The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-04-17

To the House Of Representatives Of
Congress Of the United States ia Congress Assembled
Your memorialists would respectfully rep
resent to your honorable body that the State
of Mississippi is deeply and earnestly interest
ed in the construction of railroad throu gh
the State connecting her people with the
great northwest and the seaboard al Mississippi
City, in Harrison county, the nearest point to
Ship Island Harbor. Ever since 1851, each
succeeding Legislature has, in some way, en-
deavored to encourage this great enterprise.
and meet the demands OF the people for a
highway to our own sea shore. as a stimulus
to our commerce and the development of the
great interior resources OF the State. Your
petitioners would show, that in 1856 your
honorable body donated by Act of Congress,
TO several railroads in different States. public
lands of the General Government TO encourage
the building of the same. The States receiv
ing this aid included the States of Alabama,
Florida, Iowa, Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Mississippi, and the Territory of Minnesota
Most of roads thus aided, completed their lines
and received the grants made by the Govern
ment The donation made to the Gulf and
Ship Island Railroad, chartered by this State,
beginning at Mississippi City, on the sea shore,
and terminating at Canton, in this State
reverted to the Government. the condition of
the grant being that the road should be com
pleted within ten years The State made
every euOGO 10 encourage anu ASSIST the CON
struction of said road, appropriating five
thousand dollars ($5,000) to assist in the sur
veying of the route, and passed an Act trans
ferring to said railroad company all the stock
owned by the State OF Mississippi in all the
other railroads of the State. The failure Of
the company was not attributable to neglect
or want Of enterprise, but the results in
consequence of the late civil war. The rail
roads were not able to pay their indebtedness,
nd tho road lost the hanpft dos uno1 IN he
secured by the liberal legislation of a former
period, and the lands lapsed to the Govern
ment in consequence of the failure, as before
stated.
Your memOrialsts now respectfully show.
that there is now chartered by the Legislature
of this State, a railroad company authorized
to construct maintain and operate line OF
railway, beginning at near Mississippi City,
on the shore, to the town of Middleton, in
the State of Tennessee, connecting the Mem
phis and Charleston railways and through to
the great northwest, by the connection with
the New Orleans, St. Louis and Chicago, and
Mobile and Ohio Railways, known the Ship
Island, Ripley and Kentucky Railroad, and
has now twenty-five (25) miles already con-
structed and being operated, and gives every
hope of an ultimate accomplishment OF the
great wish of our people.
Your memorialists, therefore, most earnestly
petition your honorable body to renew and
extend the benificent donation which was
heretofore made TO the Gulf and Ship Island
Railroad, to the Ship Island, Ripley and Ken
lucky Railroad said grant to be made on the
terms of the former Act, with the same limi-
tations and restrictions. The State intends
by every means in its power to encourage the
construction and equipment of this road, feel
ing assured that its completion is fraught with
the greatest benefits to her people and the
whole country. Former Legislatures at yari
Gus times have memorialized your honorable
body for grants of the public domain in aid of
this great enterprise; and that you will renew
and extend the former liberal Act of the
government the benefits of which were lost
in consequence of the late civil troubles of
the country, your memorialists would renew
and unite in said former petitions, all as ex-
pressing the great wish OF the people of the
State in behalf of the opening of this great
highway.
Your mem 5rialists would respectfully call
your attention to the fact that the Southern
terminus of said road, at Mississippi City, is
the nearest point opposite Ship Island harbor.
The coast surveys and the valuable papers of
the late NJ. f. Maury, and the most compe-
tent engineers of the Government all bear
testimony that Ship Island harbor is the best
on the line of sea coast south of Norfolk,
Virginia. This harbor was occupied by the
British fleet in the war of 1912, and where
they again anchored in safety after the repulse
at Pass Manshac by General Jackson. The
Federal navy held the harbOr during the late
war, and its value is known to every intelli-
gent officer connected with the maritime de-
partment of the Government. 1t has depth
of from twenty five (25) to thirty 800 feet,
and capacity sufficient to protect and shelter
the whole national and coastwise marine of
the United States. The importance of this
harbor has long attracted the attention of
scientific men and naval officers.
The engineers who made the coast surveys
| for the Government, set forth fully its value,
and Professor Hilgard, the gentleman and
scientist, says In his report of the Geology
of Mississippi; & have been somewhat min
ute in the description of the general charac-
ter of the coast region because it is less known
to the majority of the people of Mississippi
| than any other portion of the State, in conse-
quence, no doubt, of the difficulty of inter
communication at present existins Although
ahstractly aware that Mississippi possesses a
share in the shores and waters of the gulf, il
has not, until recently, entered into the calcu.
lations of the people at large. Yet the most
casual observer, as soon as personal inspection
shall have made him conscious of the reality
cannot fail to be impressed with the immense
importance OF opening highway through
which Mississippi may communicate over heI
own, with portion Of her territory which
possesses both harbor commensurate with
/ the magnitude of her commercial interests
and a climate not only healthful and pleasant
but capable, moreover, of producing many O
the choicest fruits of the tropics, as we'll as O
the temperate zone. Along with the cottoI
bales of north and central Mississippi, the
lumber and turpentine of the vast pine forests
of the solth, would find their way through
this channel to the great highway of nations
Nor would the ample grazing grounds which
separate these forests from the coast, Ions
rogn air. Vvifhorf land voork tn err1ido the frav