The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-25

I
| such part OF said Texas and Pacific Rail way
| Trorided That said mortgage shall not embrace
| or constitute lien upon any property. fran
nhiae or security pledged As an indemnity to
| the government for the guarantee of interest on
the bonds issued to construct any portion of the
| line between Fort Worth and San Diego. And
such manner as may do equal and exact JUS
tice to I'll sections cf the country to be af-
feeted thereby II shall he the duty of the
prasidanT If Tho United sta es, within sixty
days after the passage OF this net. to appoint
five commissioners three Of whom hell be the
three engineer officers Of the United States
highest IN rank ana al Of them wholly uncoD-
nened with and free from all personal or cor
porae interest in. any OF the proposed routes
bot weep Texas aud the Assis~ppi river and
also fres from all personal OF corporate inter
terest In any railroad company from any point
on or connecting with the Mississippi river and
the Atlantic or Gull coast. whose duty It shall
ba to Examine the various proposed routes be-
z=eeH the Miesissippi river and the t.rnenllt
CONSTR acted road OF the Texas aud Pacific Rail
wly Company: and after considering all uues-
tions ~ distance, cost and transportation routes.
in view Of foreign as well as domestic trade and
commerce. aud also In view nf an eligible con
naction with the Atlantic seaboard, to report
whore in their Judgment the proposed addition
eastward of the present main trunk line OF tine
Texas and Pacific Railway Company shall
connect with the present line, and whore it
shall connect with The Mississippi river; Pro
ridei That the roint Of connection with the
Mississippi river shall not be farther
north than tho city. Of Memphis, Tenn. !:
and their report. II approved by the
President OF tho InltH1 States shAI b.
nnal and conclusive in determining the 10 alton
If the eastern connection with the Mississippi
river. which shall then be constructed according
to tho government s.nndard. but without any
guarantee ii Interest by the government: ITo.
riied horerer That the authority Of the state
nr States through which the line may DO located
shall ha obtained before the road shall be- built
and That ths part u said line shall be
built ut the rate Of not less than Nifty miles
per annum, after tho location Of tho line il de-
nrmned on: And prorided further, That the
eastern terminus of the said Texas and iaciilc
Railway shall he on the east bank Of the Missis-
sippi river wherever this point may be desig
mated, and which terminus may be reached
either by suitable boats or p bridge ov, said
river as may he prefnrred by said company
Pacific halfway Company sh al have the right to
purchase tho charter, franchises, aud property
Of any existing line, II any there DO, on the
aeleced route, Or construct a. new q, one at tho
ported by Senator Matthew'S
The president ahnH appoint commissioners
within sixty days. That means business.
There Is nerve and energy In that. MI Scott
has spoken comfort nj last ~ our trembling
souls We gape like the rallble Mt the read
ing Of Cpsars will. The terminus will be-
fixed within six months Mt farthest Ofcourse
we expect to hear in the very next sentences
the number of days OF months allowed for
fixing forever the eastern terminus. Let us
When the commissioners examine all the
various proposed routes between Marshall
and the mississippi river when the three
engineer officers who must be highest in
no interest in any of the railroads.
when the five commissioners shall have
considered all questions of distance,
cost and transportation roufca in view Of
fo,eign and domcstic trdde and commerce
and also in view of IN tonel eligible connection
with tho Atlantic acnbonvd. whom they shall
report their conclusion. when the president
shall agree with thou, If they should be unan-
imous, or with the majority, IT they disagree
Hrn tho eastern terminus will be fixed pro-
rdrd however. the authority Of the State
through which tho limo may DO located shall
ha obtained before the road shall be built and
proriicd fifty miles per annum of this line
shall Toe built utter the location of The lime mot
the terminus is determinedo on. Can any man
doubt the cunning purpose of all this cum
brous machinery, and these many contn-
gcncirs when n single sentence honestly
spoken. would have fixed the terminus at
Memphis or Vicksburg2 IT. is time this
shutting and Misunderstanding were ut an end
and you have tho power to stop it.
But this bill is romarkablein other respects.
directed Gov. Browns attention, when we
discussed tho merits Of these two companies
before tho Chamber of Commerce in Charles
ton to the fact that this bill does not contain
a clause for forfeiture in the event the Texas
and Pacific failed 10 build tho connection cdst
from Marshall to the Mississippi river. His
reply was. that there was such n clause in the
House bill. "He asked the Senate to Rdopt
the House bill but when they came to con
slider it they did SO with closed doors and
afterwards these discrepancies were dis
covered This explanation Is wholly I'M
satisfactory. All committees of the Senate
sit with closed doors when acting on bills
They sit often with open doors when
hearing arguments, but never when
making up Judgment. But, whether in
open or secret session. would any
committee OF its own motion, omit n pro
vision consented to by the company, which
was for the protection of the government. or
the people, The location of the eastern ter
minus hinged on that clause, for without it,
the Texas and Pacific could not be compelled
to build east of Marshall. | leave this awk-
ward question just where it Is, with the re-
mark that | acqut both the committees and
Gov. Brown Of the responsibility Of emitting
that most important provision Of the bill
Some one is responsible for it, and it was not
done by the government, or tho people, or the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company
WHO DICTATES TIE CoMPANYS POhICY2
When ! charged. In the discussion with
Gov. Brown. in Charleston that the Pennsyl-
vania Central had intended from the begin
ming, and intends now to get, if it can. Il
Southwest connection from st. Louis, via
Ninita, and that the bill advocated by Mr.
Scott before the Senate committee in De
cember, 1874, asked for n subsidy for the Texas
and Pacicand the Atlantic and Pacific which
IlilS lIDIH Y lHlLh southwest, trDV. Brown re-
piled in these words: "OHr bill now does not
ask for any branch from Ninita to st Louis.
nor did the company Texas and Pacific de-
sire 1t, They the Texas and Pacific acted in
good faith under the recommendations of the
St Louis convention" Now. this is evidence
of what ! have always suspected, which is,
that Gov Brown is not IN the innermost
secrets of Tom Scott and that cabal
seated in Philadelphia. and known there rs
the Pennsylvania Central, and west of the
Mississippi as the Texas and Pacific For
mote this fact! Gov Brown says the Texas
and Pacific Company included the Atlantic
and Pacific Company in its bill asking for n
subsidy, not because tho Texas and Pacific
desired the Vinta branch built, but simply In
Difference to the recommendations Of he 81.
Louis contention. NOr note hisi Tom Scott
made his argument before the Senate com
mittee asking $4,000 n mile for the Texas
and Pacific and the Atlantic and Pacifc on
the fourth OF December, 1874, and the st.
Louis convention rds not hetd until The fpe1,t1j-
third Of Norember 1875.
When we So" a Southern company organ
lied by Philadelphia men; when we see the
president Of that company also the president