Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-11-23
OF COMMERCE
Al Informal Meeting Held Yesterday.
Memorial to the Congress Of the United
States.

niscs Yesterday, but owing to the heavy
- falling. a auorum did not get to-
Gather. Those present organized into an
Informal meeting, and President Nelson
called upon Col. Clapp to read the Follow
ing memorial to the Senate and House
OF Representatives or the United states,
which was adopted by the meeting:
To ne Honorable SeHdte and House Of
Representatives Of the GATED States ii
America:
The memorial Of the Memphis Chamber
Of Commerce respectfully shows to your
honorable bodies that within a little more
than a year last past there have been four
consecutive Conventions held, tO-wi;:
The one at Norfolk. Va, on b 18th d y
Of October, 1865; the Que at Memphis,
Tenn, on the 18th day Of May, 1863; the
next at New Orleans, Ia, on the
day Of the same month; and last, Ivy the
n at Louisville, Ky. on the l2th day OF
October last; all Of which Conventions
were attended by gentlemen of u high or
der OF intelligence, representing the ma
tioual interests of alInO~t every Southern
and Southwestern State.
Al zach one of these several ConVen
lions the construction Of a Railroad To the
Pacific coast upon a hich would be
available 10 All Of these States, and would
be exempt from the climatic and other
objections which exist a. to the Union
Pacific Railroad was regarded as a matter
of paramount Importance.
Atthe Memphis Convention the follow
ing resolution was adopted, with great
unanimity and enthusiasm, indicating
the route which, under all the clrcuin-
stances was deemed the most eligible.
sResOgped, That in the opinion of this
Convention the interests OF the whole
country, and especially those of the South
ern States, could be served by a main
trunk railroad lane from San Diego, Cal.
through the junction Of the river COlOra-
do and ella aud along the valley OF the
ella, south of that river, 10 III Paso, on
the Rio Grande, and thence TO a convent
emit central point near the thirty-secOnd
degree parallel Of latitude east of the
BrazOs river, in the State OF Texas, from
which main trunk feeder roads should
lead from St. Louis. Cairo, Memphis,
Yicksburg and New Orleans, and other
points: all Of which feeder roads having
equal rights of connection with said main
trunk, with similar feeder roads from san
Francisco and other points on the Pacinc
coast, should have similar and equal
rights Of connection"
This resolution was substantially re-
adopted and the route therein indi-
Gated approved and recommended by the
succeeding Conventions al New Orleans
and louisville, and il is in behalf Of this
enterprise 20 earnestly and tremendously
advocated, that your memOrialists would
respectfully invite your attention, and
invoke, through your honorable bodies
the aid OF the National Government.
Your meinOrialists respectfully suggest
that oven if the railroad already in opera
ton across the continent were subject to
none oftbe grave objections thatare urged
against Is as a reliable means Of transit
and transportation during the winter sea
son. vet the construction OF another great
thorOughfare 20 the Pacific, upon a more
Southern route, may justly be regarded as
a great commercial and political necessity,
and, therefore, As strictly a National work,
deserving of the active and efficient aid OF
the Federal Government, without which
its construction, at an early day, may we'll
be regarded as impracicable.
The Immediate effect OF the butldfnE or
this road will be to open up 10 settlement
and that vast stretch Of eOuu-
try between the Mississippi river and the
Pacific ocean, large enough of itself
for "a great empire, which is now, for
the most part, a wilderness waste,
but which possesses Inany and great ma
natural resources and advantages in fer
tility OF soil. salubTity Of climate, abund-
auce OF mineral treasures, manufacturing
facilities, etc, all Of which are only await
ing The hand or enterpTisstO awaken them
TO lite. and bring them into requisItion.
Cut OF as this interior country now is,
from access TO market or communication
with the outer world. its treasures lie dor
mant and its natural advantages value
less. the cost 0ftraasportation constituting
au insupsrable obstacle To their develop
meut. and consequently those boundisss
plains, capable Of sustaining 4 population
OF millions, are comparatively uninhdo-
itcd.
Railroads are atanifastly the onlvagency
by which thi- inland region can be sup
plisi with ID uiarket; aud the results OF
employing this gencv would be As mar
Weldon. a. they have been elsewhere, TN
der tins most favorable circumstances A
Tide of emigration would at once set In.
iH that direction, by which ~ ydfue would
be impaired 20 b public domain, which
WOOL IN = short time be more than an
equivalent for any assistance which
The Government might afford. Besides,
this ENLARGED value Of the public lands,
the Government would derive other bsu-
ehts from the construction OF this road
equally Tangible; the oad viii Itself be \
great civilizer: aiTording protection and
security against the d-epredatiOns of hos
tile Indians; renducing the number Of
troops now required upon the frontier;
aud etTacting an incaleulable saving in tine
cost OF Government transportation.
Viewed in the light Of these results, the
construction of tine road advocated by
your meDlorialists may be regarded a. a
measure or public economy, which a
Strengthened condition OF our national
finances would only render a more judi
cious and necessary subject Of Govern
ment aid. ANY assistance ~which'may DO
rendered being, in fact. only a loan 10 ba
returned at nc distant day with compound
interest.
Your mcmOrialists, therefore, pray your
honorable bodies that . law may he passed
extending to tho trunk road referred tn
in this memorial, the same measure OF AS
~sistance that was conferred by Congress
upon the Union PsCihc Railroad. And a.
in duty bound. they will over pray, etc.
CAR LOAD OF late monthlies. Illustrated
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