Owyhee semi-weekly tidal wave. [volume] (Silver City, Owyhee County, Idaho Territory) 1868-1869, 1869-04-27
Synopsis of Report of Senate
r,ofn iffee on Pacific railroads,

synopsis of Report OF senate
Comm ftee on Pacific railroads,
made Feb. 10, Is63.--ihe report OF
the majority Of the Senate Committee on
Pacific Railroads is an exhaustive argument
in favor OF two additional trunk railroads 10
the PaciGc-one from Lake Superior to P1-
gets sound; the other from Little Rock, Ia
Arkansas, and from the terminus Of the Kan
sas Pacific railway in Kansas, by the route Of
the thirty ilfth parallel, 10 San Diego and san
Francisco The report declares afiirTnstiVely
that the bill reported by the majority Of the
committee was intended to be the finality OF
legislation ID aid Of Pacific railways; that
after having provided substantially TWO ad
ditionai trunk outlets-One for the Northern
States and one for the Southern States-at
suitable initial points, it was intended 10 stop
there ali Congressional aid, and leave 10 pr
yate enterprise and State endowment the fu-
ture construction OF branches. The report
shows al length and with large array Of
statistics, derived from the experience Of the
influence Of railways in England, France,
Belgium, Holland, and the United States,
that they are the greatest ofall modern agen
cies for the production Of wealth and the de
/ velOpment OF trade and commerce II dem
Onstrates that the import and export trade Of
the principal countries IN Europe are IN pre-
J else proportion 10 the development or their
railway systems, respectively; that the ex-
/ perience Of Belgium, France, Austria, spain
( and Italy shows that q tax on railway receipts
| is the best sinking fund thus far devised for
/ the speedy payment Of national debts II
I also shows that two additional trunk railways
10 the Pacific are commercially necessary,
demonstrating that a single line cannot do
4 the work thai will be thrown upon IL; that
additional lines. free from obstruction by
I mr.. a m
intercourse; to prevent the evils Of mo-
opOly; 10 avoid political discomfort in the
I Northern and Southern sections Of the Union /;
+ 20 bring the public dOInaia into market; TO
! increase Immigration from Europe; to quad
ruple our yield Of gold and silver; to save
4 two thirds Of the cost of wagOning supplies
I 10 the l09 military posts in the Indian c0un
4 try which now amounts to about seventeen
millions year; TO reduce by one-half the
number Of troops maintained in the Terrific
/ mes by the greater mobility the roads Will
| give the remainder, and TO practically end
/ Indian wars, which the report shows cost the
country during the last campaign about one
million dollars a week The majority Of the
committee urgently recommend and to the
1 roads as a measure Of immediate and lasting
economy to the Government The report
proves thai il is safe for the Government to
aid them without reference TO the incidental
advantages Of doing SO, by showing from the
accounts Of the Quartermaster's Department
! with the Kansas Pacific Railroad that upon
an average use Of go miles Of the road its
earnings for work done for the Government
not only paid the interest On the bonds ad-
vanced t. the road and provided the sinking
| fund to redeem them, hui brought the Gov
eminent in debt to the road The report OPP
poses grants hereafter of Government aid
like that given to the Union Pacific and Con
trail Pacific, in bonds directly issued, but ad-
| vOcates a guarantee OF the interest Of the
| mortgage bonds OF the two additional trunk
Pacific roads, to be issued to "A defined and
limited extent 1t declares that they are
military commercial, and political necess
ties and concludes with the averment thai
The people demand their construction, an'
DO not, ~ has been alleged. participate in
or sympaihize with. the recently raised out
cry again~; the Pacific Railway aid.