The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-03-03
I'VE are Statistic that it is still f,r

II
Z And he adds As well might a rcrson hopt
4 to storm to rock of Gibraltar with a cannon
loaded with green peas, as to construct a
railroad to the Pacific by any plan yet pro.
posed"
For my part ] think The committee should
nave given us an exteusive and thorough re.
port, examining infinitely into the dfiiculirs
and the means Of overcoming them. before
they asked us to rush INFO schemes recurring
an expenditure of mom V so enormous as, il
| seems to me, must necessarily result from
lhlS PROJECT. We are asked to d. this at a
Time the least favorable Of all for such an IN
| 'trpilse-an enterprise exceeding in extent
1 and IN difficulty any that the world has ever
| seen. Those great artificial communications
are among the wonders of the age. They
mark the time III which we live. They dis
tii9uSh the people who undertake them. |
Know the energy of my co,mtrvmcn, in this
respect, exceeds that Of all other nations. 7
Know, as the honorable S,nator from Mis-.
sour AIR. GEfER has stated that the rail
roads within the limits of the United States
are tWcn'y'one thousand miles in extent be-
ing TWO thousand seven hundred miles more
extensive than all the railroads of all the rest
OF the world put toee her. We have nut
th"Sc reads III operation al cost of Solo
geo 900, as he said. But, sir, we have in.
cured debts to what amount shall not TN
deltake to say with any precision. But
iootedu up last night, the funded d,bt IF the
TWO hundred and scvcnty-one railroads which
exist III the nltcd States, and found that
II amounted to Sl50,OOO 900. How much
their Heating debt is do not know. and
suppose no ono can tell We have sixteen
thousand miles of railroad now in progress.
Where is the capital to construct them in
TIL condl ION of monetary difficulty in which
we all know the country is laboring? What
are the the means, what is the mode by
which we undertake TO construct these great
artificial COMMUNICATIONS We subscribe
stock, and ray up part, and issue our bonds
or stock to the contractors in whole or in
part, send bonds over to Europe, and rur-
chase IRON with them, or negotiate them at
shaving and runous discounts: and finally.
even those very railroads which we have un-
dertakcn, as wc supposed, under tiattcrins
auspices, perhaps, however, without proper
calculation as to the Objects, the means, the
cost, and the results, are in such condition
that Congress is invoked now to reeve them
by granting them credit of three years for
the duties on the iron importtd for rails In
tins condition of embarrassment, in which
almost the whole railroad system of TIE
United States is pungcd--a difficulty which
the companies have brought upon themselves
by reckless Extravaganza, by improvidcnce.
and by hasty speculation, OF by the uncalcu-
lated magnitude Of their undertakings-wc
are asked to enter into this scheme which
looms up so mons!rously before any one who
looks at it sobcrlv.
And, sir, If these roads contemplated in
this bill were finished, how would they be
supported! Do you think that the trade be-
tween the Pacific and the East will be sulfi-
cicnt even to keep them up, to dcfray the
great and inevitable expenses of the army of
employees, of fuel, of wear and tear of road
and engines! Even the far shorter roads of
the old States, loaded as they are with the
agricultural and mechanical products of a
thickly settled, industrious, and fertile coun-
try, and crowded with the passengers, who,
for pleasure or on business, pass from one
city to another, can seldom earn inc0rsc
which allow of Dividend. California has
not any bulky products to send across the
continent to the Atlantic States, and auy
such articles going from this side to the Pa.
ciIic will ever find the sea route cheaper and
better. 1t is deusion to suppose that tle
trade of Asia will seek this route. Some of
the finer articles might so come; but the great
body of commercial exchanges between
America and the East must always find their
way in ships. or propclcrs, without tran
shipment. When California shall be filled
with population, and the Intervening deserts
be subducd and settled then, indeed, rail-
road across the continent may Pay; but not
Ill thon.
1 ~ ;,,to NJ. % ~
bill, though think there are provisions in
it which arc Objectionable. | admit that
railroad to the Pacific would be very dcsra-
bic, if it were practicable and within any
moderate estimate Of expense. 1t would
furnish great military facilities, and be a
strong bond Of union between us and the dis
tant States beyond the Sierra Nevada. My
principal objection to the present scheme is,
that 1t gives the counterance and assistance
OF the Government in advance to an enter
prise not well considered, not justified by
the condition of the country. the means of
the parties invited to undertake it, and which
1t 1t be completed in our day, can only be
done by the Government assuming the bur
den and cxhausting all its means for many
years in the effort. II The bill pass, and no
other aid be given than that now provided
the whole scheme will prove All utter and
Notifying failure.
Sir, regret that | have not obtained a
greater amount of reliable information to
spread before the Senate. had purposed to
do so, if time should be afforded but did
not expect this bill TO come up to-day. and
have not at hand all thcinfarmaton which
have gathered. | think, however, ! have
SAID enough to Justify me in refusing to vote
for this scheme in whole or in bart. and |
shall be very much surprised if the Senate of
the United States do not pause before they
encourage the entering upon course of OK
pcnditure SO enormous and 50 reckless.
A WmsKEy BoNrlRE.-In noticing re.
cent Temperance meeting at lIavre. de Grace,
| Md. the Baltimore Clipper affords the fol-