Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-02-18
The Pacific Railroad Protect.
WAsnrSoroN, Jan. 20, 1873

WAsniNGroN, Jan. %, 1888.
The past week in Congress has been
fruitful in Legislative projects, some Of
which are new and important. The Pa.
cifc Railroad bill, reported from the Sc.
lect committee a the Senate, is n Of
the most important. The details Of the
bill are difieren, from those Of any bill
for the same object heretofore brought for
ward. The bill is based upon tho princi.
pie that II provides for a military road,
and is, therefore, within the Constitution
al power of the Federal Government;
and it provides for direct ~pecuniary aid
in its construction from the Government,
In the form Of United States bonds, bear.
ing five per cent. interest, which will, no
doubt, be negotiable atior above par. ga
The bill authorizes the President of
the United States to enter into a contract
or contracts for the transportation of mails,
troops, seamen, munitions of war, army
and navy supplies, and all other Govern
ment service. by railroad, from a point on
the Missouri river between the mouths Of
the Big Sioux and Kansas rivers, to San
Francisco, in the State Of California, on
the most eligible route. reference being
had to feasibility, shortness, and economy.
The road is to be completed within ten
years, and the contract for mail transpor;
tn,ion thence, daily, bsth ways, is to be
made for twenty years after the compile
ton Of the road, and at a rate per annum
not exceeding five hundred dollars per
mile. AT the expiration of a certain time,
the road is to be transferred to the sever
al States which may hereafter be formed
out of the Territories thro' which it may
pass.
Public lands to the extent of twenty
miles on each side of The road are 10 be
stt apart IN alternate sections, for the
purpose Of the contractors, with the ex-
ception Of mineral lands III the State Vi
California. .. I'd. ffrr.
The President is authorized and Jirec-
ted, so soon as one section Of twenty-five
miles of said road is made and put into
successful operation, 10 cause TO be ISSUED
to said contracting party bonds of the
United States, bearing not exceeding FIVE
per cen,um per annum interest which
~interes, shall be payable semi-annually,
and the principal payable nineteen years
from the date of their issue, to the amount
Of twelve thousand five hundred dollars
for each mile of the same; and, in like
manner, when another section Of twenty
five miles is made and put into successful
operation, an equal amount of bonds shall
be issued and delivered to said contracting
party and so with each succeeding Sec
ton, until the whole road shall have been
completed: Provided, That the entire
amount Of bonds hereby authorized to be
issued on account of said road shall in no
event exceed. in the aggregate, the sum
Of twenty-five millions of d%u.lars; it being
) the intent of this act to advance 10 the
contracting party twelve thousand five
hundred dollars for each mile OF road
completed and put into successful opera
ton: which sum of money thus advanced,
together with the interest thereon. is to
: be repaid to the United States by the sand
, contracting party, in the transportation
. and service provided for in this act.
The bill is well guarded, by variou:
provisions, for the purpose of binding the
] contractors TO their engagements. The
r contractors are to deposit the suIn of hal
a million of dollars, in United States Sc
. ~curities, as a pledge for the fuliilment O.
the contract.
Explorations, made under the authority
Of the United States, have shown tina
= the railroad project is not impractlcabls
however difficult it may be. There ar,
0 parties who will undertake the work, cal
culating, no doubt, upon further aid il
future from the Government than the bill
proposes, should ii become necessary.
Should it ever become necessary TO
the United States Government 10 defen
q the Pacific coast, in time of war with
!. naval power. the whole cost of the roa
would be more than saved TO the Unite
States in the reduction Of the expense O
transporting 10 that coast troops and mu
r nitions of war. The Isthmus route cat
not be entirely relied upon, until we sha
have a navy that would be able to cop
is with the chief naval powers Of the world
o, Instead of expending two or three hur
dred millions for the creation aud matt
;fnance Of q navy, a third par. of the su,
~ would secure an uninterrupted commun
cation between the Atlantic and the Pa
70 cific, within our WI territory. 4
II that portion vi the continent lyin
. ives, of the Rocky mountains is to be pr,
Nh served to the Union, it would seem hi
ne a communication by railroad and tell
$; graph is not 10 be dispensed wllh.-IPas
nd mgioa States. ...
New ORLEANS, Jan. 25.-The Tel
nessee from Vera Cruz on the 2lst h
arrived. The country is in a compile