New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-31
INTERCOURSE WITH CALIFORNIA AND
OREGON.

INTERCOURSE WITH CALIFORNIA AND
OREGON.
Editorial Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Saturday, March %, 1856.
If the Reman Republic, in the darkest daysef
its ruthless Paganism, had conquered and annexed
fertile and gorgeous region beyond the Lybsa
Desert, yet had neglected for ten years to connect
that region with its earlier possessions by sub
stantial, practicable highway have no doubt that
this neglect would have subjected it to the grave
rebuke of its historians from POlybius to Arnold.
Yet it is now nearly ten years since the American
flag has waved in undisputed ascendancy over the
modern Ophr, yet it remains to this hour separ.
ated from the Atlantic States by dreary inhospit-
able desert, the haunt of the wolf and the
savage, which few hardy pioneers annually ira
verse with their families and herds at the cost Of
infinite peril and suffering losing whole IN
journey which might be completed in ten days,
and should be at furthest in thirty. To-day, tho
letter of a miner in Nevada, pioneer on Pugets
Sound, to his wife in Iowa or Missouri, must travel
some distance westward, then voyage far south.
ward, next cross the Isthmus of Darien in foreign
and semi-barbarous country, thence take another
voyage ENTHUSIASTICALLY to New-York, and now
start sfresh on overland trip OF twelve to fifteen
hundred miles north by west 10 it's destination.
making o circuit of some six or seven thousand
miles to overcome distance Of less than two
thousand. And there is no more need of tnaversing
this immense circuit than of sending letters TO
Siberia on their way to Liverpool
One of the earliest and most practical sugges-
tODs for an overland route and mail to California
and Oregon was that of Mr.. H. O'Reilly the tels-
grapher. He petitiOned Congress to have the u.
S. dragoons employed in building stockades at dis
tanees of twenty miles each from Weston or indie
pendence (Mo.) TO the nearest settlement In Cal
ifornia-each stockade to contain accommodations
for twenty men and their horses. A patrol from
each would meet one from that on either side daily,
receiving and delivering letter mail, so that each
post would daily give the hand to that on either
side of it, and the mere failure so to connect would
be q signal of savage hOstties, which would
be Immediately passed along the whole line,
followed by concentration of force on
the point assaied. Each post would inevitably sf-
ford generous market for the sale Of vegetables,
game, forage, &C., at the same time affordng pro-
lection TO settlers around it; while the road daily
traversed by the mailcarrying patrols would newt
ably be improved and constantly rendered more and
more practicable Protection being thus vouchsafed.
Mr. O'Reily offered to construct telegraph limo
along the whole route forthwith, asking no grant OF
money or land from the Government, but finding
associates willing TO embark in the enterprise with
hope of gain. Congress could never be induced
10 act on this project, though can imagine none
less Objectionable.
There are now three bills before the Senate
looking to the establishment Of an Overland Mail
to the Pacific. They are
l. Mr. WELLER's-proposing that the p. N.
General shall advertise for weekly mail to be
conveyed in four-horse post-coaches from the Mis-
sissippi River to San Francisco in nineteen days
the first year and seventeen for three years there
after-said mail no. to exceed three hundred pounds
in weight wilhou. extra compensation, and not TO
cost more than $250,000 per annum The con-
tractors to choose their own road, (Which is to DO
protected by military posts at the points most ex-
posed TO savage attack, aud to be allowed $l5O,sOo
from the Treasury, to be expended in making
trip at all times practicable.
2. Mr.. BRowN's-proposipg to incorporate
company to build railroad and telegraph to Cali
fornia south Of latitude go and, as an incitement
to build it, giving to the cOrporators thirty (me
square) sections of land for each mile in length oil
the road; also, $1,000 per mile az loan, TO bc
secured by frat mortgage,) wherewith to purchase
the iron; also, $500 per mile per annum for car
ryipg the mails thereon until the work shall be
completed and for ten years thereafter; also, tho
right of way for width of four hundred feet
3. Mr.. WELLERs Railroad and Telegraph bill
proposing to give a company twelve miles Ia wldfA
&c tha puhI;c 7 .n1a and Cog 0a0 mar mile "a