The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-13
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROADS.
Probable Passage of senator JOhnstDn's .
Rill-A Full synopsis of Its
Provisions.

WASHINGTON, May u. The amended
Texas Pacific Railroad bill, introduced in the
Senate by Senator Johnston, of Virginia, is
attracting the support of nearly the entire
Southern representatives in both houses, and
it is believed the bill will pass at an early
day.
Each of the companies receiving aid from
the government under the provisions Of this
bill is Obliged, at all times, to transport sup
plies, munitions and materials of war, United
States mails, etc. for which they shall! receive
credits until the money advanced shall be re-
turned to the United States treasury, prin-
cipal and interest, and If the whole is not re-
turned within twenty years, then the balance
due shall be paid out Of the government ser
vice and earnings of the road.
The railroads included in this bill, to which
subsidies are to be paid. are as follows: The
Texas and Pacific Railroad Company, from
it's terminus at Fort Worth to Doint at or
near FL Paso, on thdRio Grande; the Calves
ton, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad
Antonio, Texas, to point at or near Ell Paso,
on the Rio Grande; a blank company and the
International and Great Northern Railroad
Company. from Donaldsonville, La, to
Orange, Texas, and from Austin to San An
tonic, Texas-thus making through connec-
tion with New Orleans; the North Louisi-
ana and Texas Railroad Company, from
Shreveport to Monroe, La; thus forming
continuous railroad line to Vicksburg, Miss;
the Memphis and Internati4nal Railroad
SoiHpuI3, hh0 DltALuhDS Slpy IthAtotd SoiIN
pany, from jefferson, Texas to Memphis,
Tenn.
The above enumerated roads are to be as
sisted at the rate of $4,000 per mile, and the
aggregate amount will be about $1S0OO00O.
which will insure the completion of two lines
of road to Ell Paso, on the Rio Grande, and
the connection OF the same with New Orleans,
Vicksburg and Memphis; and to continue this
system to the Pacific Ocean, the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company agrees to meet
these roads at Ell Paso, without aid by the
government of single dollar in subsidy, but
simply receiving the old Texas and Pacific
land grant from Yuma. Arizona to Ell PaSo.
To prevent eXtortion in freights and fares,
Senator Johnston's bill provides that the
| roads named shall be at all times under gov
ernment control and that all of them shall
| pro rate which in effect will compel the
Southern Pacific Company to carry at the
same rates for freight and fares as is estab-
lished by the Texas Pacific and Galveston
| Harrisburg and San Antonio roads, which
are parallel to each other from the gulf and
lower Mississippi to the Rio Grande at or near
El Paso, and will be necessarily completed for
through business to the gulf and lower Mis-
sissippi, whatever rates for transportation
are established by these rival roads will have
| to be accepted by the Southern Pacific on the
western end, thus insuring competitive rates
| from the gulf to the Pacific ocean, as binding
| as though the lines of the Texas Pacific and
Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio
roads were constructed parallel to each other
from the terminus at or near Ell PasO west to
the Pacific ocean.