The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-05
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CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD.

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CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD.
SPEECH OF HON. JAMES HARLAN.
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Mr.. President earnestly desire the def
mite action of the Senate Oh this bill and
for that reason, if for no other, must re-
frain from entering on the discussion of the
general question. The question OF the pro-
priety OF the construction of q railroud
from the States east Of the Rocky Noun
tains to the Pacific, has been elabora,ely dis
cussed in the Senate Chamber session after
session for several years, which has resulted,
rs believe, in the general conviction on the
part of Senators, as we'll as of the country,
of the practicablity and necessity of the
construction of the road. Nor do propose,
on this occasion, to engage in the discussion
of the most appropriate means to be EN-
ployed in the accomplishment of this work.
However various may have been the propo-
lieye, generally conceded that this work must
be Effected by private enterprise, aided by
the Government Of the United States. de-
the propriety Of the location of the general
route of the road by Congress itself -
The bill now under consideration, rs ORR
ginally reported, provides in its first Sec
ton
''That the President Of the United States be- and he
hereby authorized and directed t. enter into Contract
the portati"n of the mails. troops sesmcu,
nitI"ns OF army and navy supple, and all other
Government services, by raiiruad from point the
n TbS pf he
and nsa rivers TO San ancisro in the State "i Cal
it0rnia the most eligible reference being had
to feasibility, shortncss and economy"
This language is we'll calculated to deceive
the casual reader, 1t mi ght be supposed to
imply that the selection Of the best route
was intended to be conferred on the Presi-
dent Of the United States and if so, the bill
in this respect, would be less Objectionable.
The people would then have some guarantee,
from his high official character, for its faith
full performance, and that the route uti-
mately selected would be feasible and ap-
prOprlate; but on examining the fifth section
Of the bill, it will be seen that neither Con-
grcss nor the President, nor any one Of the
high functionaries of this Government is to
be called on to exercise a practical discre-
ton on this subject but ''the party with
whom the contract aforesaid may be made
shall proceed without delay to locate the
general route of said road, and furnish a de-
tailed survey and map thereof to the Pres-
dent )" but when shall this be done? After
the contract shall have been made. signed.
sealed and delivered; after the monopoly, if
it should be monopoly, shall have been Sc
cured ; then the contractor is to inform the
President of the general route Of the road.
Now, desire to know how the President is
TO exercise any discretion in the selection of
the most eligible route: how he is to have
reference to shortncss, and to feasibility. anG
to economy, when he is compelled to work
in the dark when he is not to know even the
general route of road until after this con-
tract shall have been signed, sealed, and de-
livcred?
But the location Of the general route of
the road involves legislative discretion. The
. object to be secured by the passage of this
bill is the rapid transportation of the United
States mails, troops, seamen, munitions of
war, and army and navy supplies, by rail-
road, from the heart Of the country to the
remote States and Territories, SO rs to pro-
mote the general welfare, and render more
efficient our means of defense. And hence
it has been denominated great war measure
rs well rs 4 measure Of concord and peace.
1t therefore seems to me not only appropri-
ate that Congress should locate the general
route of the road, but that it requires the
exercise of a discretion which the lcsSli-
ture of the nation cannot transfer to anoth-
or.
( The people Of the United States have con-
fcrred on Congress, and not on the Presi-
: dent, or any other functionary of this Gov
or bn tn liSh ,Sf
/ the power to raise and support armies, the
power to provide for and maintain a navy,
! the power to provide for the common de-
fense and general welfare Of the country
and the power to regulate commerce. 1t is
proposed TO accomplish all these objects to a
very great extent, ty the construction Of this
Pacific Railroad. Now, if this be true, in
quirc of Senators here, as Il constitutional
question, whether the members of the Con-
grcss of the United States have tho right to
transfer this legislative diScre ion to an ascn,
to be selected by themselves, or a secondary
agent to be selected br"ome other officer of
the Government fl were the enactment
Of Il law merely, none, perhaps, would con-
tend that Congress could transfer that dis
crction but it IS not only the enactment of
a law cstabli,hnga national mail route, and
military road. but the creation of iron liga-
mentS, with which to bind together discord-
ant States, and the establishment Of great
avenue for travel and commerce across the
continent, connecting the people Of this coun-
try, by a direct line Of railroad and ocean
steamers, with the populous and wealthy
Asiatc States, and the East India Islands,
which, it is said, is 10 control the trade of
this continent, of Europe, and Of the world.
And 1t is proposed to confer power of such
vast consequences, not on the President OF
the United States, or any of the high func-
tionarics of this Government, but on a mail
and army contractor.
But it seems to me that the location of
the general route of the road bv Congress is
necessary for the purpose of securing COM
petition among bidders for contracts. 1t is
agreed that the construction of a railroad on
any of tho proposed routes will cost in the
neiShborhooI of one hundred million dol
lars. This would be onc-thrd Of the en-
tire surplus products Of the United States,
estimated By the statistics Of our foreign
trade.
This bill provides that it shall be pletcd
IN ten or twelve years from its commence
ment, which will require the expenditure of
from eight to ten million dollars per annum.
No one can, in good faith, become bidder,
unless he can control a capital yielding this
sum per annum, deductins the $4,000 per
mile, to be drawn from the Treasury of the
United States, as the work progresses.
Hence each bidder must he able to control in
the neghborhood of one thrticth of the en-
tire productive capital of this country be-
fore his bid to contract this road can proper
ly be considered by the President of the
United States. | fear, sir, there are but
few individuals or companies in the United
States able to control such an immense pro-
duetIvc capital The capital of this country
is invested in bank stock, in ships, in forges,
in furnaces, in factories, in machine shops,
in staple products, that may have accumula-
ted from year to year, in houses and lots, in
farms and plantations, and their equipments,
/ in canals and in railroads nnn buo5r ro i