The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-15
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION.
SENATE
WASHINGTON, Dec. II.

Mr.. HoUsToN. of Texas, appeared in his seat
Mr.. HALE offered petition of citizens of New
Hampshire praying the establishment of Common
School Education in the Navy, and libraries on
board ships oi-war.
Mr.. RICE introduced bill to aid in the construc-
tion of railroads to the Pacific.
Mr.. RICE gave notice of bill for the organization
of Dacotah Territory.
Mr.. lvEGSoN offered a resolution charging the
Committee on Claims to six members. After some
debate the resolution was not adopted
Mr.. Mason introduced bill to equalize the COM
pensation of the Ministers to France and ENGLAND
from July, 1888, to January, 1857.
Mr.. BRoDERICE gave notice of bill for the estab-
hshment of line Of telegraph to the Pacific: also
a bill to establish line of steamers from San
Francisco to China via the Sandwich Islands and
Japan.
The consideration of the Pacific Railroad bill
was resumed.
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi, offered an amendment
which he intended to propose as a substitute for
the bill reported by the majority of the Special
Committee. The amendment proposes that Gov
ernment shall advertise for proposals for the carry
ing OF the mails, munitions of war, troops &C.. bv
railway between the States ofthe Atlantic and Pa
cifc; appropriates alternate sections of the public
land for miles each side of the road to aid in its
construction, one-half Of said land to be sold and
Internationally conveyed by the contractors in
wears, and the remaining half within 10 years. pro-
videS that the contractors shall locate the route
and furnish survey to the Presidents: Slpulates that
the roads shall be divided into sections Of - miles
each, and when section shall be COMPLETED patents
shall be issued for three-iOurths of the land per
tanning to that section, the remaining fourth being
retained as security for the completion of the sue
ceeding section; authorizes the President to make
contracts for 20 wears for carrying the mails mill
tary stores, troops, &c, at rates not EXCEEDING
those which the Government would have to paw bv
any existing mode of transportation; appropriatcR
SlO,Ouo,OO0 to aid in the construction Of the work
upon certain guarantees and conditions: provides
that no dividends shall be paid to Stockholders
until the advance shall be repaid to the United
States: provides that the United States Govern
ment shall take possession of the road, and revokes
all grants of land and money in case of any failure
tpertormance on the part of the contractors
Mr. Mason with view of testing the strength
OF this measure moved to lay the bill and amend
ments on the table. The yeas and nays were Or
dered and resulted as follows:
leas-NleSsrs. Allen, Bates, Bayard, Benjamin,
Brown, Cameron, Clay, Cngman, Crttendcn,
Fitzpatrick, Hamlin. Hammond Houston, Hunter,
lverson, johnson. of Tenn; Mason, Pearce Reid,
Sebastian, Sldell, Thomson, of New Jersey; and
TOOmbs-23
,Nays-Messrs Bell, Bigler, Bright, Brodericb
Chandler Clark, Collamer, Davis, Dixon, Doottle
Durkee, FcsSenden, Fitch Foot. Foster, Green
Gwin, Harlan, Jones, Kennedy. King, Polk, Rice,
Seward, Shields, Simmons Stuart, TrumbuU
Wade Ward, Wilson and Wright-32
Yeas 81 nays 3d. SO the Senate refused TO Law
the bill on the table,
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi, now addressed the Sen
ate in support of his amendment. In hi, orinion
the Senate could not agree upon any route that
would ne enllrelN acceptaOle to the country, and
he therefore desired to leave it to the contractors
The question of the location of the road if aritatcd
in Congress would become political question.
When capitalists came forward to invest their mo
ney in work of this kind, they would as matter
of interest," discard all political and sectional
questions, and fix upon the best route 1t was alb
soutely necessary that there should be a railway
to the Pacific States, as without it the Government
could not render her Pacific possessions that pro
lection to which they were entitled un-
der the Constitution. In case of war
all the present avenues to California and OrrrOn
would be closed, and it would be matter of abso-
lutte impossibility to transport an army across the
desert to those States. 1t would be impossible TO
perform our duty of defence without the construc-
tion of the road, and this alone furnished the CON
stitutOnal power. His amendment only proposad
an advance of SlO0O0,000, and to prevent the
chance Of the road falling into the hands of the
Government, he had arranged that this sum was
to be repaid out Of its net profits and not from its
gross receipts. The consideration of the transpor
tation of the mails, troops, &C., was ample for the
aid rendered by the Government.
He reiterated the opinion that he believed it would
be impossible for Congress to determine the route
and wished it to be where nature had fixed it, The
location was in fact an immaterial affair inasmuch
as lines would radate from the territories in every
direction North and South, and every section would
share in the common benefit.
Government aid was necessary, because part Of
the road must pass through desert country which
never could be cultivated and hence no induce
ments offered to private capital to build on
that portion He had fixed the land grants at the
lowest possible figure and so shaped his amendment
as to remove all political difficulties and leave the
construction and selection of route to capitalists
Mr.. GREEN offered an amendment that the East
terminus should be somewhere between the
mouth Of the Big Sioux river and Fort Smith, in
Arkansas.
Mr.. DooITTLE thought the best route would be
from breckenridge, the Missouri Road to Pu-
gets Sound, and thence down to San Francisco
Mr.. BRowN thought it would be better to Law the
wi "a l.
impossible in two months to consider the mutiplic-
ty of propositions that offered. He expected
in his day to see railroad built to the Pacific but
it would be by private capital and not by the Gov
ernment. Aid from Government would kill it.
lie said this as a sincere friend of the
enterprise. 1t took the lifetime and the
persevering efforts of great man like Mr.. Clav to
get n little turnpike built from Cumberland TO
Wheeling. Constant charges of corruption and
mlsmanagement were made, one party succeeded
another IN favor, appropriations sometimes
made and sometimes withheld, and this would be
the history of the Pacific Railroad if Government
had ANYTHING to do with it. If the subject was ct
alone by Government, capitalists would be found
to build it at the proper time and in the proper
manner. He would go so far TO say that he
would favor grant of land by Congress to any
party who would commence the road and authorize
contracts for carrying the mails &C., when it
was completed.
Mr.. IyERsoN, opposed Mr. DoolittIe's amend
ment, as it would exclude the South from any
chance of having the territories.
Mr.. Polk suggested that the terminus mipbt be
fixed somewh here between the 32nd and 49th para-
lels of latitude.
Mr.. lvERsoN was satisfied with the PROPOSITIONS
His only object to prevent the exclusion of the
route along the 32d parallel. Texas had gran ted
lands literally for the construction of road along
that route, company had been formed and the
work would certainly be pushed ahead and the
road built
Mr.. FooTE favored the Pacific Railroad and has
always voted for every bill presented in the Senate
in its favor. The subject had been very carefully
studied by Mr.. GwIN, who had matured bill by
which he had avoided all constitutional questions
The substitute which he had offered last session
was not designed by him to come in conflict with
this bill and had been drawn up under circum-
stances which did not now exist.
Mr.. FoOTE continued at considerable length in
support of the measure.
Mr.. GREEN said if capitalists were to construct n
road themselves, they might well be left to select
the route, but when Government was called upon to
assist, it its duty to decide the location and
not transfer that responsibility to interested parties
If the public will could not concentrate itself on any
one route, the public will was not prepared for the
construction ofthe road.
Mr.. WILSON moved postponement of the sub
ject till Monday next to enable the Senate to ex-
anime the various propositions.
Mr.. Mason thought the subject could not be IN ade
integibe, and that il was better to 90 on and get
through as soon possible.
Mr.. GwIN objected to any delay.
Mr. DAVIS moved N chan0n