The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-05-23

whether tho government would ex-
pend two million dollars annually for
the purpose Of constructing this road,
the value OF which could not DO meas
ured In dollars
The amount asked was not hall the
amount appropriated annually for riv.
era and harborsi was not as much M
the government expended before the
war for mail transportation alone to
the Pacific coast, and that was AT u
time when we had but thirty-two
millions OF people, and the postal de-
mands OF the country were not what
they ARE now. TWAS not u fair states
ment OF this case 10 say that the pas
sage OF this bill committed the gov
eminent 10 great debt. Take the ap.
preparations for the army for the next
iifty years--were they regarded now as
Il debit They brought no remunera-
ton but In the case of the road the
government becomes creditor OF the
road
Referring to the Pacific states aud
territories, he said the sudden acquisi.
ton Of our Pacific empire was re-
markable epoch In the political history
OF this country. Some OF our states
men regarded the event with enthusi-
astic feelings, and others were detected
He then quoted from the speech OF
Mr.. Webster, on this subject, to the
effect that II was impossible for this
vast empire to DO integrated into our
political system. Mr.. Lamar next res
ferred to the views entertained on the
subject by VIM, IL. Seward, John p.
Hale and other statesmen, and said II
was held that the United States, to
maintain its hold upon that western
empire, must connect II with the At
lantic by u series of railroads, which
no private enterprise could accom-.
plish, but must be done by the federal
government
He then spoke OF u bill introduced
in the house OF representatives In 1852,
by Mr.. Rusk, OF Texas, and said 1t was
defeated by those who at that time
doubted the constitutional power of
the government to construct the
road. Had 1t not been for
those constitutional objections Il
railroad would be now running over
this very route. He argued that there
were no constitutional grounds against
government aid In the construction of
the road, and read letter OF II, M. II.
Hunter, of Virginia, who formerly op.
posed the bill on constitutional grounds,
stating that he still retained those
general views, but in many respects
they had been modified 10y the expe-
rience and results OF the war.
He next referred to the grants to
other Pacific railroads and said to the
Northern Pacific the government had
given grant of fortysseven million
acres, to the Union Pacific and Central
Pacific II had given fifty million acres
of land and its bonds to prodigious
amount, but its aid to the Texas Pacific
was but eighteen million acres Of land.
The people of the south had already
invested million dollars in the road,
built four hundred and forty.fve miles,
but they were unable to build more.
The legislatures of every state in the
south have passed resolutions favoriDg
government aid In the construction of
this road. He spoke of the advantage
of the soil and the climate OF the south,
and argued that the cost of living
there was cheap, and taxation every
year was growing less burdensome.
Throughout the territory were great
rivers, which never froze up in winter,
nor dried up in summer, and could
turn her spindes all the year round.
The southern states had but a small
portion OF their cotton lands under Gull
tivation. They could raise enough
to clothe the whole world. The mar
kets of China, Japan aud other eastern
countries presented greater advantages
to the United States, and with the con-
strdcton of the Texas and Pacific road,
we would be put into more interme.
diate relations with these countries.
He was satisfied that the construc-
ton OF the Texas and Pacific road
would be a prompt and most efficient
means for the development of south.
ern commerce and agriculture. He
spoke of labor troubles In the country,
and said what we needed was the
Inauguration OF new enterprises to
employ labor. In conclusion, he aps
pealed to the senators from the New
England states especially, to support
the measure as work OF national Inn
portance, in the int crest of the whole
American people.
Mr.. johnson, OF Virginia, gave no
tice that he would address the senate
on this bill, but was not prepared to
do 30 to-day. The District OF Column
bia bill was discussed to executive
Murphy Movement.
The Murphy temperance movement
held another meeting at the Taber
nacle. on Elm street, last night. Al