New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-25


| used the magnificent endowment with which the
Government has enriched It that prudent men are fear
the only eeetua remonstrance against It's rowerand ex
actions, to wit,thcesablshmeut Of competing line over
PEI Vision and control which will render Impossible me
sbnes which the Government and the public
sibe monopoly II would far exceed the proper n, !,
of this report 10 Cono history OF the @ n
which grew the great monopoly represented Dy ts
and Central Pacific but really controlled by ana I'D rhe
few men Pnf the lesson which practical wisdom should
draw herefrom is not that Congress shouio llu!
have been made bT by wise ana GScous legislation
remedy mistakes and to secure TO the pGope ana
nectiOns which the general welfare demands.
On the question Of economy the committee says
AS a simple measure of economy the Government in
fairs could well afford to expcnd the cons trncton
OF the line proposed by this hill than is asked To guar
aDtoe. The rates of transportation charged on t1e
present Pacific connections admitted on al sides TO
he high Yet the reports of the Quartz
railroad the former mode OF tihisi3i ta't ION
by wagon has been q per cent ana 1aa' , iGs
saving amounted 10 about S2OO00o0 rer annnm
Tic building Of the proposed road would III a., ~
of q military establishment in Western Texas, New
Mexlco and Arizona into absolute revenue from Io
porous and weah-c reating people Inc new hIaihetS
that would thus be opened TO the enterprise anu en-
eIgy Of the Amerca people ToSa MERCHANTS from the
coast supply the people of Mexico ana enjoy lno r
of the trade The influence which this great line OF ri
Wv wond exert in promoting peaceful relations Wit
our sister Republic solving the Indian question ana
the protection it would afford to our Mexican fIoner
ard lie Pacific coast in case Of foreign war, can had3
he oVcrestiinated
In closing the report the committee says:
Ycur ceanrnittcc, surveying the demands OF co nd
mercc both foreign and domestic, at no distant DAY "m
the s,lne-Or advantage Of this route, can oGo ~ il"
other conclusion than thar It's cons t There never
Vas more opporiuEe time than the present ior ho
spesS 10 eI comnIedn The practical influence Of
such an agency in revivinS industry anu h" I
% os The Trcecnt sIonld not he overlooked under
estimated i, cannot he denied that the vigorous Tose
cuon of 30 great National work would do huch 10 r.
ucve tie labor and financial famine OF me country ny
giving employment to multitGdes anu putting iIho
amounts of idle capital into active circulation
The committee discusses the proposition oil the
Southern Pacific Company to build the road east
from Folt Yuma for the land granted TO the Texas
and Pacific Company, and accepts the arguments
AGAINST this that have been made by Colonel Scott
and his agents. The substantial identity of the
Central and Southern Pacific Companies is asserted
and an argument is made against contributing to
the uphulldiug OF such great monopoly. On tins
point the committee says:
To give the Central Pacific control CT the western END
of the Texas racfc. with terminal facilities on the IA
ciGc coast. that mammoth company now owning every
other avenue the Pacific coast within the limits OF the
State Of California would be 70 defeat the main object 81
the whole enterprise 10 w.t. the building OF great COM
ctiu line TO the Pacific under the supervision and CON
i.o Of the Government
stitutionalty of the proposed legislation with a few
words. aud passes to the consideration Of the pro-
visions Of the lnll requiring the construction of an
extension to the Mississippi River, which is to be
done without Government aid. The following Is The
concluding paragraph of the report:
In conclusion the committee deem Il not inapprc-
pirate to advert TO the fact that there is large measure
of Justice duc the South and southwest Ibrcc states
OF the SOUTH Nirsinia North CAROLINE ana 'eHisi, EFe
TO the United states lso0O000O OF acres of aud winch
ino;e. Kentucky. Tennessee, Alabama and Mssis,
sipli. Wien We compare what the donors oil
received from the sale OF these lands and from Govern
nent bounty with what has been SO la'isily bestowed
selves TO believe that this ineqmty wi be continued ana
pcTenatod by giving To the N"ltp@In s'cdIn6 OF tg
tnis bill construct nc which VIII give her people
the benefits or a like connection.
This report will be supported by the following
named members of the committee Messrs. 1hTock-
morton, House, Chalmers Elam, ONeil, Caswell
and Cole.
a STRONG MINORITY.
The minority report which is to be presented by
Mr.. Morrison, is not yet completed. Certainly hVe,
and probably six, members of the committee are
opposed to the plans of the majority. but they are
not al of the same opinion with regard to
the best things to recommend as substi-
tute. Two or three Of them favor the schemes
of the Southern Pacific people while the rest are
opposed 10 giving either the lands, money or credit
of the Government TO the project III any shape
Mr. Morrison believes, an original proposition,
that the subsdzing Of railroads or other private
CORPORA ions by the Government is unconstitutional
that such action is foreign to the genius OF our IN
stitutions and is frauglt with danger for our
future Ho holds, moreover, that there is nothing
in the present condition Of the South OF of the coun
try, which will make another transcontncntai line
Of railroad necessary for twenty-five years to come
| anG that if right in principle it will be unwisc in
the present unpronisnE state OF National hnanccs
! into any projects involving an expenditure Of
| money or grant of lands 20 increase our trans
noriafion facilities to the Pacific until the capacity
| of the present line is filed. He thinks
that power 10 control the charges for transportation
over The existing line sufficient to protect the inter
| esfs of the Government and the pubic Is already
possessed by Congress, if II chooses to exercise it..
The minority are Messrs. Morrison, Luttre!l, Lam
| dcIs Hewitt. and Blair. Nh Rice's position is Il
| little doubtful, but he will probably oppose the
| majority bill.
LOC1L MISCELLANY.