearly 10000 It's yaua-
ton is put down at 81 4J5 752 Ii owns IS steam
eating the lakes Such are some of the fruits of oper-
ing communication between the East and the West.
All the Atlantic cities will fee similar impulse from
the Pacific road TO that which New-York and Boston
have felt from the roads and Canals already built lead
ING westward. The country through which the road
passes and the ches on the Pacific will derive the
same kind Of benefit that Central New York and the
cities the Lakes have from the existing Canals and
Railroads Then Why not give US the Pacific Road
There sno reason but the exigtence of that souless
"eyeless monster" the Nebraska bill, which swallows
mp Homesteads and Railroads. Pass the Nebraska bill
and lorg farewell to free homes and Pacific Rail.
roads First, it will take years to calm the strife and
sntsgoLism that il viii engender Second it will blight
the aires portion OF the territory through which the
road should pass, and which is to be thrown open TO
sexual settlers And in time it will give the South such
an tscen6ency the National Councils as 70 make il
very difficult to enact any law beneftng the free white
labOrers OF the country
Why will lot the men in Congress most deeply in
terested il these bills bury the Nebraska scheme aud
let have legislation of practical and universal
benefit Messrs GEn and Rusk with their powerful
influence could if they were disposed easily disperse
this black cord which has 30 suddenly lowered upon
lie prospects Of the Pacific Railroad and other kindred
measures If Nebraska were not in the way, the Pa.
efe Railroad and the Homestead bill might be counted
upon with confidence, especially the former But nov7
no nan CAD predict the fate of either of them. Shall
not the uen who have heedlessly nterposed this OBJ
stace to all useful legislation be held 10 stern &C
count 10y their disappointed and betrayed constituents
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