Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-27
DIR. c,vln,s Paelfle Railroad Ban.


the special committee on the subject Of q
railroad to the Pacific, reported Jan. 10th
the following bill, which was made the
special order for the first Monday in Feb
ruary:
A BILL to authorize the President of the
United States to contract for carrying
the United States mails, troops, sailors,
seamen, the supplies Of the army and
navy, and all other government trans
portatiOn by railroad, from the Missouri
river to San Francisco, in the State of
California.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives Of the United States of
America, in Congress assembled, That
the President of the United States be, aud
he is thereby, authorized and directed to
enter into n contract, or contracts, for the
transportation of mails, troops, scamen,
munitions Of war, army and navy supplies,
and all other government service, by rail
road from 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,
shortncss and economy.
SEC. And be it further enacted, That
the President shall cause advertisements
to be inserted in two newspapers in each
State and Territory and in the District Of
Columbia, for period of not less than
three nor more than six months, inviting
sealed proposals for the construction Of
said railroad, and for performing the SER
vice herein required, as follows:
First-The time in which it is proposed
to construct and finish the entire road
and put the same into successful opera
tiOn, which period shall not exceed ten
years from the execution Of the contract !;
also what extent and portion Of said road,
beginning at the eastern and western ter
minus and progressing continuously until
finished, shall be completed and put in
operation during each and every year.
Sccond-Thc time in which said party
will surrender said road, with rolling
stock and all its appurtenanccS thcreunto
belonging, to the United States, for the
purpose of being transferred to the sever
al States which may hereafter be formed
out Of the Territories through which it
may pass, as herein provided.
Third-At what rate per mile per an
mum, not exceeding five hundred dollars,
it is proposed to carry the United States
mails daily, both ways. on said road un-
der the direction Of the Post Office De
parmcnt, for the period Of twenty years
from the completion of the road, and also
for the portion thereof which may be in
use while said road is in the course OF
construction; and ut what rate per mile,
for like period, upon each section as it is
completed it is proposed to carry ON said
road, under the direction of the proper
departments, all military and naval sup
plies, troops, scamcn, passengers and
ircights of all kinds for government pur-
poses, with the limitation that the price
to be paid shall not, in any event, either
Of peace or Of war, exceed the sum which
in time of peace has been heretofore paid
for similar service Of equal amount upon
any existing route. After the expiration
Of said contract, said transportation, post,
al, military, naval, and for every other
government purpose, shall be performed
on said road, under the direction Of the
proper departments, for reasonable prices,
not exceeding those paid on other first
class railroads, to be ascertaincd by Con-
gress, in the event Of disagreement be-
tween the government and the contraS-
tors or owners of said road.
SEC. 8. And belt further enacted, That
said proposals shall bc opened by the
President, after due notice, in the pres
cnce Of his Cabinet and such persons as
may choose to attend; and he is hereby
authorized and directed to enter into u
contract for the transportation provided
for in this act with the party whose pro-
posal shall be by him deemed most advan-
tagcous to the United States for the full
and complete performance Of said contract
in compliance with the provisions Of this
act. And the party with whom said con-
tract may be made, as q guarantee for
the faithful performance Of the same, shall
deposit with the Secretary Of the IreaSu.
ry the sum Of five hundred thousand dol
lars, or the value thereof in bonds or GER
tifcatcs Of stock Of the United States,
which may be subsequently withdrawn
in sums of ten thousand dollars, as the
work progresses, on production of voueh-
crs showing, to the satisfaction of the See
retary of the Treasury, that an amount
equal thereto has been expended in the
construction of said road. All questions
of damages and forieiturcS by reason OF
any breach of said contract shall be de-
tcrmined by the express terms and con-
ditiOns Of the same; provided, that this
act shall be taken and considered as part
of any contract that may be made in &C,
cordance with its provisions, in like man.
ncr as if the same was set forth in said
contract
SEC. 4. And be further enacted, That,
in consideration Of the stipulationS aud
undertakings in said contract, there shall
be, and is hereby, appropriated and set
apart quantity Of the public lands equal
to the alternate sections, for the space oi
twenty miles on each side Of said road,
from its eastern to its western terminus
to be selected from the sections designated
in the public surveys by odd numbers,
and in all cases where the United States
may have disposed of said lands or any
part thereof, or from any cause cannot con-
vey legal title thereto, the deficiency
may be made up from any unoceupicd
and unappropriated public lands within q
distance Of forty miles on either side d
said road; provided that all mineral lands
within the State Of California be aud the
same are hereby excluded from the oper-
alton of this act, and in lieu thereof u like
quantity of unOccupied and unapprcPria'
ted agricultural lands nearest to the line
Of the road through said mineral lands
may be selected in alternate sections,
SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That