Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-02-05

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The Pacific Railroad Bill as Disposed
OF I'm the United States Senate..The
Three Routes ana the Truo Route. i.
On the 9th ult., Gas we have already men,
tioned) the discussion upon the bill to provide
for building a Railroad or Railroads to the
Pacific Ocean, was brought to close In the
United States Senate by the defeat substan-
tally, Of any Road at present: and the emas-
culating the original bill and all its various
amendments down into the mere authorize
ton of advertisements for proposals for the
construction of Road over either of three
routes: Northern, Middle or Southern.
From the final proceedings had on the passage
of the bill, we extract as follows:
The bill was read three times, and finally passed
by the following vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Bell, B!gler, Broderick, Cameron,
Chandler, Clarke c rittenden, Dixon, Doolittle,
Douglas, Durkee, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Gwin,
Hamlin, Harlan, Houston, jones, Kennedy, Polk,
TeSmbn wsSe and
Nays-Messrs. Bayard, Benjamin, Brown, Ches-
nut, Clay, Clingman, Fitzpatrick, Green, Hunter,
Iverson, johnson, King, Mason, Pearce, Pugh.
Reid, Slidell, Thohps.n, Toombs and Yulee.--20.
Paired of-Nessrs. Fitch and Hammond, Col
lamer and johnson, Mallory and Wright
Mr.. Bell then moved that the name of the bill be
altered to read: bill to authorize and invite pro-
posals for the construction of railroad from the
vall<y of the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean on
three separate routes. Agreed to.
The following are the provisions of the bill.
which are the same recently proposed BY Mr.. Bell,
ha tod xxxynr
pers of each state and the District of Columbia in
viting estimates for three routes the sum OF 900
to be appropriated to pay expenses
On Saturday, the 20, Senator Gwin, of
California, moved to reconsider the vote by
which the bill passed, stating that his ebject
in having the bill re-considered was to make
the estimates advertised for more specific, to
prevent straw bids ard to include estimates
for a branch to Oregon. Senators Bell, of
Tennessee and Davis of Mississippi, COM
CURED with Mr.. Gwin in thinking the bill
inadequate as it stands. The further consid-
Grafton Of the motion was, however, post
poned until Monday, the 3lst. On the other
hand, we notice the Special Committee ap-
pointed by the House Of Congress to consid-
er the same subject, has voted to to adopt
the Central Pacific Railroad Route project of
Mr.. Curtis, of Iowa, with one branch to the
Iowa and anothert to the Missouri frontier. But
we have little confidence that this project,
either, will amount to anthing; nor, in truth,
do we care to see it pass at this time.
Aside from the present financial inability of
the government, which would render it diff
cult at this crisis, to carry into successful
operation Railroad to the Pacific, over any
route whatever, we are too tenacious of the
advantages which discussion will exhibit our
Northern Route from st. Paul to Puget
Sound, possesses over all others, to consent
to see Middle or Central Route preferred,
without more opportunity being afforded for
examination and comparison, as to the rela-
tive merits of all the Routes. Under existing
circumstances, and in view of the temper
shown in the Senate, when that body, on the
26th ult, rejected Mr.. RIcE's bill for three
routes by vote Of IA to 30, we prefer inf
nitely this Advertising Proposal Bill on the
subject which the United States Senate has
just passed. 1t gives us time. 1t prevents
snap judgment upon US. 1t leaves us fu-
ture full of hope. The conviction is growing
upon the country, that settlements must pre-
cede Railroads. A Railroad to the Pacific is
not exempt from this common law, regulating
the progress of Railroads westward. Know
ing what we do of the country on the North
ern Route, we know that, if the success of
the project is left to be determined bv this
natural law of progress, the first Railroad to
the Pacific will run from st. Paul slightly
northwestward, and that its line will keep not
great ways from, and parallel with, the 49th
degree of North latitude. Why so? Because
it is the only line which has fertile lands, and
is capable Of dense settlement, ouer eyery mile
Of the track bet,oeen here and the ocean =
There is no mistake about this being the fact.
Typographical reconoisances have proved it.
A semi-weekly Stage Route from St. Paul to
Puget Sound, making the journey six days
sooner than by any other route, will shortly
be in operation, as we trust, and will serve the
purpose of still further opening the eyes of the
world to this truth: and to the other truth
that it is 500 miles shorter than either of the
proposedrival, or any other possible route.
If it is correct that settlements must pre-
cede Railroads, the defeat by the Democratic
Party in Congress, of Mr.. Crows amendment
to the Presumption Act to keep the public
lands out of market for ten years after the
surveys, or in other words to grant ten
gears credit to the actual settlers, is the more
to be deplored, especially by us of Minnesota,
who are so vitality interested in the North
ern Route. The granting of that ten years
credit to actual settlers would have rapidly
stimulated settlements along our Northern
line, clear up to the eastern base of the Rocky
This would have made clear to
the world, in the most unmistakable and most
practical manner, that our's was the best
route, and it would not be long before, rs a
the iron track would link the
and the mountains. "Political
may demand the building of the
Pacific Railroad to unite the slopes of the
two oceans in political bands together; but,
- the Chicago Tribune remarks, "eous-