The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-03-18
FROM WASHINGTON.
OF the President Fixing
Point Of Departure Of Pacific Rail.
rOad..Halleck Reports to Grant..
RumOr that Gen. Smith will Com.
mand Army of the Potomac.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE President
to day sent to the Senate the following
Message:
To the Senate ot'he United States:
March 8, 1864-In compliance with resolu-
ton of the Senate, of the 1st instant, respect
ing points of commencement of the Pacific
Railroad, on the one hundredth degree Of west
longitude. and of the branch road of the west
ern boundary of Iowa, on the said one hun
ureoth degree OF longitude, / transmit the ac-
coinpanylng report of the Secretary of the In
'erlor containing the information called for:
deem 1t proper to add that on the 18th day
vi 3NoNeiiioer last, an executive order was
MADE on this subject and delivered to the Pres.
Ident OF the Union Pacific Railroad. which fix
ca the point on the western boundary of the
state OF Iowa, from which the company should
construct their branch railroad. to the hun-
dredth degree OF west longitude, and declared
II 10 NC wItnin the limits OF the township in
Iowa opposite the town of Omaha in Nebraska.
Since then the company has represented to
me That upon actual surveys made, it has been
determined upon the precise point of departure
of this said branch road from the Missouri
river, and located the same as described in the
accompanying report by the Secretary of the
Superior road, which point is under the limits
designated in the order of November last. and
| nasmuch as that order is not on record in any
OF the executive departments and to more de-
line the same, have made the order of which
| copy is herewith transmitted, and caused the
same to be filed in the Department of the Inte-
riOr
(Signed) A. LINCOLN.
The order above referred TO is as follows:
In pursuance Ct the provisions of section 10
OF the act OF Congress entitled IAN act to aid
in the construction of Railroad and telegraph
| line from the Missouri river to the Pacific
ocean, and to secure to the Government the
use of the same for postal, military and other
purposes approved January LIST, 1862. author
izing and directing the President of the United
States to nix the point on the western bounda-
ry OF the State OF Iowa from which the Pacific
Railroad Company is by said section authoriz-
ed and required to construct a single line of
Railroad and Telegraph upon the most direct
and practicable route subject to the approval
OF the President of the United States, was to
form connection with the line of said Com
pany at some point within the one-hundreth
meridian OF longitude in said section, namely:
l, Abraham Lincoln, President of t United
States, upon the application Of said Company,
designate and establish such first above named
| point on the west boundary of the State of
Iowa. east OF and opposite to the east line of
section 10, in the township 10 north of range
| II east OF the sixth principal meridian, in the
| Territory of Nebraska
Done in the city of Washington, this seventh
day OF March, A. ID. 1861.
(Signed) A. LINCOLN.
| WASHINGTON, March 12.-General Grant in
tends to concentrate all our western forces
| from the western boundary of Texas to the
Mississippi camps for heavy blows this spring.
Another call will soon be issued for 200, 600
| or 300, 600 more men.
The Worlds Washington dispatch has re-
| ports that Gen. VIM. F. Smith, at Grants re-
quest. has been appointed to the Major Cen
eralship vacated by Grant, and that he will
command the Army of the Potomac
Gen. Halleck reported yesterday to General
Grant for orders, and was assigned to special
duty at Washington.
A meeting Of the Republican members of
the House decided to sustain Secretary Chase's
views on the gold question. This insures the
passage of the Senate gold bill.
WASHINGTON, March 12.-The Post Office
Department has just concluded contracts for
mail service in Nebraska, Washington, Idaho,
and Olher far-of Territories. Among them is
one providing that from July LIST, next, the
mails shall be carried thence from the intersec
ton of the overland mail route at Salt Lake
City, by way of Prize City and Auburn to
WOlen, in Washington Territory, in ten days,
in lieu of sending them via PersOnve, Cali
fornia, to Portland, Oregon. This saves 1900
miles travel and ten duys in the expediting of
the mails tor Oregon, Washington Territory
and Idaho. This important service is let to
Ben Holiday, at SIS, 900 per annum.
The mails tor the newly discovered gold
mines in Bannock City, Idaho, are to be sent
three times a week from Salt Lake CITY, and
the contract is awarded to o. s. Afford
WASHINGTON, March 12.-The House set
apart to-day for speech making. Mr.. Holmes,
OF Indiana, spoke against the State recOnstruc-
tlOn policy of the President, whose duty it is
to execute the laws and not to make them.
Mr.. Hubbard, of New York, spoke in vindi-
cation OF the belligerent right to declare slaves
of rebels free.
HoUsE.-Mr Dumont noticed the remarks of
the gentleman who had heretofore commend
ed that the original purpose of the war had
been perverted to abolition. The idea that the
South would enter into no negotiations short
of the recognition of their bogus cOnfederacy,
was ridiculous. They were traitors in the free
States. Some of them ran away from the
South, where they were known as poor white
trash. They were among the most fierce
against war, and maintained that the holding
of slaves was proof of responsibility. Such
men deserved to be elected to the rebel Con-
gress He noticed the remarks of Mr.. Cox,
and referred to his book, the buckeye, abroad.
Quartermaster's Department..
Mr.. WILSON, of Massachusetts, chair