The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-04-26
but at all events the bill and report en-

y but at all events the OIL ana report sW'
body the views of majority of the Com
mittee, and We hopa7o largo nejoritJ
Of the House. Tie report is m able
document and will amply repay an a.
tcntive perusaI The arguments relative
TO the advantages and necessities OF 2
Railroad across the Contincnt,to connect
the Pacific with the Atlantic coasts OF
! the Continent, are almost superauous, as
the whole nation has become convinced
in that regard. The people haze talked
| about this road until every one has been
convinced and all have declared: "Let
bill be passed, and the great work
! speedily commenced.
, The argument in favor of the Central
route, Of but one Road is to be built
is conclusive and irresistible. 1t is
shown 10 be the shortest route to San
Francisco, by from three to five hundred
mics. 1t can be built more cheaply,apd
will accommodate directly more popnla.
tion aod commerce than any other route
As great trunk line it can be more read
lily intersccted by branches from the
North and South, than any other projec,
ted liue. In order to escape sectional
jealousies and an:aeouisms, the Eastern
end of the Road will commence at two
points ON the Missouri river, one from
Missouri,a slave State, and tn other from
Iowa.a free State, and the two will con-
verge together at or near Fl. kearney
on the Platte, 200 miles west of the
place Of beginning. The starting points
are left TO- 1be company to select, but it
might be to designate Kansas City
ut the mouth Of the Kaw river, or St.
Joseph, aud Omaha City, opposite Coun-
Gil Bluffs, as the probable initial points
that would be fixed upon by the corpora.
tors.
But the important thing in this whole
matter is the mode Of granting Govern
mcnt aid The extent Of the assistance
and the conditions upon which it is Civ
en-, docs not certainly exceed the limit of
liberality which the people have had in
mind. The only fear is, that the bill is
too parsimcnious, and that private capt.
talis,s may not be found who will advance
the residue Of the requisite funds on the
terms dictated. The Report estimates
the cost of the Road at one hundred and
twenty millions. The Government is to
loan the Company half that amount in
thirty years bonds, bearing five per cent
interest. This advance is to be secured
by frs; mortgage aud to be repaid in
services of transportation, such as carry
ing nails, troops, agents, stores and mu-
nitions, and in telegraphing. This ad-
vance of bonds is to be made as fast as
the work progresses. The amount of aid
is graduated, increasing from each end
to the middle. Beginning with ST., 900
a mile, for tire first degree Of longitude
through which the road will pass the
amount is increased by $1,000 for each
degree until it reaches the Rocky Noun
taips, when the amount per mile will be
about $50, 900. From the Rocky Noun
tains westward, the subsidy decreases at
the rate of 81 600 per degree of longitude,
ending at s24 900 per mile. The aver
age aid for the whole distance, from riv-
er to ocean, is $4,000 per mile. The
length of the read is estimated 1T about
1900 r'les but the forked eastern end
will add 200 miles, making the entire
line 1000 miles in round numbers.
The bill grants the company every al
ternate section of the public domain
shrcu-n whrcr tnc road passes wrhrn
one mile thereof, and very properly re
quires that the iron of which it shall be
built must be Of American manufacture.
The bill desicnates certain prominent
citizens of different States who arc to
form, with their associates, the COMPANY
who are to construct the road The Com.
pany is charged FIVE per cent interest on
the money loaned i, by the Government.
The first draft of the bill charged no in
tercst, but onl y required the repayment
Of the principal. We fear that charging
interest and also taking first mortgage
may have the effect Of lcterrlng capital.
lists from embarking their means in this
vast undertaking. The interest clause
should be stricken out. The country
can amply afford to donate the interest on
bonds for the sake of making sure of the
construction Of the Road. A vast ma.
jorty of the people would be perfectly
willing'to donate both principal and in
terest to any company who will build
them great Central Railroad to the Pa.
cific.