The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-21

force the constitutional theory which they main
tanned.
On the same 2eth of January, votes were taken
upon two substitutes for the whole BILL offered
by Mr.. Wilson of Massachusetts and by Mr. Davis
of Mississippi
Mr.. Wilson's substitute provided for land and
money grants for Central road, and for land
grants for a Northern and Southern road. 1t
was rejected by the following vote
YEAs-Messrs. Cameron Clark, Dixon, Foot,
Hale, Harlan, King, Rice, Se1card, Simmons Stu
art, Wade, and Wikson-l3.
NAYs-Messrs Bates, Bayard Bell, Benjamin,
| Bgler Bright Broderick Brown, Chestnut, Cling
man, Davis, Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Foster, Gwin,
Houston, Hunter, Iverson, Johnson of Tennessee,
Kennedy, Mason, Pearce, Polk, Pugh, Reid Sc
bastian, Shields, Slidell, Thomson Of New Jer-
sey, Toombs, Irum5uH, aud Ward--32.
Mr. Daviss substitute provided for land grants
Tor single road, so many sections for each mile
OF road, but for a fixed money grant OF ten mill
lions of dollars, without reference to the number
OF miles, and confined the grants TO the road TO
be built In the Territories, outside of the limits OF
States. The great feature of this substitute was
the liked money grant, which would force the
road upon line which Should be the shortest
across the National Territories, or, in other words
upon the Texas line from FL PaSO to the Colorado.
Mr.. Davis explained the object of his substitute
with his usual frankness, although it needed no
explanation
The vote upon Mr.. Davis's substitute was as
follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Bell, Clingman, Davis Fitch,
Fitzpatrick, Hammond Houston, Hunter, lver-
son, johnson OF Tennessee, Mason, PearGe Pugh,
Reid, Sebastian Slidel TOOmbs, and Wards.
NAYs-Messrs. Allen, Bates, Bayard, Bigler,
Broderick, Brown, Cameron, Chandler, Chestnut,
Clark, Diron, Dooiittle, Douglas, Durkee, Fessen-
den, Foot, Foster, Gwin, Hate Hamfih, Hdrtan,
Kennedy HING, Polk, Rice Seicdrd, Shields,
Simmons, Stuart, TrumGHH, Wade, and WHsOa-
81.
The vote upon the final passage of the bill was
taken on the 18th of January, and " 18th the fol-
lowing result
YEAs-Messrs Bell Bigler, Bright, Broderick,
Cameron, CHdndler, CLARK, Diron DooAtte, Doug
las, Durkee, Fesseadea, root, Foster, Gwin, liam
lm, HaridH Houston, Jones, Kennedy, Polk, Rice,
Sebastian, iSeeard, Shields, Simmons, Stuart,
Trum5uU, Wade Ward, and Wiison-3l.
NAYS - Messrs. Bayard, Benjamin, Brown,
Chestnut Clay, Clngman, Fitzpatrick, Green,
Hunter, lverson, Johnson of Tennessee, hplg
Mason Pearce, Pugh, Reid, Slidell, Thomson Of
New Jersey, Toombs, and Yulee-2O.
Thus, upon the final passage of the bill, the
Republican Senators, with single exception
supported it, while large majority of the South
ern and Democratic Senators opposed it.
As thus finally passed, the bill only provided
for a contract for the road to be submitted to
Congress. This was the most efficient form, in
efficient as it doubtless was, in which il was
possible to pass the bill at all The Democratic
majority had refused to limit the road to a Cen
trail route and without that limitation, the Re
publican Senators would not consent to place
the absolute power of contracting in the hands
OF President, whom they knew to he the facile
tool of the South.
