Washington sentinel., 1854-03-07

the previous question: How can that be ex
planned!
Mr.. EASTMAN. l apprehend that there il
more Than one gentleman from Wisconsin. Does
he allude to me? "
Mr. LETCHER. There are three here take
IL The gentleman on the other side of the House i:
IN Tor Il rather deeper than you are, from all car
see. ILaughter.l
But sir, the gentleman over the way tells u.
that there is nothing in this bill which calculated
10 confiict with the interests already created by
Legislative acts in the State of Wisconsin in the es
tabllshment ofother roads. Now, shall endeavol
TO satisfy the House, from map which | have
before me, that there is direct and positive con
fict and that if Congress shall step in and pas.
this bill IN the shape in which il has been intro
duced into this House, il will lend itself TO III,
accomplishment of destruction of the privats
rights and the pecuniary interests of various indi
viduals on the line Of the Milwaukee and MadsoI
road, which have been embarked in that scheme
What Is II they propose TO doa Under this bill
they propose 10 grant lands TO railroad which il
called The Rock River Union Valley railroad
that commences at Chicago and runs northwest
10 the town of Janesville. Then, sir, il runs
northeast 10 Fond du Lac. Then il runs nearly
IN north direction for some twenty miles. Then
Il runs IN rather northwesterly direction, some
what zgzag, 10 the point on Lake Superior.
Why Is II, ask, when road is projected dhe
Mississippi and Lake Shore Railroad,) from the
town of Chicago direct 10 Fond du Lac, a distance
of one hundred and forty or one hundred and fifty
miles, that they seeking by this road TO estab-
lish another between the same points by running
around through the interior so as 10 avoid the
harbors and The cities located on the lake shore
In our country, and imagine even in the State OF
Ohio, in which the chairman of the Committee on
Public Lands lives, there is feeling of Slate
pride. There is an anxious desire on the part
even of the gentleman himself TO build up Cincin-
natl 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 il over TO Louisville,
in the State of my friend who SITS near me- Mr..
PRESTON Yet we have this anomaly here Here
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 il
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 il
not the great interest with the government itself,
in the event of difficulty or foreign troubles, 10
have Its connections with its own harbors, that
It can transport whatever is 10 be sent 10 those
points into the interior of the country. But :he
government here is asked not 10 adopt that policy,
but TO disregard it, and 10 go for the establishment
Of another road, which runs some sixty miles at
one point from the lake Shore and thirty miles at
another point from the same lake shore. Now,
will any gentleman tell me that II is the interest of
this government 10 make appropriations of that
sort?
But let me test these gentlemen still further.
They say that there is no conflict by this scheme
with the private interests of those who have en-
barked their means in The construction Of this
Milwaukee and Madison railroad. Mortgages on
the farms of those living along the line OF it have
been executed, and are now in full force, as un-
stand. The only hope for the redemption of these
mortgages, and the relief of the and-holders is by
the profits which they anticipate upon the compile
bon of the Milwaukee and Madison road. From
Janesvle 10 Madison is about fifty or sixty miles,
and the proposed road runs nearly parallel with
he line of the Milwaukee and Madison railroad.
Twelve miles is the furthest point that those lines
ire apart; so that there will be an average dis
ance between them Of something like six miles.
Mr.. EASTMAN. The distance 10 Madison from
he point indicated is not fifty or sixty miles. II
S not above thirty.
Mr.. LETCHER. Then the scale Of the map
must be wrong.
Mr. EASTMAN. AT most il is not over forty
miles from Janesville 10 Madison. If the gentle
man will deduct twelve from forty how will he
make the distance fifty or sixty? If he wants TO
make II that distance, he must lengthen the route
Mr.. LETCHER. Here then is a conflict of
interests. Here the government is asked to fur
nish lands 10 this Rock River Union Valley Rail-
road Company for the purpose of enabling them 10
OF Madison; and yet gentlemen say that il cannot
produce any conflict OF interest; that it will do no
harm to the Madison and Milwaukee railroad
put II TO the common sense of every gentleman in
this House, If there is even show Of plausibilily
in such a statement?
MIR. DISNEY. Has not the gentleman from
Virginia Mr.. LETcHERl yet learned that have
this morning offered an amendment 10 the BILL
which specially and specifically provides that this
road shall not obtain one acre Of land from the
government 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 a time. If the
gentleman Mr.. DIsNEYl will have patience will
soon get 10 that amendment, and show that as the
gentleman himself says it is no greTt affair after
all.
Now, sir, l think have shown that there is
conflict Of interest. Then there is another con-
slderation. There is not foot of public land, as
l am informed, from the city of Chicago in Illinois,
where this road commences until you get beyond
Madison, distance of perhaps one hundred and
fifty or sixty miles.
Then take the other line of the proposed road.
There public lands till you get twenty miles
above Fond du Lac. So, here they are running
road for one hundred and ninety miles in one dirsc-
ton TO that po.nt, and one hundred and fifty or one
hundred and sixty miles in another direction,
| through a country where there is not a foot Of
public lands; and yet the gentleman over the way
| oilers an amendment which he thinks meets ex-
| actly the state of the case.
| A message was here received from the Presi-
dent of the United States by the hands Of Sidney
Webster, esq, his private secretary informing the
House that he had signed certain bills and Joint re-
| solutions.l
Mr.. LETCHER. | understand that this Rock
River Union Valley Railroad Company, like a
great many other railroad companies scattered
| throughout the country, is in dilapidated condi
ton. il is thought by most people to be approach
ing state OF Insolvency; and have heard il inti
mated that even the iron which had been bough
for this Rock River Union Valley Railroad wa.
actually sold TO raise the to help those gen
tlemen who are employed to manage the matter
and secure the passage Of the bill through tbi
House What is the meaning of this proposition
offered under these circumstances, by the chair
man OF the Committee on Public Lands Her
IL is:
provided that the road herein provided for shall
be extend TO land the line OF the sal
road between Of Madison and the southern bount
AIRY OF the State Of Wisconsin"
Or, in other words, between the town of Mad
son and the city OF Chicago. That is the begin
ming point.
Now, suppose you give them the land abov
Madison on one line, and above Fond du Lac o.
the other line. Could they not, if the concern j
| insolvent as il is said raise the wind by pledg