The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-15
Overland Mail from Missouri TO Cali
fornia.

CONSISTENCY.
Overland Mail from Missouri TO Cali
fornia.
The committee, composed of Messrs.
O'Fallon, James Lucas, William Gilpin,
S. B. Churchill, John Hartnett and Hen
ry S. Turner, have made their report on
the "overland Mail'' It is elaborate
and able, going into details and statistics,
and we regret that our limits do not allow
US to copy it. We give the conclusion of
the report, which contains the recommen-
dasions of the committee:
"The committee, therefore, recon-
mend that this company shall ask and
receive from Congress the right of way
10 construct road from Missouri to the
Pacific !; temporary at first, but in good
time substantial and permanent in all its
psfssS..d ..diars. That u assist the construe-
ton of such road, grant be given to
this Company BY Congress of not less
than alternate sections of land Oh each
side of the line from Missouri to the Pa
cifc. That sufficient military or civic
police be provided to give safety to the
mails and passengers in transit. and to
the permanent stations and working par
ties OH the road. That finally Congress
shall aid and secure an early success. by
contracting for the carrying to and fro
of the mails for ten years, at compen-
sation not exceeding $500 per mile per
annum.
"Your committee estimate that such a
road, having hard and smooth track of
thirty feet, with bridges and all other
structures to insure its excellence and
perpetuity, can be constructed from a
broad belt of land, three miles in width
across the wilderness. The benefits
which would accrue by the planting of
settlements through the wilderness, by
establishing fast. frequent and regular
mails. by telegiaphic communication for
the transmission of news across the conti-
nent, even that coming from Asia in a
few hours, are immense witnesses and ad-
vocales to execute the just liberality of
Congress.
"Your committee will tersely recapitu-
late few homespun facts demonstrative
of the conyeniences which this road and
these mails will be TO the whole volume
of the human family. In Europe and
around the shores of the Atlantic is a
population of $50, 100000, of which,
Paris, in France, may be assumed to be
the centre. In Oriental Asia and around
the Pacific is population of 50,000,-
600, of which Pekin, in China, may be
a similar centre From Paris to Pekin,
by this route. the distance is exactly ten
thoasahd geographical miles. This route
lies through the temperate zone of the
Northern Hemisphere, where the CONT
nents most nearly approach, where nine
tenthsI of the human race dwell, and
where the population of the world may
be said to be grouped together. It's the
axis of population. production, consump-
ton. commerce and travel of all man
kind.5 Once opened, the attention of
superseding all other routes, present or
prospective, in the elements of time, econ
omy and convenience. Casting up the
advances made during the last ten years,
your committee are led, as by mathe-
matical sequence, to expect that, in
another decade, the distances will be
travelled by this route, from Europe to
New York in seven days across Amer
ica=in FIVE days; to Asia in eight days.
So do we advance to touch the goal,
sought during so many centuries, to close
the zodiac of the globe and blend in bonds
OF confraternity all the continents, all the
seas, and all the nations.
"Can Congress longer withhold from US
the slender gifts, justly due. by which we
guarantee to accomplish or approach at
least such grand results Your COM
mittee have thought it duty to cite at
tention to the enormous outlays of fede-
raj monies for the protection and encour-
agement of commerce. They have emu
merated some of the specific objects most
prominent among these expenditures.
They are found upon all the Atlantic sea-
board and the Atlantic ocean. Whilst
these have been constant and constantly
accumulating since the foundation of the
government, provision forthe interior has
been altogether refused or neglected.
More than this. the interior has been op-
pressed by taxation, drawn TO and ex-
pended upon the seaboard, to swell this
i:s;,sstice.
ct your committee are 'aos In haste
70 condemn indiscriminately what has
stimulated the wealth and greatness of
The country. They mean to place in bold
relief the striking contrast presented In
assigning the federal monies. and to con-
denim these fragrant partislities-topoint
to the hour which has arrived, and de-
mand self-aelion from the people of Mis-
souri. Is the interieE of the new seaboard,
70 reinstate their own interests. and ia
siil equity into the practice of the gov
ernmsnt."