Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-29

after the commandment of hestiiities, would
be vain, and the next resource would be to
accumulate there such an amount OF stores
and supplies as would suffice during the con
tinuapce of the contest, or until we could OBJ
tain command of the sea. Assigning but a
moderate limit to this period, The expense
would vet be enormous. The Notifications,
depots, and storehouses, would necessarily be
on the largest scale, and the cost of placing
supplies there for Eve years would amount to
nearly one hundred millions Of dollars.
"In many respects, the cost during peace
would be equivalent to that during war. The
perishable character Of many articles would
render 1t perhaps imprsoticable to put provi-
sions in depot for such length of time and
in any case, there would be deterioration
amounting to some millions Of dollars per
year.
"These considerations, and others of
strictly military character, cause the depart
ment to examine with interest all projects
promising the accomplishment OF q railroad
communication between the navigaole waters
Of the Mississippi and those OF the Pacihc
ocean. As military operations depend in
greater degree upon rapidity ana certainty
Of movement than upon any other circum-
stance. the introduction of railway transpor-
tation has greatly improved the means of de-
Tending our Atlantic and inland frontiers
and to give US a sense of security from attack
upon the most exposed portion of our terrific
nv. Il is requisite that the facility or railroad
Transportation should be extended to the Pa
cifc coast. Were such a road completed, our
Pacific coast, instead Of being further removed
in time, and less accessible to. US than to an
enemy, would be brought within few days
of easy communication, and the cost of sup
plying an army there, instead of being many
times greater to US than to him, would be
about equal. We would be relieved of the
necessity Of accommodating large supplies on
that coast, to waste, perhaps, through long
years Of peace; and We could feel entire con-
fdence that let war come when and with
whom it may, before q hostile expedition
could reach that exposed frontier, an ample
force could be placed there to repel any at
tempt at invasion"
Whether we shall depend on private CAPT
tai and enterprise alone for the early estab-
lishment of railroad communication, or shall
promote its construction by such aid as the
General Government may constitutionally
give whether we shall rely on the contin-
uance Of peace until the increase Of the pop
ulstion and resources of the Pacific States
shall render them independent of aid from
those of the Atlantic slope and Mississippi
valley, or whether we shall adopt the extern
sive system of defence above referred to, are
questions of public policy which belong to
Congress TO decide
The Fire Bill.-In the proposition to ''put'
the bill to refund the puties paid on goods de-
stroyed by fire since 1888 Through" withou!
consideration in Committee Of the Whole, was
overwhelmingly defeated in the House yes
teriay. as it should have been; though
those who voted to make Mr.. Banks Speaker,
marched in solid column to rescue him from
the effect Of the previous vote Of the House
in everything his extraordinary decision on
Thursday last. That accomplished-and their
vote was nearly a strict party one-they re.
fused to postpone the consideration of the bill
to day certain, by LOT nays to 40 yeas; com
hitting it subsequently to take its chance in
Committee of the Whole, without division
Good News.-We are happy to learn, and
to be able to announce to our readers that an
order will be issued to-day to have the music
commence for the season tomorrow in the
Capitol grounds, commencing about an houl
before sunset. The band will play every
W ednesdsy at the Capitol, and Saturday a
| the Presidents.
List of Patents issued from the United
States Patent Office for the week ending Apri
20, 1s56-each bearing that date:
Thos J. Alexander, of Westerville, Ohio
| For improved saving machine
Enoch Apologize, of Wilmington, Del.-Fo
| Improvement in chain cable hooks
Henry N. Baker, of Union, N. Y.-FOr i'm
| provement in electro magnetic printing tele
| graphs.
Edward Baptis, of Hoboken, N.'J.-For pc,
/ a.a pencil case.
Milton Barlow, of Lexington, Ky For i'm
proVement in grading harvesters.
Asa w. Cady, Of Sullivan, n. Yer i'm
proved machine for excavating and moving
/ earth
VIM. Dawson, Of Huntington, Conn.-Fo
Improvement in cigar machines.
| John M. Dearborn, Of Boston, Mass-Fol
| improvement in scaffolding
Jno. B Evins, of Green Castle, Ind.-Fo,
improved single machine
Edwin j. Green and Moses Ii. Wheeler, OF
Cedarville, N. Y.-FOr improvement in Joint.
bodied buggies.
Edward Hopkins, of Cincinnati, O.-For
improvement in hand seed planters
VIM. Ii. Hovey, of Springfield, Mass-Por
improvement in attaching harvester cutter
oldueS 10 the sickle par
Salem I. Lamb, Of New Washington, Ind
For improvement in automatic rake for bar-
vesters.
William Lyon and Charles w Dickinson, of
Newark, n. For improvement in the con
struction Of dry gas meters.
Ebenezer Mathews, of Morgantown, Va
For improvement in corn shelters
Jno. Mclnnes, of Braintree, Mass. For ma
chine for printing WOODEN and other fabrics
Elisha P. MOulton, Of Baltimore, Md.-For
improvement in door fasteners.
Fred. Newbury, Of Albany, N. Y.-For
improvement in fire arms
Ephraim l.. Pratt, of Philadelphia, Ps.-For
Improvement in machine for pairing apples
Silas b. Kendall, Of Rockford, fil.-For
improvement in corn planters.
Benjamin 7. Rooney, of Philadelphia, Pa.
For Improvement in harvester cutters.
John b. Root, of Brooklyn, N. Y.-For i'm
pr0vements In rotary steam engines.
Bradford Rowe, Of Albany, N Y.-For i'm
proved wrench.
Simon T. Stanton, of Manchester, N. H.-For