Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-17

| lawfully rendered to the federal government by
said COMPANY"
| Mr.. Pald~in. OF Va, asked what = aies and
Territories were referred TO in the oppression lin
corparaied and constructed by the authority Of
State and Territorial Legislature"
Nr. cochrauc: Those States and Territories
through which the road may pass.
Mr. Baldwin And what States are expected to
Civ. contribuiionsl
Mr. Cochran: Tn. committee expected that
those States along the line of the railroad and in
the South would be most interested. but they did
MT mean 10 restrict any State from investing
their means IN the construction OF this road if
ihey should think proper Ia do 50.
hr. Baldwin moved the indefinite postpone
ment Of the resolution and amendment, A. u del
egaie from Virginia. he most earnestly protested
against being committed to any scheme by which
States called upon for contributions In build
thu road. II was gigantic scheme. frnught on
ly with mischief. and be though it was in viola.
ton Of the entire policy of Southern politics to
call upon the governments of the States to under
take any such work. II W As u novel scheme,
sprung upon the convention without time for
cons deration and for that reason, he moved it's
indefinite posponement.
Mr. Burwell, of Va. said that as "A friend Of
the South. he felt it to be his duty TO advocate
such practical mea sures that would deyel ope the
power and perpetuate the liberties of the section
90 which he belonged lie considered il impor-
tant that this work Of internal Improvement.
which was to operate as a conduit to carry thr
institutions and people of the South into
and untrodden regions, should he built as soon as
possible. Ifihey acknowledged the power on
the part OF the federal government to construct
this road. then it might designate some other
route which would carry Northern institutions
and people to their new regions. and extinguish
the little power the South now possessed. The
COMMITTEES therefore determined that it WIS un.
wise to confde this work tn tn, General Gov
eminent. but thatit was best for us Ia prevent
that by constructing IL ourselves. 1t was for
the convention To determine how far the sources
of contributions Indicated could be relied on con
sistently with the rights and principles Of the
South He had seen since he had been in the
convention an not Of Louisiana Incorporating
the Pacific Railroad. aud skiing the Suites OF
the South TO become corporatives in the compa.
ny
Mr.. Hubbard. Of Ala. said this resolution did
not nsk n donation of the General Government.
but merely that it should pay by grants of land
for the increase of value the road would give to
tho land that would remain. He thought that
was nothing more than right.
Mr.. Sherrod Clemens, of Va, said that from
the foundation of the general government, the
question of the disposal Of the public lands had
been one Of tho most distracting questions that
had arisen for decision. Tho FIRST proposition
wa. TO distribute the proceeds among the several
states. That had been tried and given up. The
next proposition to cede the lands to the States
in which they were situated. The next to grad
uate their price. and it was reduced in some in
stances to l23 cents acre. But the most dan.
gerous of all the propositions was the ono now
before the convention, and which came first from
Illinois. Iowa aud other western States to grant
tho lands in aid of the construction of Railroads
ON thu plea that the value of the other lands was
inoroa -ed thereby. He referred to the operation
of thu Illinois Central Railroad grant by which
pryntr individuals had realized immense fortunes,
while the u. S. had received comparatively moth
ing. The Illinois Central Railroad had become
fret rate power in tho country. deriving rev
enue uf four millions of dollars year from their
land sales. Aud this was but that scheme mp
Piled to n different section OF the country. lie
agreed that territorial Legislatures had no power
to grant acts of incorporation 10 Railroad com.
pani-.. He thought no harm would result from
postponng the consideration of this subject
while longer.
Mr. Hubbard replied at some length to the ar
gnmrnts of the gentleman from Virginia MIR.
Clemens
Mr. Cochran, Of Ala. said that if he were not
the organ of the committee, he would not enter
into his discussions. The first question was,
shall this road be built or not The next ques-
ton was, how shall ,he road be built As to
the first question, any man who knows anything,
knows that this road must and will be built
Then will the South seize the opportunity and
make tho road their own, will she permit the
North to btlld it. and receive the benefit of it
The South il il obtains any increase and devel-
opmrnt, must find it in the country between here
aud South America, aud this road is the only
means by which to obtain that result Defer ac-
ton upon it, and the North will enter that region
Of country by road of their own, and we will be
excluded. How shall this road be built? Not
by the Federal Government, for it has not the
power and right to build it. II is commended that
tho territorial legislatures have right to grant
the fight of way through the public domain. for
that would be cedng the sovereignty over the
| land. Now they have no power at all. if they
| have not tho power of granting the right of way.
He would not discuss the question as I" their right
| To incorporate II company, though he believed
they had that right. The act of incorporation
could be obtained from any State They must
possess the power to grant the right of way in
order to be able to leeslate for tho best interests
of the citizens of the territory. to enable them to
get to market with their produce in the best
manner possible Now the grant of the right of
| way does not give the sovere gnty of the land
for in all such grants the eminent domain Is in the
! State or Territory; and Congress in giving the
1 territorial legislature the power to legisa'e for
the benefit of the people there, constitutes it its
| agent, and cannot repudiate its acts
Now as to the means for building the road, the
| resolution does not ask the general government
1 to give lands, but to grant them and a grant al
| ways implies a consideration, a contract Con-
gress rs the trustee of these lands has the right
| TO make regulations for increasing tho value Of
! the lands by grants Of this character
Mr.. Baldwin. of Va, asked if the convention
| was called upon to recommend a particular route