Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-03-20
STAI1NTON VIRGINIA MONDAY, MARCH 90. 1854

J Wisconsin on this floor warning on Mi
waukie and the other cities of their ov
State, situated on the lake shore, for tn
purpose of building up Chicago, in tn
State of Illinois.
What is tbs interest of this government
Is it not to make connections between tn
harbors Oh the lakes and the back country
Should not that be great object it shoul
have in view, Is it not the great inter
est with the government itsel,, in the even
of difficulty OF foreign troubles, to have it
connections with its own harbors, so tina
it can transport whatever IS to be sent t,
those points into the interior of the coun
try' But the government here is asket
not to adopt hat policy, but to disregard
it. and to go for the establishment Of anoth
er road, which runs some sixty miles al
one point from tie lake shore, and thirty
miles at a. other point from the same lake
shore. Now will any gentleman tell mt
that it is the interest of this government to
make appropriations Of that sort'
But let me test these gentlemen still
further. They say there is no conflict BY
this scheme with the private interest OF
those who have emb rked their means in
the construction Of tbs Milwaukee and
Madison railroad. Mortgages OH the
farms of those living along the line of it
have been executed, and are now in full
force, as understand. The only hope
for the redemption these mortgages, and
the relief of the land holders, is by the
profits they anticipate upon the completion
of the Milwaukee and Madison road
From gainesville to Madison is about fifty
or sixty miles, and the proposed road runs
nearly parallel with the line Of the Mil
waukie and Madison railroad. Twelve
miles is the furthest point that those lines
are apart SO that there will be an average
distance between them Of something like
six miles.
Mr.. Eastman. The distance to Madison
from the point indicated is not fifty or six
Ity miles. 1t is not above thirty.
MIR. Letcher. Then the scale Of the
map must be wrong.
Mr.. Eastman. At most it is not over
forty miles from Janesville to Madison
II the gentleman will deduct twelve from
forty, how will he make the distance fifty
or sixtyi II he wants to make il that DIS
lance, he must lengthen the route.
Mr.. Letcher. Here then il a conflict
of interests. Here the government is ask
ed to furnish lands to the Rock River I'm
ion Valley Railroad Company for the pur-
pose OF enabling them to make parallel
line from GAINESVILLE to the town of Madi-
son and yet gentlemen say that it canno,
produce any conflict of interest; that it will
ri n mr. 70, l..
kie railroad. put It to the common sense
OF ever, gentlemen in this House. if there
is even show of pausibiity in such a
statement,
Mr.. Disney. Has not the gentleman
f.om Virginia Mr.. Letcherl yet learned
that have this morning offered an amend
ment to the bill, which specially and spec
ifcally provides that this road shall no,
obtain one acre of land from the govern
ment on the line of the road between the
town of Madison and the southern boun-
dary Of the State Of Wisconsin
Mr.. Letcher. One thing alta time. II
the gentleman Mr.. Disney will have pa
thence, | will soon get to that amendment,
and show that as the gentleman himself
says, it is no grea, affair after all.
Now, sir. ! think have shown thai
there is conflict ofinterest. Then there
is another consideration. There is not a
foot fpab!ic land las am informed, from
the city of Chicago, in Illinois, where this
road commences. until you get beyond
Madison, distance perhaps oc one hun
dred and fifty OF sixty miles
Then take the other line of the propos-
ed road. There is no public lands till YOU
get twenty miles above Fond du Lac. So,
here they are running road for one hun
dred aud ninety miles in one direction to
that point, and hundred and fifty or one
hundred and sixty miles in another diree-
ton, through country where there is not
a foot of public lands; and yet the gentle
mali over the way offers an amendment
which he thinks meets exactly the state Of
the case.
A message was here received from the
President Of the United States, BY ths
hands Of Sidney Webster. esq. his privat,
secretary, informing the House that he hae
signed certain bills aud JOINT resolutions
MIR. Letcher. understand that thi
Rock River Union Valley Rellroad Com
pany, like great many other railroad com
panies scattered throughout the country, il
in a dilapidated condition. 1t is though
by most people to be approaching sta t
OF insolvency; aud | have heard it intima,
ted that even the iron which had been
bought for this Rock River Union Valley
Railroad was actually sold to raise the
means to help those gentleman who are
employed to manage the matter and Sc.
cure the passage Of the bill through this
House. What is the meaning of this prop.
osition, offered under these circumstances
by the chairman of the Committee on Pub.
lie Landsi Here it is:
Provided that the road herein provided
for shall not be construed to extend to any
land on the line Of the said road between
the town OF Madison and the southern
boundary of the State of Wisconsin"
Or, in other words, between the town
OF Madison and the city of Chicago. That
is the beginning point.
Now, suppose you give them the land
above Madison on one line, and above Fon
du Lac on the other line. Could they not
If the concern Is insolsert, as it is said
raise the wind by pledge Of the lands as
security, and apply the money to make the
road Does the amendment provide a.
gainst anything of that sort Not at all.
ID, Al. Al l. 4