Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-03-22

here that he proposed to amend The bill by
recurring that the road should start at Fond
du Lac, or twenty miles above it. where
the public lands begin, and that land should
be donated for six miles on either side of
the road, or for fifteen m,les in the contin-
gency stated, and should be applied TO the
construction of the road from that point to
its terminus at Lake Superior, and that the
lands so granted should not be pledged in
any way, nor any of the proceeds arising
therefrom used to aid in constructing the
line between Madison and Janesvile, or the
line between Fond du Lac and Chicago
But, sir, the object of this bill is to revive
the credit of this company, and thus enable
it to break down private interests, and sub
liect those interested in the Madison and
Milwaukee railroad toserious pecuniary loss
Mr.. DISNEY, Gnterrupiing.) wish to
inquire oc the gentleman if he ever read a
very celebrated chapter in one of Fielding's
novels in which the author undertakes tc
show that man can write the better fol
knowing something of the subject upon
which he attempts to write. 1t is very IN
teresting.
.4propos, has the gentleman from Virgin
ia read the bill upon which he is comment
ing? am sure he has not for let me say
to him, that under the provisions of that
bill, and by the construction given by the
land office to similar provisions in other
bills, the road can obtain no land except
such as lie alongside OF the road proposed
TO be constructed; or, to use the language
of the Land Office, they cannot 60 10 one
point of the State and select lands with
which to construct and build road be-
tween other points.
Now, under these facts, what becomes
of all the talk of the gentleman in reference
to raising the wind to build road below
the town of Madison'
Mr.. LETCHER. like to see this rest
lessness on the part of the friends of this
bill. 1t seems to me to indicate that there
is ''good time coming" laughter, and
that we shall find them hereafter, at least,
advocating little more consideration for
bills of this sort than they have hitherto
been willing to allow to them.
1t seems quite unfortunate that the gen
tleman from Ohio Mr.. DISNEY either did
not hear me, or did not understand my
point 1t therefore occurs TO me that he
might have read the essay to which he al
ludes with advantage. 1t might be of some
service to him 10 listen to my remarks be-
fore he undertakes to reply. Now. did
say anything about the Governor, or the
President, or the Commissioner of the Land
Office, or anybody else, deciding how these
lands were to be assignedi Not at ALL
But take the ground that the public lands.
beginning at Fond du Lac, and extending
to Lake Superior, are the lands out OF
which the company must procure their al
ternate sections. And cannot the compa-
ny pledge that land as security for loans,
and apply the money so raised to the build
ing of the road belowi What is TO prohibit
them from doing so under this law
Suppose they do it. Cannot the twenty
miles begin at Chicago as we'll as anywhere
else; and cannot they make the twenty
miles anywhere they please along the line
Certainly they may.
Well, Mr.. Speaker, there is one thing
which will settle the matter. put the
question to the gentleman from Ohio, Mr..
DISNEY, whether the company is not upon
its last legs? Laughter The gentle
mans answer will, l have no doubt, settle
the question.
Mr.. DISNEY. I respond again, that
this grant is to the State of Wisconsin, and
not to that or any other company. The
State of Wisconsin will have the control OF
this grant for the purposes indicated by the
bill, for the construction of road between
the points indicated and whether that COM
pany be upon its last or its first legs, is a
matter of no sort ofimportance to this Con-
gress because the grant is made for spe-
cific purpose, the construction ofthat road,
and the State of Wisconsin becomes the
trustee for that object.
By the provisions Of that bill, as | re-
marked before, the proceeds of this land
are to be applied to the building of the road
in sections Of twenty continuous miles,
through the portion of country from which
the lands are selected; the sales to be made
as the consecutive sections are built.
Mr.. LETCHER. The gentleman from
Ohio does not answer me directly, and
take it that he lodges the question, because
he does not want TO say anything about the
dead. Laughter. He does not want to
acknowledge the fact that this concern is
really insolvent, because ifhe did he might
lose votes for the measure. But, says the
gentleman, you do not vote money to this
company; you give the land to the State
by this bill. But who gets the land after
it is turned over by the State to the rail
road company A few years ago we voted
some land to Illinois for railroad purposes.
Who got It'll The Wall street brokers got
it, if | have read the history of that road "a
right. Do they not hold it now, and have
they not absolute control Of it
Mr.. BISSELL. Will the gentleman al
low me to answer his question The Wall
street brokers do not hold this land.
Mr.. LETCHER. have pamphlet
here, which will show The history of this
matter. We gave land to the State of Illi-
nois for the purpose of building the Central
Road to Chicago, with branch running to
Galena. Who were the members Of this
company? We are aware of the fact, that
Mr.. Rantoul, member of this House of
the last Congress, was one of the parties
concerned in this road. How did this gen.
tIenan, living IN the State of Massachu-
setts become interested in it? Who are
the other parties mentioned in the act in
cooperating this company Their names,
in the first section of can act TO incorpo-
rate the Illinois Central Railroad Compa-
n.y." are recorded as follows:
"Robert Schuyler. George Griswold, Gouve-
neur Morris, Franklin Haven, David A. Neal,
Robert Rantoul. jr., Jonathan Sturgis, George w.
Ludlow, John F. A. Sanford. Henry Grinnel,
William H. Aspinwal. Leroy Wiley, and Joseph
IA, naronnc all ftnrI