The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-01-21
7 He MINI ESOTIAN
Suiut 4aul, Satu!has. sanuayg q, 1854.
The Great Road Question.

The Great Road Question.
Reference was made last week to the fact that
the distinguished Senator from New York, Mr..
Seward, had already placed before Congress a
bill providing for the construction of Railroad
to the Pacific. 1t is concise and directly to the
point its brevity enabling us TO give it entire
in very small compass. II is as follows =
A Bill to provide for the construction of Mil
itary and Postal Railroad through the Ter
ritories Of the United States, lying between
the Atlantic States and the State OF Cali
fornia
Be it enacted by the Senate and House O
Representatives Of tie United States Of liner
ic0, in Congress dsse'ao!ed,-lhat Soou ana
substantial tifst-class double-track railroad may
and shall be constructed throughout the Terri
tories ofshe United States, north of the forticth
parallel Of north latitude, from some point in
the Western boundary eli some of the Atlantic
States west of the Mississippi to some point in
the eastern border of the Stare of California.
The location and route of such railroad SHALL
within one year from the date of the contract
hereinafter mentioned, be fixed and determined
by the company who shall, in manner hercinaf-
ter mentioned, contract with the United States
for the construction of the same. The public
land necessary for the bed Of such road, Of a
width TO be determined by the Secretary Of
War, is hereby ceded and granted to the said
company for the period that they shall exist
and continue to work and operate such road in
conformity to this act. The said railroad shall
be commenced within eighteen months from the
date of such contract, and shall be completed
within five years thereafter. and Onc-lihh part
thereof, having relation to the estimated cost
Of the entire construction and equipment there
of, shall be completed within each Of the said
Eve years. The road may be constructed by
any company or association who, having been
duly Incorporated by the Legislature Of any
one of the United States with powers for that
purpose, shall obtain the contract with the Unit
ed States hereinafter mentioned. The Secrcta-
~ Of War shall Immediately after the passage
of this act issue and publish in each OF the CT
ties of the United States, for the term of -
weeks, notice inviting scaled proposals for the
construction of the said railroad. according to
the conditions and provisions Of this act. and at
the expiration of that time the proposals shall
be opened, and the said Secretary shall then
award and make a contract Of that date for the
construction of the said railroad, to and with
the company who shall have proposed to con-
tract the same upon the terms most fay orable
to the United States. according TO the provi-
sion Of this act, and shall comply with the said
provision in regard to the execution of the said
contract. The said contract shall bind the
United States toPay the said company the SUM
20 bid by the said company, being the lowest
sum bid by any company complying with the
provision herein contained, in the manner and
at the times hereafter mentioned, in money or in
five per cent. stock Of the United States, re-
deemable after twenty years al the pleasure of
the United States. The company who shall so
contract shall, when executing the contract, de-
post with the Treasurer of the United States,
In money or in State stocks. or in stocks of the
United States, at par value. five millions Of dol
lars as security for the performance of the con-
tracts. They shall receive to their own use the
interest on such moneys and stocks. provided
that the United States will pay no more inter
est therein than the rate of interest which the
said stocks bear. and which shall actually be
received in case of State stocks. Whenever the
company shall fail to carry on the construction
and equipment of said road as is hcreinbefore
provided, they shall forfeit to the use Of the
United States one hundred thousand dollars Of
the moneys and stocks SO deposited for every
month such default shall continue. When tie
work shall have been completed within the Pc
Rod before mentioned, to the satisfaction of the
Secretary of War, then the moneys or stocks so
deposited, or the portion thereof remaining at
ter such forfeitures, shall be repaid and rcdcli-
vered to said company. The company con-
structng the said railroad shall within the said
period of five years. fully and adequately equip
the same and put it into operation. They shall
enjoy to their own use, for fifty years, the pro-
fits and emOluments of said road, but they shall
nevertheless at all times transport the mails,
the troops, and the military and naval stores
and munitions of war Of the United States at
reasonable rates. to be determined by the de-
partment requiring such transportation and
Congress shall have the right at any time to re-
duce the tolls and fares to be charged for pas
sengers and freight, if they shall think nccessa-
~, SO, however, as to allow always profit of
ten per cent. upon the actual investment Of the
company. and the United States may also, by
an act of Congress, resume the said road. and
all the franchises hereby granted, on paying to
the said company the moneys which thov .Ldll
nave actually expended in making and equip
ping said road, exclusive Of the moneys and
stocks received from the United States, with
zen per cent. interest per annum thereon. The
company contracting for the construction of the
said railroad shall expend thereon actually and
IN good faith, one million of dollars Of its own
moneys before it shall be entitled to receive any
money from the United States. The whole
amount of the probable cost of the said road
shall be ascertained and certified Iy the chici
of the Typographical Bureau of The UnItc,l
States, and when such sum of one million of dol
lars shall have been so expended hy the compa-
ny, to the satisfaction OF the Secretary OF War
then the Treasurer of the United States shall
'on the order Of the Secretary Of the Treasury
pay to said company such sum As in relation IL
The whole sum to be paid by the United State
snail Bear the same proportion lis one million
OF dollars to be expended by the company shall
bear to the whole amount Of the estimated cost
OF the said railroad, exclusively Of the money
to be paid by the United States.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted. that The
Secretary Of War shall set apart and lay out
into village and city lots sufficient plots OF
UronpA Of tho Ii ..l, boII ko