Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-01-27
The Pacific Railroad.


On motion Of Mr. J. Clancy Jones, Of Pennsyl-
vania, the House of Representatives went into COM
mttee of the whole on Wednesday last, and resum.
ed the consideration of the Presidents annual mes
sage. Eleven resolutions were adopted referring diff
ferent portions of the message to different commit
tees but the twelfth and last resolution of the
ries relating to the proposed Pacific Railroad elicit
ed some discussion, and the vote taken on it by
yeas and nays. The resolution is as follows:
" ResOl0ed, That so much of the Presidents mes
sage and accompanying documents as relates to
Pacific railroad be referred to select committee Of
fifteen, with power to report by bill otherwise"
Considerable debate took place on this resolution
1t was regarded as involving the merits Of the ques
ton, and vote in favor of it regarded vote
committing the member to the proposed road
Mcssrs Letcher, Smith, and Millson, of Va, and
others, spoke briefly in opposition to it, and several
members spoke in favor of it. Among other things
Mr.. Letcher, Democrat, said: .-r.. = .--
Nov, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Ben
netl is ready to 60 for any line, but he does not
know which is the best line. And he proposes the
constitution of committee here of so many from
one section, and many from another section, and
many FROM a third section; and he says the re-
suit will be that these sections will be brought into
harmony, and that the best line will necessarily be
adopted. Now do not think that follows by any
But whether 1t will or will not Il avow very
frankly, SO far as l am concerned that my purpose
is TO defeat any railroad whether it is presidential
railroad or any body else's railroad. I AN opposed
to the Recommendation Of the President upon this
subject and unalterably opposed to it;
and trust, when the occasion offers, shall have
opportunity to give the reasons in details for that
opposition.
While am opposed to his scheme, am opposed
to any scheme that will involve this government in
any way whatever in internal Improvements upon
the magnificent scale which such q scheme as this
proposes. l do not believe the money is here now
to build one line of road but believe, in order to
get one some gentlemen upon this floor would be
willing to involve the country in the expense ofcon
structng three.
And, sir besides all this it seems to me to be
most remarkable doctrine, that you can commence
the construction at the western border of the States
and it to the eastern border of California and
be within the Constitution; and yet you cannot
make foot of railroad from the capital here to the
point where you begin on the western border, with
out violating the Constitution by going through the
States Now, sir, if it is military road if it is in
dspensable for military purposes if it is necessary
to carry troops; and if the government has the pow
er to construct that military road, where is the lin.
itaton in the Constitution to regulate the point at
which it shall begn and declare that it shall begin
in the Territories and shall 60 through the States?'
The resolution was adopted by the following vote:
YEAs-Messrs. Abbott, Adrain Anderson, An
drews, Avery, Barksdale, Billinghurst Bingham,
Bishop, Blair, Bliss Bowie, Brayton, Bryan, Butfn-
ton, Burlingame Burns. Burroughs, Campbell, Case,
Chaffee, Ezra Clark, John B. Clark, Clawson, Clay,
Clark B. Cochrane, John Cochrane, Cockerell, Col
fax, Comins Corning Covode, Cox, Cragin, James
Craig. Curtis, Damrell, H. Winter Davis, John G.
Davis, Timothy Davis Of Mass, Timothy Davis Of
Iowa, Dawes, Dean Dewart, Dick, Dodd, Durfee,
Elliott, English, Farnsworth, Foster, Giddngs Gill
renee w. Hall, Robt B. Hall, Harlan, Thomas L.
Harris, Hatch, Horton, Howard, Huyler, Kellogg,
Kelsey, Kilgore, Knapp, Laney, Leach, Leidy, Love
joy, Maclay, Humphrey Marshall, Samuel S. Mar
shall, Maynard, Miller, Montgomery, Morgan, Nor
r Edward Joy Morris Efssmsn H. Morse Sc Oliver
mer, Parker, Pendleton, Petit, Phelps Phillips Pike,
Potter, Pottle, Purviance, Ready, Reagan, Ricaud,
Robbins, Roberts, Royce, Russell, Sandidge,
Scott, Soaring, Seward, Aaron Shaw, John Sherman,
Judson W. Sherman, Robert Smith, Spinner, STAN
ton, William Stewart. Tappan, George Taylor, Miles
Wade, Waldron, Walton, Ward, Warren, Cadwala-
der G. Washburn, Elihu B. Washburne, Israel
Washburne, Watkins, Wilson, Wood, Wootlson, and
Wortendyke-136.
-Messrs. Bennett, Bocock, Boyce Branch,
Burnett, Caskie, Chapman, Horace F. Clark, Cling
man. Cobb, Burton Craige, Crawford, Curry, Da.
wilson, Dowdell, Edmundson, Faulkner, Florence,
Foley, Garnett, Gartrell, Hawkins, Hickman, Hill,
Hoard, Hopkins, Houston, jackson, jenkins, G. W.
Jones' J. CLANCY Jones, o. Jones, Kelly Keitt, Kun
ke, Letter, Let cher, Mcqueen, Mason. Miles. MILL
son, Moore, Peyton, Powell, Quitman, Reilly, Ruffn,
Scales, Henry M. Shaw, Shorter Singleton, William
Smith. Stallworth, Stephenson James A. Stewart
Trppe, Walbridge, Whitley, Winslow, and John V.
Wright-60.
Messrs. Branch, Cngman, Craige, Rufin, Scales
Shaw, and Winslow of this State voted against it,
together with the delegations from Virginia and
South Carolina. Mr.. Glner was not present, hav-
ing been called home by domestic affection.
The constituents of these gentlemen WILL we doubt
not, sustain their course on this subject with one
voice.
JUST AND SENSIBLE OBsERvATIoNs.-That sterling