On the final passage OF the bill, it was sup
ported by only two Southern Democratic Sen
NJ POLL Of aY,IA M Of
Arkansas, representing States deeply interested
in the construction OF a Pacific railroad The
great body of the Southern Democratic Senators
opposed the bill, and indeed most Of them, in
the preceding discussions, had declared their
opposition 10 any form OF national aid TO the
work
Thus on the 18th of January, Mr. Reid of North
Carolina protested qgaiqyt tits ,chole scheme Of
Pacific roifroad,' while Mr. lverson of Georgia
declared that he " did not beiege Tie Go0enment
had any poorer uBder The Constitution to appropriate
doiiar out Of He TREASURY for the construction Of
his, any other icorL Of interuqt Improvement"
On the 9th of January, Mr.. Benjamin of Louisi-
ana made one OF his most elaborate speeches
against the whole project. Mr.. johnson Of Ten
nessee spoke at large against il on the 2jth Of
January. Two days afterwards, Mr.. Mason of
Virginia declared himself against the thing in
any form, as he had repeatedly done before. On
the 9th of January, Mr.. Brown Of Mississippi
argued against the constitutional power Of Com
gress to appropriate money for II Pacific rail-
road.
The Southern Senators were doubtless satisfied
thai it was impossible TO obtain any assistance
out of the National Treasury, for "A Southern Pa
cihc railroad, aud it was and is only such rail-
road that they desire, or will permit to be con-
structed, so long as they can prevent it by po-
litical tactics It is easy enough to consrue the
Constitution OF the United States, from time to
time, according TO the varying objects of the
commentators. No lack of constitutional power
was perceived, when ten millions of dollars were
paid for Arizona, expressly for a route for rail
road. No lack OF constitutional power is now
perceived, to prevent still other purchases of
Mexican territory for railroad routes still farther
to the south. And no lack of constitutional
IspOwer would be perceived, TO prevent grants OF
money for the construction of a road, if the Gulf
State interest had such II numerical ajority in
| Congress, would enable them to control the
| route of it.
| 1t is the geography of the continent and the
| distribution of power, which determines these
| theories OF constitutional Construction. a Cen
trail road across the breadth of the territory of
| the Union is work which cannot be executed
for an indefinite period except by the strong arm
of national power. The shorter lines between
| the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific may possibly
be achieved by private enterprise, and at any
rate, such expectations are known to be enter
| tanned at the South. Texas, rapidly pOpuatng
| stretches TO within five hundred miles of avail
able Pacific ports. Relying upon this geographic
| cal feature, the Southern politicians discover
| want of constitutional power to appropriate
money, the disposition of which they cannot con-
| troll. They do not fail to see what is so easily
to be seen, that their only hope of securing their
! objects is to defeat any national aid whatever to
a Pacific railroad At an earlier period in the
history of this question, when they were endeav-
| oring to persuade the country, and perhaps really
persuaded themselves that the Central and North
| ern routes were physically impractcable, they
| were, some Of them, better disposed 10 advocate
| national aid for a Pacific road But they are
to-day, nearly unanimous against it, and will
| soon be altogether So
Ii was in the power of the Senators from the
free States it they had voted unitedly, TO have
so amended the Pacific railroad bill az to have
fixed it beyond a peradvehture upon IA Central
route, and to have passed il in that form But the
Senators from the free States did not act unitedv
| and they never will so long as a portion of them
| look more to n Southern political connection
than t. their own CONSTITUENCIES. Ii was these
Senators Southern in heart and interest, although
sitting nominaly under commissions Of election
! by Northern States, who voted down every form
| of proposition tending to secure "A centrtlity Of
| location 10 the Pacific railroad Two of them
| Mr.. Pugh of Ohio and Mr.. Fitch did not hesitate
| to support the project OF Mr.. Davis of Mississippi
Limiting the money grant 10 ten millions of dol
| lars, without reference to the length Of road
| the avowed object OF which was TO force the road
upon the line shortest within the National Ter
! ritOries that is to say, the FL paso line Still
another of them, Mr.. Douglas, did not scruple 10
debate, to manifest his preference for road to
some Aeyican port, rather than road to San
| Francisco.
On the 18th of January, in reference TO the