Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-17
From the st. Louis Democrat, June 8.
LETTER FROM COL. BENTON

dated Washington, May 80, 1854.
CITIZENS: Near thirty years ago, when |
was young in the Senate, and the intercourse
between Missouri and New Mexico had just
commenced, procured the passage Of an act
of Congress to facilitate and promote that in
tercourse and to make it permanent and profit
able to the State. The act provided (among
other things) for the appointment Of commits
sioners to mark out a road from the frontier Of
Missouri to Santa Fe, and to treat with the In
dams along the route for the right Of way, and
| for the unmolested travel Of our citizens upon
it. This was all done about the year 1925;
and since that time travel and intercourse have
been regular on the road 80 marked out and
| for years past the mails have been carried upon
it, and in stages with more regularity than in
any other part Of the United States.
It was my intention, ut the time | was left
out Of the Senate, to have endenvored to have
procured Q similar act for the facility and pro
lection Of our intercourse with California; and
having lost two years of time while | was out,
land during which nothing was done for our
California travel,) it was my intention to lose
no time in reviying and presenting the object,
when was returned to Congress by the vote
of the people.
Accordingly, it received my earliest attention
/ mt the commencement of Congress last Decenl-
ber Mr. Miller and myself acted in concert
in drawing up bill for the establishments Of
the Territory of Kansas--such q one as passed
the House 80 easily the session BEFORE and
furnished a few additional sections, to accom-
plish the object of safe and regular cOmmuni-
cation with California. The sections provided
for commissioners to mark out and make
where necessary common road from Mis-
souri, to California tho nearest and best way
to treat with the Indians for unmolestcd travel
upon ito extinguish Indian titles along the
route--to grant pre- emption rights to the set
tiers wherever the title was extingnished-
to establish mails upon it, with margin for
telegraph wires and for camping ground.
We had no reason to doubt the speedy pas-
sage Of that BILL What related to the organ
ization Of the Territory, being conformable to
what had easily passed the House the session
before, might be expected to pass with equal
ense again; and what related to the road and
protection upon it, being what was done in the
case Of Missouri and New Mexico, and being
due to our inland trade and intercourse, upon
the same principle that ten millions are annu-
ally expended in keeping up q navy, and a vast
sum in keeping up diplomatic establishment
for the facility and protection Of foreign trade
and intercourse, might also be expected to pass
without opposition. We had reason to believe
that the bill 30 drawn up and introduced by
Mr.. Miller might pass both Houses of Con-
gress early in the winter, and be ready for ex-
ecution with the first opening Of the spring;
and that our California emigration this sum
mer would have had the benefit of it,
How that bill was detained in the House
Committee on Territories, to wait for another
of very different kind from the Senate, need
not inform you--nor how much time was con-
sumed on that bill. pass by what is so we'll
known, to come to something which is less
known, and which concerns your interests
and that is the manner in which was disap-
pointed in getting transferred to the Senate
bill the road, and treaty, and presumption, and
mail sections, which had been added to Mr..
Miller's bill. The way Of that disappointment
was this: 'Phc House has fiye-minuto rule for
amendments, as well as an hour rule for
speeches; when the speeches are stopped the
amendments begin, and 20 through the bill by
sections; and then new sections may be added
to the bill. | had the sections all copied from
Mr.. Miller's bill, to offer at the proper time;
but the Nebraska bill, By a perUerson Of the
rules was taken ont Of Committee Of the
Whole, to be rushed through the House under
the previous question--cutting off all amend.
ments. This was done, and thus lost the
chance Of offering these amendments, 80 essen
tial to the safe intercourse between Missouri
and California, and which, without affecting in
the least the Senate's Nebraska BILL would
have been as suitable in il as in the other |
was grieved at this loss, and at that late period
Of the session, IS il will be difficult to get any
thing done to repair il, but shall make exer-
lions to do 80, as ] deem it Of the greatest mo.
ment to have a common road, or roads, made
TO accommodate and protect this intercourse,
which is now 40 great, and which must become
greater; and to extinguish Indian titles all
along the route, and grant prescriptions to set
tiers from Missouri to California
The return OF Mr.. Fremont (perfcctly suc-
cessful in his winter expcdition) emboldens all
the friends Of the Central route, and shows
that nature has prepared that route in every
particular for the great National highway be-
tween the Mississippi river and the Bay of San
Francisco. In the mean time, and without
waiting for the railroad, we want q common
road Tor two Of thcm) ON the main lines OF
travel from Missouri 10 California and Oregon,
by the Coochatope and the South Pass, and by
tho Great and the Little Salt Lake, 10 az 70
accommodate the two great lines of travel and
emigration which depart from different points
on our Western frontier; and the road, being
confined to the territory between the States OF
Missouri and California, would he entirely free
from all constitutional objection
subjoin the sections which ! intended TO
offer, that il may be seen that they were just
MS suitable to one bill AZ the other, and might
have been added TO the Senate bill without nj.
tering or affecting ono word in it, and would
have boon great and beneficial improvement
upon it Respectfully,
THOMAS VI. BENTON.
THE sections referred to are Is, 10, 20, p,
OF she Nebraska Kansas Bill, offered in the last
Congress
mp. BANKS AT wALTHAM.