The Van Buren press., 1874-02-17
TELEGRAPH NEWS.
Especial Dispatch to the Republican,
Southern Routes to the Pacific Coast.
Memorial to Congress Of the Texas Pa.
cifc and Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad Companies.
WASHINGTON, Feb. II.
scoTT's RAILROAD INTERESTS.

SCOTT RAILROAD INTERESTS.
SO much has been guessed and sur
missed about the programme Of Colonel
Thomas A. Scott for securing govern
ment aid in the construction of his South
that tue following abstract Of the memo
rial and bill, which he has prepared for
presentation to Congress, will be of in
terest:
The memorial sets forth that the length
Of the Texas Pacific is 1915 miles, and
the A and Z. 2.7l3 miles, the land grant
TO the first being seventeen million acres,
and to the last 49,55S,0lS. That in both
cases the construction has been arrested
by financial embarrassment; that the
money expended in the construction Of
the Texas Pacific was private capital sole
ly, and that the abandonment of the two
separate lines and the construction of n
common line will save 800 miles of
road and restore to the United States
thirty million acres of land The memo
rial also represents that a system of rail
roads based upon English capital has
been inangurated in Mexico, the line
from Mexico city to Vera Cruz being
completed, the influence of which will be
to divert the southwestern transconti
mental trade into English channels aud
away from the United States to which it
properly belongs.
In view Of all these facts the memorial
is to pray first, that the A and p be al
lowed to defect its line from Vinita
southwcstwardly into Texas, and the L.
=: to defect northwestwardly, SO as to
effect junction at some point north.
westward of the one hundred and second
meridian second, that for each section
of twenty or more miles of continuous
road constructed and equipped by either
company, the Secretary Of the Treasury
in the name of the United States, shall
guarantee the interest of 5 per cent in
gold on bonds to be issued by the com
pany for road constructed in plain or
open country, say for one half of the
line authorized, at the rate Of 100000
per mile, and for rough and mountainous
country $4,000 per mile-an additional
5000 per mile to lie issued by each com
panv ;nl deposited with the Secretary of
the Treasury until after the completion
Of the road which each company is au
thorized to build.
Officers OF the company shall certify
under oath the increasing business Of
their roals
The government shall have first mort
gage on the road, etc second, the entire
OF ho al ,.f do
tofore granted by the United States to
said companies; third, a restoration to
the government Of about thirty millions
acres Of land Of the Atlantic and Pacific
old route along the thirty fifth parallel,
fourth, $1,000 per mile in bonds of the
$4,000 authorized, or one eighth OF the
issue, to be retained as already specified
by the Secretary Of the Treasury, and
sold hy him if at any time during the
construction the proceeds Of the sales of
lands, government transportation, postal
and government telcgraphic service and
the entire net earnings of the road are
not sufficient to meet the maturing inter
est The memorial then concludes with
an appeal on behalf of the interests of
the Southwest.
The bill which accompanies the memo
rial is entitled: "An act amcndatory of
and supplementary to acts of March 3,
1871, and May 9. 1872, Incorporating the
Texas Pacific Railway company, and the
act of July 27, 1866, incorporating the
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad company.
The preamble recites that the Texas Pa
all G,. baS ot
in operation 3l5 miles Of road together
with 222 miles partially constructed and
in various stages Of completion, and that
the Atlantic and Pacific, including the
line from st, Louis to Springfield, has in
operation 36S miles of road Also that
tine surveys of both lines through to the
Pacific coast have been filed in the office
Of the Secretary of the Interior and "a
reservation OF the alternate odd number
ed sections Of land granted has been
made II is further set forth that the in
ter0sts of the government of the United
States, as well as Of the people of Cali
furnia, Arizona, New Mexico, Missouri
and Texas, and all the Southern, West
ern and Northwestern States now CON
nected by lines Of road with the Eastern
termni of the Atlantic and Pacific and
roads, will be promoted by the immediate
completion Of one great Southern line
through to the Pacific, and by the union
OF the two proposed lines into such com
mon line. whereby 3000O,0O0 acres Of
land heretofore granted will revert back
to the public domain.