, 1860-03-10

Joseph, thence West to the flotte; up that
river to the Rocky Mountains, crossing them ut
or near the South Pass; thence ria Salt Luke
and Carson Valley to San Francisco, with
branch from the nearest practicable point on
the main line, to puget's Sound This Iine
would be intersectcd by the Iowa roads, near,
Fort Kearney, and also by the st. Louis md
Missouri river road, near the same point. :;
The distance from St. Joseph toSan Francisco
is under 9 900 mics. It. is proposed to grant
to each company the alternate sections for three
miles; and twenty, fire alternate sections on
each side, to the boundary Of calilornia, and
six alternate sections on each side, across that
State to San Francisco. When the designated |
sections have been sold or pre-empted, the |
companies nre 10 have the nearest unsold Sec
tions III lieu thereof. Each company shall &c.
Iect its own starting point on the Missouri and |
Mississippi rivers, within certain degrees Of |
latitude. For instance, the Central route may
start at any point on the Missouri River between
the mouths Of the Kansas and Dig Sioux Rivers.
I have named St. Joseph because it is an inter.
mediate point between the extremes mentioned
in the bill, and is connected by rail With the
nISHL L23EIA b3 0tEu4 VI A1AAOoAas 4AE t1*+
Louis interest as well as Chicago, would be SUBJ
served by that as starting plaee-being in d.
rect connection With St. Joseph.
The title Of the bill is as follows;
"A bitl 10 authorize contracts, and make pro-
vision for the safe, certain aud more speedy
transportation by railroad Of mails, troops,
munitions Of war, military and naval Stores, be-
tween tie Atlantic States aud California, mud for
other purposes" ,,,
The bill is entitled thus, for the purpose of
avoiding the constitutional objections Of the
"strict constructionists," md to prevent in
functions from being sued out from the Supreme
Court. The Constitution, III express terms, au.
thorizes Congress, I" to provide for the common
defence, and general welfare Of the United
Stutcs; to establish post roads; 10 regulate
commerce among the general States, and with
the Indian tribes; TO borrow money on the
credit Of the United States"
The object Of the bill, as expressed in its title,
| is to provide for the national defence, and the
the transportation Of the mails. The bill pro-
poses to loan to each company thirty .Gve mil
| lions Of bonds, 10 MD it in building road-one
| million Of bonds for every fifty completed miles
Of road, until each road shall reach the Rocky
Mountains, aud then two millions Of bonds tor
each fifty miles of road built. But by this pln,,
the whole tllrty-fv millions would be exhaust
ed when each road had proceeded twelve hum
| dred miles,
1t is suggested 10 grant each route q certain
sum per mile for the whole distance, on the fol-
lowing scale: Starting at st. Joseph, for in-
stance, with $4,000 per mile for the first de-
gree; 5000 for the second degree Of distance;
$50 900 for the third, and increasing $4,000 per
mile on each subsequent degree Of longitude
until half way to San Francisco is reached. 1T
this point tile aid would be 100000 per mile.
Commencing ut San francisco with $27 ono per
mile, and increasing the sum 81 900 :per degree
| east, TO the middle Of the routc. The distance
to the centre from each side would be about
| thirteen degrees. The western half of tie road
would necessarily be more expensive to build
than the eastern half, and consequently more
/ MD would be required. The largest sum per
mile would be given to the portion Of the road
| passing through the mountaiuR, which would he
the most difficult and costly division Of tie
whole work. According to this proposition each
would receive loan Of Government bonds, to
the amount Of sixty millions. Wnh this assist.
| auce in bonds and lauds, it is believed that
companies could be organized WHO would build
both roads withour further Government help.
/ I6ErH W0nlu DC no u1SEuuHk UI1 kHE QUuQB OIL
| the contrary they would command premium,
| And the anount OF money above named, would
1 20 great way towards building those roads
| when expended BY companies Of citizens, whose
| direct interest it would be to practice economy,
and prevent peculation, waste and wild cngi'
| necring. II the Government should undertake
| to build these roads, instead Of companies, the
cost would be more than doubled, to say moth.
| ing of the constitutional objections that would
be interposed to arrest the progress Of the un.
dertaking.
| II is not proposed to donate . dollar of the
money to the comp .nies. but only TO loan it to
them, taking mortgage on the roads and all
| their equipments for its repayment. The bill
provides that the bonds issued to each road
shall be hquidsted by performing services in
transporting the mails, tfoors, munitions Of war
agents Of the Government, naval stores, and in
transmitting Government dispatches over the
! telegraph lines belonging to each company
When the roads are finished, these services
| would amount to millions per year, it paid fo1
in money. In the course Of twenty or thirty
| years the whole amount loaned to the compan
les will be paid back to the Government in
transportation and other services, No interest
however, is to be charged the companies on tl,e
! bonds. II interest was charged, capitalists
| would not take the risk, unless the Governmcn,
| would issue enough bonds to build the roads, 0,
would guarantee, say five per cent. income on
| the investment.
1fthe Government can secure the repayment
Of the principal, the people will be entirely sat
/ isfied to let the interest slide" More esne.
cially when they hare been willing, any time
/ during the last half dozen years. for Congress
to appropriate an hundred millions for the con
struc.ion Of one road-not expecting that dol
lar Of the sum would ever be paid back into the
Treasury. The general benefits TO accrue to
| tho whole country, from the existence Of the
| roGd, being considered a full and ample eqniya
lent for National appropriation Of that amount
/ rtn f~n IL, H. <o =.
| moderate and graduated quantities, to berepaid
in transportation for Government, is the best
! one By all odds, yet devised. It will build two
| roads some five hundred to seven hundred
miles apart-at less draft upon the National
treasury than former estimates for one road, be-
sides securing tho ultimate repayment Of the
| advance. Private enterprise, aided as provided
in the bill, will construct these roads Ia half the
| time the Government would be about it, and al
half the expense, aud when built, will operate
them far more economically mud 10 greatly bet
ter advantagct than the Executive and Congress
built-whF commence two at the same time!
enquiries the render. Three months residence
at Washington has convinced me, TINT if Cor
ernment aid must be rendered it neser will be
granted during this generation. No one route
can command the requisite strength to the
! exclusion Of all the others, to procure
/ loan from Government. The rival interests
the shrieks of locality will always prove toe
formidable to be overcome. There is one
fourth Of Congress-the Senate particularly
, ! opposed to Government helping to build any
road. The whole South Is unit against ore
road, If it be Northern one. and the North will
, not allow it 10 be built on the Southern route
| Thus, between these rival sections the project
perishcs. There is only one way ont Of The d.
lemma, aud that is to provide each of the great
divisions with road. The country is large and
| powerful enough to sustain and construct then
both with great ease. Before this century ends
there will be two more roads needed; one still
further north, somewhere near the American
aud Canadian boundary line, to the mouth O.
the Colu1nbia river; and the fourth road acros:
t the Northern provinces Of Mexico, then to bs
; | American States, commencing near the mouth
Of the Rio Grande. And it will require all tht
ingenuity Of Committees to induce this OF tht
: next Congress to agree upon the corporator.
aud the starting points for q Central md .
: | Southern road. The Central road will have t.
5 contend against Kentucky, Southern Missouri
!, | Kansas aud Southern Illinois interest, fhat vii
striyc to run the road ria Santa Fe aud, oI
, tue other hand, against Minnesota, Canadia'
and New England Influence, that will try to 10
! cate It on the Northern Surveyed route. Th
Southern line will encounter similar cross lring
: riya1sics md trouble to find starting place
Hence you perceive that one road has no clauc
, | Of being located anywhere. CHICAGO.
/ Monmouth Republican Club.