Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-10-08
DR.. 0rmsby's Remarks before the Railroad
Convention

III, UrmsDYe hemofkS DoIOTe Lne ha1rOau
Convention.
Mr.. President: ask leave OF this Convcn-
ton to offer few thoughts upon n privileged
question. My reason for asking this privilege
is, that am compelled to leave this afternoon
for Sacramento, and before leaving, seek this
opportunity to give in part my reasons for Of
fering these resolutions. ] offered, yesterday,
series Of resolutions touching the business
of this Convention, which were referred to
the Committee Of Ten, and which has been re-
ported back and its passage recommended
In the arrangement Of them was assisted by
Mr.. AtchisOn, of this Convention, and other
gentlemen Of extensive information upon the
subject Of the building Of Pacific Railroad.
The first Of these resolutions proposes that
the United States Government mid this enter
prise by becoming surety to capitalists for an
interest on investments Of five per cent per
annum for twenty years. 1t is believed that
that security will he q Inrrc form, without one
dollar Of money responsibility TO the Govern
ment for the reason that it is believed that
the Investments thus made will be the best
paying Stock in the world; and | presume
there is not an intelligent gentleman in this
Convention but will admit the correctness Of
this proposition. II, then, this is true, it will
at once be plain that by this kind nf COVER.
mental security We will have secured the com
plction Of this grcat transatlantic enterprise,
and not cost the Government one dollar. This
being the case, then, we deemed this res0lu
ton directly to the point for the action Of this
GUnvvntiur.- This Convention can tiol,Ht two
things substantially as Convention, and that
il to take action rs to what this State, through
its Legislature, ought and can do in the prem
iSes; and next, to indicate the wishes of the
people of the State in regard to whatever as
sistance the United States Government may
lend parties entering upon this enterprise.
The second resolution proposes that Con-
gress grant the right Of way to n company
who 'Shall have the exclusive and unrcStrain.
| ed right to select the route Of, and locate the
road" This resolution meets my mind as but
right and reasonable, because, First, we are
all convinced that either Of the three great
routes proposed arc practicable, but il is but
reasonable that some one Of the three has
great natural advantages over either of the
other two. If Congress grants the right Of
way through the United States Territories the
ensuing session, it is u notorious fact the De-
pnrtment have not sufficient data TO deter.
mine this question of practcabiity, with any
degree of certainty; therefore, it is but right
that the selection Of the route should bc left
with tho contracting parties. In this way We
will be able to secure n more prompt and
speedy action by Congress, and at the same
time offer greater inducements to capitalists
to make the proposed Investments, for the
reason that the greatest difficulty in the way
Of this great work is its magnitude Of cOnstruc-
tion and consequent expense" If Congress
would indicate the route, and that route be
the most difficult and expensive route, it i.
but adding to the already too great difficulty,
as before intimated. Our great interest on tn,
Pacific slope Of the Sicrras is to have Rail
road. 1t matters not tn us which Of these
routes may be traverscd by it; simply, We
want the road. This ought to be the end and
aim Of all our action rs people, and above all
by this Convention. We have determined
the western terminus Of this road to be at Sar
FranCisco-thnt is enough. The third res0lu
ton provides that we, in some manner, ind
cate to Congress an assurance on our part, as
a State, that the State sovereignty will not be
interposcd to prevent the completion Of the
road to some point on the Pacific coast
We believe in the doctrine Of State SOW.
ereignty, so far as the making Of public i'm
provemcnts by the General Government tho
States is concerned, and, therefore, deny the
right Of the Government to build this Or any
other road through any part of this State,
without its consent. Under this doctrine,
then, it is but right to Congress- and right ia
ourselves, that we, as a Convention. determine
this question, as indicated in the third of these
resolutions.
On behalf Of my constituents, IrepudiatC
the idea Of Congress appropriating any Of the
public lands along the road, Of the public do.
main, towards the construction Of this or any
other road. also am opposed to Congress,
directly or indirectly, making appropriations
Of money towards the same ends. The plans
these resolutions propose, meet the same cndS
so far as the building the road is concerned,
and do mot conflict with the opinions Ofthe strict
cOnStructionists of the ConstitutiOn-besidCS,
as before stated, will not cost the people cr tho
nation one solitc?y dollar,
III" Committee 81 Ten have in their pos
Session resolution, offered by myself, day be-
fore yesterday, as follows:
RCsolred, That, by the authority vested in
this Convention, the next Legislature be re-
quested and seriously urged to take all aud cv-
cry constitutional means within their power,
to cause to be constructed railroad from
San Francisco to some point on the eastern
boundary Of the State.
This resolution, in my opinion, is calculated
to meet the end proposed in the third resolu-
tion Of yesterday.
This resolution proposed to commence this
work at the State line, and work this way, foT
a reason which think is obvious in itself. as
II will certainly be necessary that, before the
State commences the work, the point ought I,
be indicated on the part Of the company build
ing the road, or by the Government, when il
intersects our eastern line.