The Nevada journal., 1861-05-03

travel and the traffic of the western and
eastern worlds can pass without Interrupt
ton, railway communication with Halifax
must be perfected, and new line of iron
road, passing through Ottawa, the Red Riv-
err settlement and this " continuous belt"
must be constructed. This is work of
above two thousand miles and would cost
probably e2O, ,OOO,O 900, if not e25, 100000.
The sum, though so large; is still little
more than we voluntarily paid to extin-
guish slavery in our West Indian domin
ions: it does not much exceed the amount
which a Royal Commission, some little
time ago, proposed to expend in erecting
Notifications and seaworks to defend our
shores. 1t is but 6 per cent, of the amount
railway system in this little country at
home. 1t is equal to but q per cent. of
our National Debt, and the annual interest
upon it much less than the British pension
list
We say, then, Establish an unbroken
line of road and railway from the Atlantic
to the Pacific through British territory"
Such great highway would give shorter
distances by both sea and land, with an i'm
mense saving of time. As regards the
great bugbear of the general traveller, sea
distance, it would, to and from Liverpool,
save, as compared with the Panama route,
tossing, wearying navigation of 600o miles
to Japan, of 5000 miles to Canton, and of
5000 miles to Sidney. For Japan, for
China, for the whole Asiatic archipelago,
and for Australia, such route must be-
come the great highway 10 and from Europe;
and whatever nation posse sses that high
way must WELD of necessity the CONNER
cial power of the world.
In the United States the project of a
railway to the Pacific to cross the Rocky
mountains has ebbed and flowed in public
opinion, and has been the battle cry of par
ties for years past, but nothing has been
done. Such project, i'll order to answer
its purpose, requires something more than
practicable surface or convenient noun
tain passes. Fine harbors on both oceans,
facilities for colonization on the route, and
the authority of one single power over the
whole of the wild regions traversed, are
essential to success. AS regards the Unit
ed States these conditions are wanting.
While there are harbors enough on the
Atlantic, though none equal to the Halifax,
there is no available harbor, at all fit for
the great Pacific trade, from Acapulco to
our harbor of the Esquimault on Vancouv
ers Island except San Francisco-and that
IS in the wrong place, and is, in many
states of the wind, unsafe and incOnvenient.
The country northwest of the Missouri is
found to be sterile and. at least one-third
of the whole United States territory, and
situated in this region, is known as the
Great American Desert. Again the con-
flicIing Interests of separate and sovereign
States present an almost insuperable bar
to agreement as to route, or as to future
operations " or control. 1t is true that
Mr.. Seward possibly as the exponent of
the nolicy of the new President, promises
to support tco Pacific railways-one for the
North and one for the South. But these
promises are but little better than political
baits, and were they carried out into acts
of Congress financial disturbance would
delay, if not prevent, their final realization;
and even if realized they would not serve
the great wants of the East and West. We
therefore, cannot look for the execution of
this gigantic work at the hands of the
United States.
Such work, however, is too costly and
too difficult for the grasp of unaided pri-
vate enterprise. To accomplish it out of
hand the whole help of both the Local and
Imperial Pariaments must be given. That
help once offered, by guarantee or by grant,
private enterprise would flock to the under
taking, and people would go to colonize
on the broad tract laid open to their indus
try. But, we repeat, Parliament must un-
derta,.e the initiative, for the work is great,
and its utility is in all senses Imperial.