Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-17
RAILROAD TO THE PACIFIC.
Re M A RKS OF
Hon. SOLOMON FOOT,

/
OF VERMONT,
On the Bill for the Construction Of a
Pacific Railroad, delivered sn the U. s.
Senate Jan. 5th, 1861:
Mr.. FooT. Mr.. President, shall vote
for the substitute which has just been Of
fered by the Senator from Minnesota. |
regard that as more fair, more equitable,
more just to all sections of the country,
than the bill of the House. / will say
further, however, that if the substitute
fails, as at present advised shall vote for
have been, in favor of a Pacific railroad.
| have uniformly voted for bills for that
purpose, in whatever form they have been
presented to us. [ regard the connection
OF the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts by
direct railway communication across our
own Territories, as demanded alike by the
interests of commerce, by the necessities
lot our postal ntercommunication, and by
the necessities of our national defense ;
and above all, such connection would
furnish, in my judgment, strong, and, |
trust, an enduring and indissoluble bond
of union between the Atlantic and Pacific
sections of the country.
Entertaining these views, sir, am pre-
pared, as | ever have been, to vote for al
most any bill which shall give us such a
connection, whether it provide for one
road, or for two roads, or for three roads,
nttl, As l trust, without a too pertinacious
regard as TO any particular line or latitude
ot its location. | say, let us, at all events,
have a railway connection between the
valley of the Mississippi and the coast Of
the Pacific, sOmetohere, and within the
limits Of our own territories. While |
prefer, and shall vote for, the bill of the
honorable Senator from Minnesota, if that
fails | shall still vote for the original
House bill. prefer that to none at all.
In my opinion, the question with us is be-
tween one of these bills, as it stands, with
out amendment or modification az ats de-
toiLs, and no bill at all for Pacific rail-
road.
will say to the friends of a Pacific
railroad, if we begin with propositions OF
amendment in respect to the details of the
DAils HlCtiAtL ltI AEebid W tftC tIi hiiiAi Cl
the road, in respect to the line or lines OF
its direction, in respect to the amount Of
lands or the amount of bonds appropriated,
&c, ther1 will be no reasonable limit to
these propositions, and we shall run
into an .interminable debate, and the
bill will be sacrificed and lost, as it was
two years ago not because the House of
DaV ,faf
amendments, but because we shall not ter
inmate discussion here during the session.
While there is an undoubted majority of
the members of this body in favor of some
bill for Pacific railroad, it is not to be
supposed that a majority, or even any six
members of the body, would be found to
agree that every provision, every minutia,
every detail of any bill whatever that could
be presented to Us, was the best that could
possibly be devised. We must yield
something of our opinions and our prefer
ence in regard to these minor questions OF
detail, for the sake of the great measure
itself, or your bill is lost altogether If
we begin TO amend in this particular, SO
that the bill in all respects shall conform
to our own individual, personal opinions
and preferences, there will be no end to
amendments, but there will be an end to
your bill.
| repeat, then, again, that the question
with us is, between one of these bills as 1t
as, and nothing; or, in other words, wheth-
er we will take one of these bills as II IS,
or have no bill at all Both of these bills,
believe, have been very we'll considered;
their provisions are plain and easily un-
derstood, and, / doubt not, well understood
by everybody who desires to understand
them. The general question of a Pacific
railroad as presented TO us in bills at diff
ferent times, and presented in various
forms, has been debated at length here, at
successive sessions for the last ten years.
The whole subject, in all its variety Of
forms and plans, is well understood, be-
lieve, by all of US, and by the country. /
trust, then, that we may come to an early
and direct vote, first, upon the substitute
offered by the Senator from Minnesota,
and, if that fails, upon the original bill of
the House, as 1t stands. If neither of
these bills, in thefr present form, can COM
mand the vote of a majority Of this body,
| have no expectation and no hope that
any other bill, in any other form, can do
so.
In these suggestions, address myself
particularly to the friends of a Pacific
railroad. The opponents of such meas
ure, in any form whatever, will, of course,
if they please, avail themselves of the or
dinary means of legitimate and parlia-
mentary tactics to defeat it. OF this we
have no right to complain. But, sir, l
trust, without oftense, | may be allowed to
express the hope that the friends of this
important measure viii not defeat it, Other
by proposing a series of amendments, or
what is worst of all. by debating it to
the death. promise them, at all events,
that ! will not set the example.
GAErA-Gaeta, the only spot left to