The daily union., 1854-07-19

whole people land all know they respectable those
of any other city, having Joined in their opposition to this
corporation ought to satisfy every unbiased mind that
they thought at least that they right and the com
pany wrong 1t is an easy matter TO get up row or a
riot among certain class in every large place but such
thing is impossible among the yrtuous intelligent
and substantial citizens
Having made reference that NATTER WILL in passing,
briefly its history: few years ago company was
chartered by the legislature of Pennsylvania construct
railroad from the city of Erie the New York State line,
to connect with the New York roads with sixfee track
Another company called the Franklin Canal Company OBJ
tanned charter to build road from Franklin ON the Al
leghany river Erie This road would have south
east from Erie but instead Of building the road to Frank
ln they up the lake to the Ohio State lne in OPP
posite direction TO that indicated in the charter Not only
but in doing this they occupied twenty miles OF
ground belonging to another company In addition TO
this these roads desrous OF forming connexon by
running through the streets of Erie to the expense OF
depot at each side of the city their charters only author
zing them TO their roads TO- not through the city.
In view of this object these roads entered into agree
ment with the city authorities spuating that condi
ton the citizens authorities Of Erie would suffer them
to pass along the streets and use depot instead of
co and not interfere with the illegal road break of
gauge should be established and kept there But
er had they got permission to run their road through the
Streets and got things arranged to suit them than they
commenced making continuous track from the New York
line to Ohio by which the would straight through
the city in violation of their solemn contract.
Then it was and not H Men that the corporate author
tiles of Erie declared the railroad and bridges in the public
streets to be nuisance and gave orders for its abatement
bridges was done by order and under the direction of the
city council.
One of these roads was built without law and against
law, the supreme court of the State had decided
different occasions
The other entered into solemn contract for the purpose
OF obtaining certain powers and when they obtained those
powers they desired 10 hold them and repudate their
of the contract
TO carry out their design they proclaimed their deter
mnatlon to abolish the break of gauge and occupy
territory without franchise and against law and bid de-
fance both TO the courts of the State and to the people of
Erie Here then is the whole in nutshell; and al
though it may not be germane to the matter now under
consideration, have deemed il not improper to advert to
it. more for the purpose OF showing the danger OF fostering
these corporations than for the purpose Of defending the
Ercans.
Thus Mr. Chairman it will be seen that single railroad
companies which but pgmes to that contemplated in
this bill are exceedingly dangerous when heyare confined
to their own for subsistence How much dan
gerous then will they be to the rights Of the people when
ostered by the general government and fed by such
enormous grants OF the public land? What right pray,
have these companies to public land without paying
for 1T more than any other class of citizens? We
very gravcy told that the building of these roads adds
greatly to the wealth Of the country and that therefore
should give them the land What would you think of the
man who wished TO make Improvement of some kind for
the purpose of making money of it himself yet he
would to his neighbors and say TO them Gentlemen
am going to erect improvement here by which expect
to make great deal of money but it in your neghbor
hood and must necessarily enhance the value of all the
property near it, therefore demand of you sufficient
sum to complete the improvement and then, when il
hnished am to own it myself well US manage it, and
receive all the money made by t2 To say the least of it,
you would say he had rather "hard cheek Yet the
cases exactly parallel and the mode of reasoning APP
piled TO the can with the proprety and
force be applied to the other Every knows that most
railroad stock is prohtable in fact it is the best paying
stock in MARKET and there is not welnanaged road in
the whole country but not only pays large salaries to their
officers but also good dividends the stockholders Why
them give this class of spectators Tor business if you
please to call it sol the public land to the exclusion Of all
other interests
AS offset to this is sad that by giving these lands
ret Our fry ySpttl II
and increase business between the East and the West This
may or may not be true If true, it is giving forced
growth to the country and impetus trade beyond
the natural wants Of society If not truc then is an in
genious device to get hold of the public domain under
false pretences have already shown the alacy of this
part OF the argument in favor of these grants The laws of
trade certain and unerrng almost any other laws
we are familiar with; and experience has abundantly
shown that wherever business is to be done that business
Will naturally open avenues to other points of business
and very soon healthy circulation is got up based upon
permanent and not fictitious, subsratum As for the
wealth OF the country being greatly enhanced by the build
ing OF these roads, it is not altogether true. know that
prices frequently 90 up in the neghborhood of these
roads but in most these prices fictitious The
primitive wealth of country is in our land all
cumulaed wealth be brought about by actual labor
not speculation He who than he produces
runs in debt somewhere and lives the earnings of
others; but he who produces than he adds
the difference to the aggregate wealth of the nation The
whole scheme of getting this land therefore, is to enable
greater portion 10 live without labor while the balance of
society Will have to support them.
The case of the Central Illinois railroad will establish
this position most clearly In that the general gov
ernmen gave this company through the State about two
millions and six hundred thousand of land The es
timated cost OF their road was think about seventeen
millions OF dollars These lands valued at about
twenty-five millions of doaisfve millions than
the stock OF the road Certificates Of stock issued to
that amount which the road is be built each stock
holder gets his share of the stock while the land is pledged
for its redemption and by this ingenious operation the
government furnishes the build the road while
these spectators have devised to get it for nothing
and it s said that individuals connected with this
road have realized over three hundred thousand dollars
each Tor their share Of the clear profits No wonder then
this is the case that certain persons much in ia-
of granting public lands for such purposes When it
pies land in this and that such specuations
can be made by individuals aud companies by getting hold
OF IT, we lose much of surprise the number of
panies putting IN their claims for slice from this loaf
do not know the number of such claims before The two
houses of Congress at this time but have heard it various
y stated at from hundred and fifty hundred But
put il at the lowest pointsay hundred then take
this bill average Of what the whole aretwo million
and half of acresyou have the snug little sum of two
hundred and fifty millions of demanded of at this
session for railroad corporations This sir would cover
territory much larger than the original thirteen States
BY reference to the map of the United States you will
find that there are in
So. miles Sd miles. |
Rhode island l,300 Delaware 1000
Massachusetts, 1900 Virginia 59 900
New Hampshire $500 MARYLAND o0O0
Connecticut t,600 North Carolina 81 900
Vermont 10000 South Carolina 5O 900
New York 900 Georgia 30 900
New Jersey 5000 .--
Pennsy lvapa 10000 Total 3it 900 4
Equal to about hundred and twenty million acres
OF land or thirty millions of acres less than the