Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-05-06

WASHINGTON, May l, 1S70.-Much
interest is manifested here by efforts
which are being made to deprive the
Memphis and Ell PasO Railroad Com
pany, known now as the Trans-C CONT
mental, Of its large and valuable fran
chise. Every obstacle that the inge-
nuity of New England capitalists
could suggest, has been used to pre-
vent the building of a Southern Pa
cifc Railroad from its very inception.
In the controversy now going on in
Congress over this great enterprise,
the completion of which is so neces-
sary TO Southern development, there
are two interests represented: First,
by the Union Pacific Company, which
is OppOsingth building Ofany line that
would be a competing line; second,
by a number of INSCRIPTIONS North
ern land spectators, who desire to
have a bill passed by Congress, giving
them a charter for a road which is to
be so located as to bring land they
have been buying up in Texas and
other places for a mere song into mar
ket, and thus enable them to realize
large fortunes, causing, as the success
of their scheme would, the loss of the
millions of dollars invested in the
Memphis and FL Paso road, now in
process of construction by capitalists
in this country and Europe. This in
terest is represented in the Senate by
Kellogg, of Louisiana, who intro
duced the bill, and who is pressing it
before the Pacific Railroad Committee
of the Senate. The report Of the sub
committee, to whom this matter was
referred, has been printed, and it
clearly indicates, at least, so far as
this committee has the power or in
fuence, the success Of the oppo-
nents of the Memphis and Ell
Paso road. That your readers may
have some idea of the extremes to
which Radical Legislators will go to
accomplish the success OF any scheme
=" that has money in it." to say moth
ing of the usurpation of power to
which they will resort for such a pur-
pose. | have only to mention that
the committee declare that the Mem
phis and FL Paso road have forfeited
their franchise granted by the State of
Texas, with all the lands donated by
that State, thus declaring that Con-
gress has the power TO so interfere
with State legislation as to decide
whether or not a corporation created
by a State has complied with its char
ter. 1t may well be asked whether a
State has any rights which Congress is
bound TO respect.
The route of the Memphis and Ell
Paso road has been so often described,
the rich and productive country
through which it passes, and the ne
Of its completion to the devel-
Opment Of the wealth of the South,
that every one must be fully ac-
quainted with it. The bill of Senator
Kellogg changes the route in many
material respects. For instance, the
point in Texas, by his bill,
would be Waco, a town in Mcclellan
county, on the BrazOs river. From
his point eastward there will be three
.ines-One to the southeast to Calves
and New Orleans, another TO the
northeast tOlCdrd Little Rock and
Memphis (but not by the one now
iurveyed and being built, and a
line to Marshall, Texas, and
hence by existing lines to Shreveport.
V~icksburg, Jackson, Montgomery
md the coast line" to Washington.
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New
York. Westward from Waco the
inc would eros the BrazOs, pass
through Corryell county, through
What is known as the Courthouse creek
and on this line keeping the
urvey of the thirty-second parallel to
Z PasO and San Diego. BY this pLan
here would be about eight hundred
1ileS Of road through the State of
'exas-passing through lands already
4 the hands of land spectators.
laps Of these lands are being exhib-
here, and the purposes for which
hey are used can readily be imag-
ned. In fact this scheme surpasses
lmost any other which has been be-
re Congress in its open audacity.
are many here who wonder
Omewhat that the companies COM
the Southern "cOast-line" are
Incorporated in this bill. Are they a
arty to il?