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


GAINESVILLE. Then, sir, it runs northeast to
Fond du Lac. Then it runs nearly IN a
north direction for some twenty miles,
Then it runs in rather nortbwesterly d.
rection, somewhat zigzag, to the point on
Lake Superior.
Why is it, l ask, when road is project
ed, Nhe Mississippi and Lake Shore Rail
road, } from the town of Chicago direct to
Fond du Lac, distance Of one hundred and
forty or one hundred and fifty miles, that
they are seeking by this road to establish
another between the same points by run
ming around through the interior so as to a
void the harbors and the cities located on
the lake shore? In our country, and i'm
agine even in the State Of Ohio, in which
the chairman of the Committee on Public
Lands lives, there is a feeling of State pride.
There is an onxious desire on the part even
of the gentleman himself to build up Gin
cinnat as the great commercial, the great
business point, the chief city for the State
Of Ohio. You would never find him here
making war on a city within the limits
of his own State for the purpose of carrying
the trade out of it over to Louisville, in the
State of my friend who sits near me, MIR.
Preston. Yet We have this anomaly here.
Here are two representatives OF Wisconsin
on this floor warning on Milwaukee and the
other cities of their own State, situated on
the lake shore, for the purpose of building
up Chicago, in the State of Illinois.
What is the interest of this government
Is it not to make connections between the
harbors on the lakes and the back country
Should not that be the great object it should
have in view? Is it not the great interest
with the government itself, in the event OF
difficulty or foreign troubles, to have its
connections with its own harbors, so that 1t
can transport whatever is to be sent to those
points into the interior of the country p
But the government here is asked not to a.
dopt that policy. but to disregard it, and to
90 for the establishment of another road
which runs some sixty miles at one point
from the lake shore, and thirty miles at an
other point from The same lake shore. Now
will any gentleman tell me that it is the in
terest of this government to make appropri-
ations of that sort
But let me test these gentlemen still fur
ther. They say that there is no conflict by
this scheme with the private interests OF
those who have embarked their means in
the construction of this Milwaukee and Mad
ison railroad.' Mortgages on the farms OF
those living along the line of it have been
executed, and are now in full force as un.
derstand. The only hope for the redemp-
ton of these mortgages, and the relief of
the land-holders, is by the profits which
they anticipate upon the completion of the
Milwaukee and Madison road. From James
vile to Madison is about fifty or sixty miles,
and the proposed road runs nearly parallel
with the line of the Milwaukee 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 Mad
ison from the point indicated is not fifty or
sixty miles. 1t is not above thirty.
Mr.. LETCHER. Then the scale of the
map must be wrong.
Mr.. EASTMAN. At most 1t is not over
forty miles from GAINESVILLE to Madison. If
the gentleman will deduct twelve from for
ty, how will he make the distance fifty or
sixty? If he wants to make it that dis
tance, he must lengthen the route.
Mr.. LETCHER Here then is con-
hict of interests. Here The government is
asked to furnish lands to this Rock River
Union Valley Railroad Company for the
purpose of enabling them to make a paral-
lei line from GAINESVILLE to the town of Mad
ison and yet gentlemen say that it cannot
produce any conflict of interest that it will
do no harm 10 the Madison and Milwaukee
railroad. put 1t to the common sense Of
every gentleman in this House, if there is
even a show of plausibility in such state
ment?
Mr.. DISNEY. Has not the gentleman
from Virginia Mr.. Letcher] yet learned
that have thus morning offered an amend
ment to the bill, which specially and spe-
officially provides that this road shall not
obtain one acre OF land from the govern
ment on the line of the road between the
town Of Madison and the southern boundary
of the State of Wisconsin?
Mr.. LETCHER One thing at time
If the gentleman Mr.. Disney will have
patience, will soon get to that amendment,
and show that, as the gentleman himself
says, it is no great affair after all.
Now, sir, think | have shown that there
is conflict of interest. Then there is an
other consideration. There is not a foot Of
public land, as | am informed, from the
city of Chicago, IN Illinois, where this road
commences, until you get beyond Madison,
distance Of perhaps one hundred and ff-
ty Or sixty miles.
Then take the other line of the proposed
road. There are no public lands ill you
get twenty miles above Fond du Lac. So,
here they are running road for one hun
dred and ninety miles in one direction to
that point, and one hundred and fifty or one
hundred and sixty miles in another direc-
ton, through country where there is not
a foot of public lands; and yet the gentle
NAH over the way offers an amendment
which he thinks meets exactly the state of
the case.
| understand that this Rock River Union
Valley Railroad Company, like great many
other railroad companies scattered through
out the country, is in dilapidated condi-
ton 1t Is thought by most people to be
approaching state Of insolvency.; and |
have heard it lntimated that even the iron
which mad 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 secure the passage of the bill through
this House. What is the meaning Of this
offered under these circumstan-
ces, by the chairman of the Committee on
Public Lands? Here it is:
'.Provided that the road herein provided for