The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-09

" II w 1OlA AG1ldAO,
The Southern Pacific Rallrosa and the Mem
ster Land swindle Before Congress.
NEW York, Dec. 9, 1855.
JAnE GoRDon BENNETT, ESQ,
EDITOR or NEW YORK HERALD
SR-Your paper Of yesterday contains Q letter from
your correspondent d Washington Swing what pu,por
70 be . copy OF bill prepared by OF the oommssces
Of Congress- 70 aid the construction Of several railroads
from the Atlantic 70 the Pacific granting for that purpose
to various companies according your estimate and
that Of your correspondent than $50 millions Of
Of public lands and than I've millions of dol.
lars per In your editorial comments OF yester-
day. you ono Of the parties associated to
this through Congress. Erroneous state
ments affecting myself alone seldom contrsdcled by
me through the public PRESS leaving TO tme the great
friend OF truth, to supply the corrective. Your state
Dent Of yesterday, however repeated in your paper
Of this morning and friends insis. that Congress and
he country she be disabused from the impression that
this measure Is favored by me.
never heard OF this bill until within few days past
never consulted with regard TO any Of Its pro-
Visions they known TO me until reading the
bill printed. have never been engaged at any time
in aiding the passage through Congress OF any grant
ing the public lands TO any company, and measure
pubhed by your correspondent could my
support Throughout my long period OF service In the
Senate Of the United States and Chairman Of the Com
mittee Of Public Lands always opposed grants OF lands
10 companies Whilst Secretary of tho Treasury the pub
Lie lands being then subjected TO the supervision that
dep0 tment l uniformly opposed all such measures
Since retiring from public lfe opinions and my
have remained unchanged, favoring such grants full
equivalents, to States but oever TO companies.
More than three years siaoe immediately after my oop
nection with the Pacific Railroad Company, moved .
resolution, which was then adopted by the board and
Will be found upon lis records declaring thAt ssno grant
OF land money TO the company should be asked from
Congress" Ny suggestion then was, that Congress
practicable by reliable instr surveys by
the government that they should Ok, by law maximum
sum which they would pay yearly for Carrying daily
mail bv railroad TO the Pscihc and for the Transports
ton Of United States troops munitions Of war, military
and naval stores and Gward the contract like al other
mail contracts, in full and fair composition, TO the 10 vest
bidder.
doubted, and has been exercssd every year the
government was founded. In fixing maximum sum
the vastly enhanced value ard augmented sale and set
Element OF the public lands which would follow the con
sirucllon Of such . road through me domain OF tae
dera,ion. II is equally clear that such road would
eready increase our revenue from duties on imports as
well AZ IRON postage Indeed such road would become
tie the teegrapbs, the mails the specie the
Passengers and light package goods OF our country
and OF the ~oFld and whilst greatly enarging
nerce augmeniing wealth and power, rendering
country in all It's parts invulnerabe to foreign az
gressicn, would tend than anything else
the maintenance OF the constitutional equaiiy Of the
sistes, to preserve arc psrps.uSle the Union
scientific gneer, BoTSto Allen, OF y Novelty Works.
Of New York, well and favorable known in this CITY,
pow st the bead OF our company and who, against oppo
sing EuTopea opinions, the arst In the world
poe, bis sres, report OF 1929 10 the CHARLESTON and
Augusta Rsroad, the use OF locomotive eogines upon
railroads, are prosecuting the work successfully
through Texas and viii carry the eight hundred
miller through that Sa;s from is to us
boundary FL Paso without any gran. of land money
from Congress Aided by munnct Mt grants OF land and
money from Texas, sustained by the recent vote OF
than wothros Of the Legsa'ure OF that State, and by
the neas ~ UNANIMOUS voice OF her people, with their
roads progressing 10 meet Us from her Cuff coIst
we have now surmounted tie many obstacles thrown
10 cur go long by error interest or prejudice The
frat secton of road nearly ready for the rail-
tbousaI OF the beat PDnsy vsna railroad iron have
been already shipped, AMI Gill soon he laid upon the
track wbis, ali the TO complete ready for
the section OF fifteen miles, hAs been provided.
In connecting ny rumble name with this great work
caunnlous assaults violent OPT oeition antci-
pated; but upon former occasions in introducing
other great measures. expected TO see the nth vnd
Gated by time and actual results.
IL nov more than twenty years since in the senste
Of Tie United States when the oil pending to dis
tribute among the States, Under thencinn OF deposit
never TO recalled, tho surplus OF thir-
y eight millions OF dollars, suggested be application OF
thai fund 10 the purchase OF Cahornis and New Mexico
the line OF 49, with quiiclam Texas with the
sent Of that republic Had this proposition thea sue
IL would have ,aved the war with Mexico at an expense
OF go many thousand precious lives, OF nearly hun
millions fifteen mi1lions addition
CAlornia-and ten millions besides for the GAisden
purchase. Among the then gwen oy for that
measure s this, that upon observing the map Of our
continent the of the Red River and the ella, the
bresk Rocky Mountains by the RIO del Norte at II
Peso. spe OF the Sierra Msdre by ,he ella river nature
Indicate the proper railroad the Panc
have often reflected what great results favorable
country. would havo followed the nj that
eme o. TIA, poposmSn, Inc rslr0aa o,.; san
the sod discoveries Of California would have been made
1870 the gold OF that region, well ~ OF Australia
49, NJ 81 tate
country, and already the command OF the Of
the world would have been passing from England TO
America-from London TO New York.
For the same reasons, among others, I opposed the
treaty Of resce and capituaicn with Mexico because
records The depc meu, and eespsichcs win show
that the trent statesman jet elected TO the CHIEF ma
ssrscy Of The Union participates N these views, aud In
the opposition 10 that unfortun ate treaty.
In speaking thus warmly o. his route from
New York TO san Franc.'oo, ! do not mean to
which may be demonstrated by instru mental
surytys, or TO Indicate that the same AID,
GO. nn.d 70 ros.s and military contracts which may be
gces should no, also be extended 10 Other northern
routes, or 10 coptnd that whilst nearly nfy diieront
railroads sba reach the Mississippi aud the head OF
Lake Superior from the Atlantic that route only, In
all tine come shall monopoise the travel freight and
carr eli the treasure ma!s freight and passengers Of
country and OF the world passing 20 and from the
Atlantic 70 we rsa,ne. oe, sns 90 lay sasas ,h sy
Of the government and thorough invest CATION OF the
subject connecting BY roads now beng made from 81
Louis, Cairo, Memphis Gainesville, ck,burg, New
Orleans and the Gulf coast Of Texas with short brancbcs
Diego and san Pedro). that Is tue best and
shortest between tho two ces OF tho Atlantic
and Pacific with lower grades without inclined planes
unobsructed by SHOWS passing through the most fertile
county and the richest minerals Of coal gold silver lead
and copper, and that In my Judgment the nrst that
will be completed.
hope 10 see the mouth OF the Columbia and Puget
sound a. well san Francisco connected by railroads
with the Nrsisepp and Atlantic, The Northern lakes and
the Cub Of Mexico he sea,s Of grea, American naval
power well Of vast commercial marine the
Pacific the giant forests OF both regions accessible by
rivers d. ected railroads 10 all these harbors AZ
forcing ueess nearly double the height and girdie Of
Of any other country furnishing the nulis OF geat
steamers that shall command the commerce Of the
Paci1c.