The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-01-05

noAeok xllAaA -1El4m inkA~ya~1 Ails1aAs
We lssrn that The committee sppciatsd
e66HA. daye ago Il 81. Louis to make . sur
yey cl&ks Rock Island bridge with view
lhn46 action against that very imeortant
wosk, sesers engaged yesterday in lAe task
aseiR0Sd them.
Tie object Of the parties engage IN Mis-
crusade a1ainst the Rock Island ridge is
evideAtly TO bring the subject befete Con.
eress. They are certainly too wise 70 sub.
ject themselves to On inevitable loss 9 time
aud money and an equally Inevitable dsiest.
to again take the su61ect into cooFt. want
they hope to accomplish is to get an act 81
Congress in relation % ohstructing naviga-
bls wafer courssss in, s,ioss tarsns AZ. will an
sure the abatement Of The bridge in question
and prevent the construction 81 oehere.
Something OF this kind was attempted at
the llst session, but the osershsdowinG Im-
portAncs OF other Subjects then before Con-
sess, or the little faith which the movers
had in the success OF their measufA proven
led it, being pressed to final aclten, We
are much mistaken, however, II - ateq
is not to be repeated thia wt9eess 80 pteyea
With q holder hand than 4 Wa6 be1ors.
We call attention the sIlateaeo u sseh
an intention at this early 1ays that the oppo.
nen.s Of narrow minded leglslation nay e
put on their guard in tims 70 dsfsatit. The
railroad interest Of this countIy b closely
linked with the agricultural and nanufacte'
ring interests, and the contemplate nose.
ment aims blow At The whole. kAilfoeda
arc being pushed into every saaEtss Of tns
land. Our navigabls slresna ass annually
becoming less and les reliable % channels
OF commerce and VI transit. and the necee-
sity for railroads becomes correepondingiy
greater. Shall the greater be made to give
way to the less? Shall our great lines 4
road, connecting the interior Of our aide
continent with the seaboard. be broken up
into disjointed fragments, not because
bridges ere an sctusl obstruction to navigt.
ton, but because Of the jeslcusies OF river
men, and Of those river towns and cities
which would monopoliss the commerce Of
the country, but which have not the energy
Or the enterprise to build roads for them
selves!. Shall the products oflhe country
be forced TO break bulk q every watsr course
they may be compelled to crosa while on
the way to an ultimate market, the cost Of
al Of which must fall upon the producing
classes! These are some Of the questions
involved in the proposed legislation. and
they throw not light responsibility upon
the shoulders III those Legislators who are 70
determine the matter.
The subject ID one which anects not mere
" the line Of road which ID accommodated
By the Rock Island Bridge. It equally al.
fects every line from the seaboard to ths
West and every other line which points 70.
wards . navigable stream. Every road
leading from Chicago to the Mississippi and
the Hissouri Rivers is equally interested
with the Rock Island and the Mississippi
and Missouri roads, for sooner or later the
commerce which win spring up along then
wili compel the bridging Of those rivera. OF
else subject the people Of the interior to an
immense cost. All the roads leading out
ofNew York and Boston are likewise inte-
rested. There i . project now on foot to
bridge the Hudson At Albany-another to
bridge the Niaeesa at Buffalo. and inmtmer-
able oths, IKE projects are either already in
existeSce. or only dormant until awaked TO
acUse life by the necessities of growing
commerce. In short. every railroad upon
the continent, and every citizen who ID 81.
reetly Or indirectly interested in their cheap
and rapid working, has asitsl interest in de-
feating the proposed legislation which We
have referred to. Let these vast interests
be on the alert. and see that they are moi
sacEfncsd to narrow minded and selfish spi-
nt Which dog-in-the Munger like, will mel
th1s ~ mp to the requirements Of the age,
nor permit others to do So CAiccoo Press.