The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1858-12-23
FROM he DstfoiI free Pree
Plan for a Pacific Hallway.

Plan for a Pacific Hallway.
! Our attention has been drawn 10 a con-
munication in the Montreal Ga-e.ie OF u re-
/ cent date. evidently the product Of a person
Of practical ability who las critically can
yassed his subject. embracing q plan Tor an
! International Atlantic and Pacific Railway.
( The writer assumes that any line, whether
| ii bc through the British possessions or the
I territory OF the United States. will be built
with British capital, and that thetelorc if
there shall be competing lines British capi.
,ai will be pitted against British capital.
/ Hence the route first chosen should be the
shortest and most direct, the most easily
built, operated and maintained, and at the
same time the most populoas, and, at all
SEASONS. the most practicable ; it should 'eu-
! list the largest amount OF friendly, ard dis
arm the largest amount of hostile interests,
and it should be shown, incontcstably, that.
when built not only would the road
be free from competition, but that com.
petition wouH be mpo,s,bie.' He estimates
that the enterprise would absorb G30.000,-
600, or Sl5000O 900 Of capital but great
as this amount is that il the best route shall
be chosen, the investment si yield salts
factory dividends. He argues that if the
exclusive British line were at oucc built
through Canadian territory to the Red
River, and proved to be- a successful opera.
ton, it would only act US an incentive to
the construction OF an exclusive American
line, and British capital would in both cases,
be the creative aud conflicting power and
the result would be that neither line would
pay. His plan, in brief, for a single inter
national line is as follows:
That an Atlantic and Pacific Railway
Company should he organized and incorpor.
ated by act Of the Canadian Parliament TO
be confirmed, if necessary, by the British
Government, and sanctioned, diploma,ically,
by the government Of the United States
That the governments OF Great Britain
and the United States should guaranty re-
spectively three per cent. upon the cost OF
the whole road, in proportion to the mile.
age IN their respective territories.
The the new company should acquire, as
the first section Of its road, the present
Grand Trunk Railroad Of Canada, with its
dependencies, commencing at Portland, in
the State Of Maine, passing through that
State, by the Victoria bridge to Montreal,
thence to Sarna thence by u corresponding
bridge to Port Huron, in the State OF Mich
igan, thence to Detroit from Detroit 10
Chicago in Illinois, from thence 10 st.
Paul. Minnesota. from thence to Pcmblna,
from Pembina to Fort Garry on the Red
River. and from thence TO the forks OF the
Saskatchewan. Here the writer would
await the result OF the important eyplora-
practicable line 10 the shores Of the Pacific"
lie would make common cause with the
American system OF railways extending con
tinuously, or nearly 80, from Sarnia to st.
Paul in Minnesota. Some would gladly
incorporate themselves in the grand design,
Others might be acquired by lease, as in the
case Of the Atlantic aud st. Lawrence, now
forming part OF the Grand Trunk. 1t
would be the business Of the new company
TO cqnalize the gauge and to relay the rails :;
and it may be- presumed that the State
Legislatures would give every facility to
secure TO themselves the immense and i'm
mediate benefits proposed by the opera
ton
Upon this plan aud this line, the road is
already more than half built The conDcc
ton Of Halifax. by the way OF Qucbtc,
would be matter OF course, and lines which
would connect Boston. New York, Phiia
drIphia, &c &c, ut various points, are al
ready constructed. Among the effects OF
this great line, the enthusiastic writer anti
eipates, would bc to make Chicago an
eastern emp0rium-the distributing pom,
from whence the products Of Japan aud
the far Cathay would take water, and be
ircm hence borne through the Lakes and
the great ~. Lawrence To the American
seaboard aud the ports OF Europe In Ike
manner, ~. Paul in Minnesota, woad be,
come the great eastern distributing cmpo-
rum for the MISsI~lppi and its tributaries,
from the Falls OF ST. Anthony 10 New Or
leans. II would lead to the enlargement Of
the Wellaud canal AMI 10 the construction Of
the Caughnawaga canals. Ii wcu i aug
meut the trade ol Detroit AID restore the
trade of Buffalo. and make Toronto. Mon
trcal, Ouch c, and PortIaud anticipate their
destinles 10y a hundred years.
Without at all discussing. W any OF It's
asrects, this plan, We may safely say that 1t
deserves consideration III the United states