The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-03-17

the amendment offered by Mr.. WAsHBURN to
one of the appropriation bills in Congress,
| proposing to compel the Illinois Central r.
R. Company to refund to the U. s. the
money paid to that company by the Governs
ment during the last four years for trans>
portation Of troops and property of the ..
| S.; and also that, with as few exceptions, the
papers alluded to disapproYe and condemn
the amendment.
There is very good reason why the press
| Of Illinois should be walked Up on this SUBJ
| ject. The Central r. r. Co. has paid into
the state treasury full quarter of million
of the money received from the Government;
and if the company is compelled to refund,
the state must refund. And more,-if the
company is compelled to refund this large
sum, amounting to e million or two, its
means will be affected to an extent seriously
| to cripple its operations for several years, it
may be. and thus the state will be still further
sufferer by the curtaiimen. Of its n,aguif>
cent revenue from that source.
Were there any law justice to support
this amendment of Mr.. Washburn, the case
would be different; but it is clearly fortified
by neither The plea upon which it is JUS
tilted, is the clause in the bill granting the
land to the State Of Illinois in aid of the
construction of the Central Railroad in these
words: that the said railroad and its
branches shall be and remain a public high
way, for the use of the Government OF the
L. S.. free from toll or other charge upon the
transportation of any property or troops of
the US The question turns upon the proper
Interpretation of this clause. Mr. Washburn
maintains. that by this clause the company
is compelled to furnish men, cars, motiye
power-in short. in all respects, free trans
portatiOn to the Government, for its troops
and property, to any extent it may desire
while the company contend that the clause
only requires it to furnish free for the use of
the Government its track or roadway. That
the company is correct in this view will ap.
pear from considerations like these: This
clause, which appears in all the bills of Con-
gress granting lands for public works of this
sort, was first inserted in the GAINESVILLE turn
pike charter. 1t also appears in the bill
granting lands for the construction of the
Illinois and Michigan canal. Now does any
one suppose that 1t was intended by Congress
that the GAINESVILLE turnpike company saorld
furnish the Government, free of charge,
wagons, horses, mules, oxen, &c, for the
transportation of its property over the road
or that the Illinois canal should furnish
boats, mules, &C., for the same purpose
The meaning Is obvious, that the GoTern-
ment was to pay no tolls" upon its "traus-
portatioL, that's al I
When the war first broke out, and il be,
came apparent that the Government would
be compelled to make immense draughts
upon the Ill. Central r. R, tne question as
to the proper Interpretation of this clause
was brought up; and after being thoroughly |
considered by the Secretary of War, the
Quartermaster General, the Attorney Gen |
eral, and the PRESIDENTIAL these high |
authorities agreed sha.':he view the company
took of the meaning of the clause was cor
rect: and thereupon a definite agreement
was entered into between the Secretary of |
War and the r. R. company, that the Gov>
eminent should always have the preference, !
that it shonld pay cts. nrie for passen-
gers, (the regular rates were about cts. a ,
mile.) and that it should pay freights a. a
fixed rate, (below the company's regular
SCALE and that from these low rates should
be deducted 33i per cent. in consideration Of
the right of the Government, under the land
grant, 20 the free use of the railroad as a
roadway.
Was this not enough? What has this
railroad cost the Government? 1t is true, it
donated land, for its construction, bat how {?
The Government owned immense tracts of
Wild prairie, which it offered in vain TO sell ,
or Sl.25 an acre. 1t care one-half Of these
ands, for six miles on each side of the rail- s
Dad, to the State to buiLi the road, but
alsed its price to 1925 on the other half
The result was, the Government lost nothing, ,
tut gained speedy market for its lands at .
he enhanced price. The Claim ofAlr. Wash
'urn, that the Government has a right to
appropriate to its own use. whenever it
'ieases, not only the roadway, but all the
olling stock, employees and machinery of the
ompany, is, under the circumstances, simply
logglsh. When the same proposition was
'etore the last Congress, Secretary Stanton ,
ent letter to the Senate, stating that if the
g per cent. were withheld from the r, II.
Company, it must cease operations, and the
government would be compelled to operate
be road ut an expense immensely above t
that It was paying the company I
Why NJ. Washburn, in Congress. should u
Q persis'an!ly urge this matter which so !
eriously affects the treasury Of his own n
tate, ID difficult to conceive, unless he is !;
ctuated by his old grudge agans. the r. Z.
ompany for running through Galena to
'unleith, instead of stopping twelve miles n
rom any" here. He forced his amendment II
trough the House last winter, but it was 5
etcated in the Senate. Now, that he has
: ain worked it through the House. it !. q
ncere!y to be hoped that our Senators will =
gain be able to give it a quietus in the other i,
ranch.
It's al! we'll enough to cry out against
abroad monopolists, extortion, &C.; but this f
question simply of justice to Hin Dis c
here are railroads in Iowa. Missouri, Wis. fl
'nsin~apd other states, built by The aid of "a
'nd grants from Congress, just as the Hi.
ois Central was built, and the Government
ad troops and property transported over Y
iese also, and paid them, too, in most cases O,
lore literally than the Illinois road. Wbv A