Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-06-22

iltlie attehtloh have paid to the subject that the route on the thirty fifth parallel is the best: and if 1t be the best and the cheapest road to be made, why not allow the road to be com menced even still further south than the point have indicated? If you will leave the Exc cutve and contracting parties discretion on the subject, take away the barrier you have in- serted in the bill, and give him the privilege to go down as far as Fort Smith, as low south-as even the Gulf of Mexico. If discretion is to be left to him, let it be such that he can locate It where he shall find the cheapest and best route; but by this bill you compel him to go Up aud locate 1t between the mouth of the Kansas and the Big Sioux. Take away your barrier altogether or else fence 1t up so close that he cannot commence except at one single pont. This Is the whole purpose of my pro- position have submitted it in good Eith.- It may not meet the approbation of majority Of the Senate. l believe 1t will accommodate the people of this Union; and if any one road Is to be built that ought to be the eastern ter minus.
 The amendment was rejected
 MT. FOLK. 1 wish 10 offer an amendment to the first section. 1 move to strike ont the words, " between the mouths of the Big Sioux and kansas and to insert, "or on the western boundary line O; the State of Missouri, or of the State Of Arkansas. between the mouth of the Big Sioux river and Fort Smith on the Ar kansas river" so that the section will read:
 From a point on the Missouri river, or on the western boundary lue of the State of Mis- sour, or oi the State of Arkansas, between the mouth of the Big Sioux river and Fort Smith on the Arkansas river, to San Francisco in the State of California"
 On the 18th of April the consideration of the Dlli Was resumed.
 Mir. Polk, of Missouri, advocated his amend ment and the passage ot the till.
 Mir. Mason of Va. opposed the bill.
 Mir. Doolittle, of Wisconsin, offered an amendment to the amendment of Mr. Polk, providing that the northern point shall be on the Western boundary of Minnesota, at Breck- inridge, at the confluence of the Bos des Sioux with the Red river of the North.
 April 17th the Senate resumed the consider ation of the bill, the pending question being on the amendment of Doolittle to the amend ment proposed by Mir. Polk.
 Mir. BENJ AMIN. Mr. President do not desire to say anything in relation to the pendiug amendment specially, but wish to call the at tention Of the Senate to the condition of this bill. Here IS a bill that has been reported to us by special committee, and l really do not know, so iilr. how many amendments we have had to the first section. think that anybody who has listened to the debates in the Sen- ate must have become satisfied that it is impos- slble to procure d majority of this body to agree upon any one scheme at the present. tine The blI now before you, sir. proposes. as the labor oI th:s special committee to limit the point at winch the terminus of this road is to be eStab- lished OF he eastern side, to the Missouri rlver between the mouths of the Big Sioux and the Kansas rivers The committee have, there fore. so far as lies in their power selected ronte for this road. l do not say they have done so tn entire disregard of the surveys which have been made, in entirs disregard of the cost nd length of such road; but it Is obvious that t canuot be expected that gentlemen here from the south can join nl the pass t5c of a b. which depriveS them If the b9l eft of this great enterprise. If this bill is io be passed on the ground that the general government has the right to give assistance to any communication "f this kind with view To facilitate military operations, let the bill be put upon the basis of d military road, and thea the object being sole lY b provide speedy and safc communication between the Atlantic and Pacific, let that com munlcarion b. put uppn such lile as the contrac- tors will agree to huild it on for the least money and in the shore t time; but let It's not under 'he pretext of exercising the war power of the sovefmnnt provide a commercial road
 Again, sir, let lis not, under the pretext of provlding for the transportation of the mail or military stores, build railroad in States of the Union. If the road is to be built V the govern nent, let the bill state what it Is; let it not evade or shrink the question; let it profess to be bill for building a railroad to the Pacific ocean at the cost of the general government, and let the people understand for what their money Is voted.
 throw out these general considerations. not having any desire to enter into A special discus sion of the bjll because it must be obvious to all that we cannot agree upon any bill for this purpose n'w, that we are wasting our tme that we have hal the matter under Consideration for weeks, aid have not made one step of progress Tn Il, and we shall make none. ln the present cond lloh of the pub'ic treasury, with oan already authorized, at the present session, of $2OUOU,OD, with another loan of thirty or forty mlihon dollars staring u> in the face; with de;i- cie cy bll, of six or eght millions coming in upon us almost every day, Nas going to say, bat do not wish to eXag g5pra'e: with a war Shat la called the Ctah War upon our iiNlds; wn fresh SInents Of yolrntecrs raise !; with other expeises which we can all anticipate with in the course of the present year; with q mj- ished importation, with no resources for the treasury but those du,e, which are falling off in amount every day, does anybodv believe that tine Congress of the United $ ate. b Loibg, at the present session, to iuau gurate an ent.r- prise that at its very outset Is toinvolVe an ex- peuditure of S25 100000? That Is what the bI proposes We al know that it will be four-foid that amount Gentlemen do not an- ,cipate the passage of this bill. l cannot do so much injustice to their statesmenship. their sd gacity, as to believe that they for moment ex- pect any such bill as this to lass. Weare ing our time, sir; we have but six weeks of the session lcfi and in order to bring this matter to the test, l now make motion, which l hope will be consideration a test motion, that the further rsderaion of this bill be postponed until December next; and on that motion 1 ask for the yeas and nays.
 The years and rays were ordered.
 Mir. GWIN. Mr. President, l am not dis posed to answer the Senator from Louisiana He states with great postivenesS that there Is not member of this body who thinks We are going to pass this bill. Why, sir, he is very much mistaken in regard to great many mem- bers. He also brings up the bankrupt condition of the treasury. and says we are going to pass bill to take S25,0OO,00U out of the national treasury. 1 leave it to the Senate to say wheth- CT he makes correct statement of the bill. It is well known that if the bill passes in its pre- sent form, it will be at least one, and probably two years, before a dollar of the bonds provided for. will be issued Then it is not drawing money out of the treasury, but it is simply creating an evidence Of debt to be repaid by service, and as fast as the bonds are issued the transportation provided for in the bill will repay the govern ment the interest which they will have to pay on these bonds. They do net contract one dol lar of deht
 But, Mir. President this is broad propos- ton of the Senator. shall take this vote test vote. If the motion prevails. shall un- derstand that this Congress does not intend 10 pass any kind of bill to connect the Atlantic