Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-22
For the True Democrat. The Pacific Railroad and our Senators.

thus crticising their votes, or at least portion of them, are laboring under a misconception as to the reasons for said vote and when they know and fully understand the facts in regard to and the situation of the question, with all of it's surroundings, they will indorse and sus- tain their action.
 In order to arrive at full understanding of this matter l propose giving a history of the railroad bill as reported to the Senate this ses. sion, taken from the debates they appear in the Congressional Globe It is true, the ex- tracts shall make from the speeches of various Senators are lengthy, to arrive at a complete understanding of the question made necessarily so; but will be found in the main of interest to your readers.
 The bill was reported by MT. Gwin of Cali fornia, chairman of the special committee on the Pacific railroad, and provides that the east ern terminus of the road shall be on the Mis- Sioux and Kansas rivers. A reference to the map will show this is at least two hundred and fifty miles north of Fort Smith; that is to say from the farthest point sonth proposed by the bill. The contractors are to make the selections of the route upon which they are to build the road, starting at any point on the Missouri river as above designated.
 On the 9th of April the bill was taken up for consideration by the Senate, when Mir. Gwin of California gave synopsis of it, and the req sons why the committee had selected a ter minus so far north.
 April l4th the Senate resumed the consid- eration of the bill, when the clerk read the first section of the bill as follows:
 B. n enactel by the Seaate ant House of Rep reseatatices of t4e United States of Anle,1ca ia Compress assembled, That the President of the United States be and he is hereby, authorized and directed to enter into contract for the transportation of the mails, troops seamen, mu- uitious of war, army and navy supplies, and all other government service, by railroad, from a point on the NJ s>ouri river between the mouths of the Big Soux and Kansas rivers, to San Francisco, in the State of California, on the most eligible route, reference being had to feasl- ] bllity, ShOrneSs, and ecor Omy.
 Mr. GREEN I move to amend the first section by striking out commencing in the seventh ljnc and ending in the eighth, the fol-. the following words: a point on the Missouri river between the mouths of the Big Sioux and Kansas rivers" ani inserting the mouth of the Kansas river" The object of making the motion Is to fix the point definitely by act of ! Congress rather. than 10 leave it uncertain, de- pending either upon the contractors or upon the executive department. prefer that the ra ! spOns Ul.tv should be taken by Congress itself 1 believe it to be the dutv of Congress 70 take that responsibility, not to transfer 1t to rhe eX- i ecntve department, nor even to leave f 70 the ' option of the contracting parties. l name tEn mouDh ot the Kansas river because 1t is central to the whole Union; 1t gives no advantage to 1 the south or to the north. and while it is as am free 10 admit, benefit to the State of Mis- sour, yet i: results from the peculiar location ] of Missouri am also free to admit that | 1 feel the more aaxetv upon that subject because NJ ssouri k my own s rate. These partialities | and preiuiices in favor Of our own arc natural: : ! but while they influence me to that extent, think lisinterestcd men, looking at ths subject with reference to its bearing on the whole Union. will see that if we are tn have but ore road this is the only fair point at which 1t should start on the Missouri rlyer. If you 20 higher north it is preiudcial to the south; if YOU % further south it IS prejulcial to th. north To fix 1t at h's point is fair Is equal is just: and when the return trade from the rich shores of the Pacific reaches the mouth of Kansas river. 1t will radate to al parts Of the Union Wherever the inducements are best and greatest there the trade will center. need not amplfv and enlarge upon this proposition It is plain and simple The geography of the country is understood by all Senators Its adoption to | .l. al
 at the first glance; hence leave it for the con- 1 sdnraton of the Senate.
 Mr DOUGLAS. I regret tha. am con- strained to Ai~~ent from the proposition of mv f~e,d from NJ .ssouri. The month of the Plate river was or -iualiy dcsi igrated bv inc committee a> the starting poirtof this road: but ina>mu~h a> there WAS a diversity of op,nior as to whether t should he the mouth or the Platte. ar a lrtlo above or a lit'e below; aud inasmnch a- tha~e were mruy railroads already in rrorrn,s across Iowa avd across Mi~sonri. which. hv Erle ronvar-ence, would reach the main lma, it was thought hest, aud t was lone on my own mo- tinn. to strike ont the mouth of the Pla+tc.r ! and insert, " a lont between the mouths nf the | Biz Sioux and Kansas rivers" I do not thin k it would be right DOW to limit it to the mouth | If the kanstS IT we were to limit if to any one pai0t, -honll say the mouth of the Platte | which is about half way between these two rivers But 1 am willing o leave t as the bill lnaves 1.-the staiting poirt on the Missouri river to be hetwecn the mouths of the Rig Soux and the ka"sas, a' q to be selected hv fhc contractors. l am not willing to say that the line shall start from the particular point in . diclted hv the Sara or from Missouri Ithinl1 we had better leave it as it stands in the hll-- I believe it is safer. All these considerations were taken into view hv the committees wh,n we agreed upon the language in the bill as it now stands.
 MT. JONES. merely wish to say few wor's in accordance with what inc Senator from Illinois has said in support of his views think, sir, 1t would be great injustice to the S ate which have the honor in part to repre- sert here, and a still greater one to the s ate of Minnesota and the pew territory which is soon t, he formed. I hope west of Minnesota. to confne the starting point of the road to the mouth of the Kansas river. As the Senator from Illinois has said, if any point were desig- mated in the bill, perhaps it ought to be the mouth of the Platte, though my opinions are decidedly that the mouth of the Big Sioux is the proper point, fl any is 10 be desgnatel which is the northern boundary of the State of Iowa. The mouth of the Big Sioux is on the same parallel of latitude with the South Pass We in the north believe that the road which shall go to the Pacific ocean should run through the South Pass. IL is on about the same para llel with Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany, and Boston. The great commerce of the nor th is upon that line. and always will be, in my opinion; and for that reason l think the road ought not to commence south of the line of the State of Iowa. It ought not to be confined to the State of Missouri. The mouth of the Kan. sas iS within the State of Missouri; the month of the Big Sioux is in the territory of N Nebraska l sincerely hope that the Senate will not adopt
 he motion of my friend from Missouri If i, does, in my opinion it will be fatal to the bill: at ali events it will be injurious to it in great degree. do not believe in legisatng for lo calites. believe in allowing the engineers oi the United States and the contractors to have the say as to where this road shall commence