The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-10
WAsHIHGToN, Jan. 80, 1886.

EDITOR PICAYUNE: The attention OF /
Mr.. Barksdale, of Mississippi, having |
,een called to the vote OF the HOUSE
.trikiug out the clause OF the report Oi /
he Committee on Public Lands exempt |
ing the Gulf and ship island Raj road |
from the forfeiture OF the lands donated |
tn il. he said that the vote WAS not 1T all
10 the friends OF the enter
urise. '.On the contrary" he sand III
showed a very decided gain for the ex-
tension of the time for the completion OF
the road, since the question was tested
in the Forty eighth Congress. lie SAID
1.-THE question was preclpltated on the
House Unexpectedly to the committee,
and especially TO MIR. Van Eaton, who
had charge OF the Ship Island matter; II
having been understood and agreed chat
the bill to extend the time for THAT rail
road be considered separately on Its own
merits" Mr.. Bdrksdale said that he
was absent from the House on business
with a constituent when the brief dis
cussion was had, but on reading II III
e Record, he said that it exhibited
lie crude and erroneous views OF thost
who opposed it. They had connected
It with the prohigate land grant schemes
of latter days, by which immense bodies
Of land had been transferred TO corpora
tiuns for speculative purposes, and which
we're not intended 10 benefit the govern
ment or the people. This grant was
made under different regime (dunng
the Administration OF Mr.. Buchanan,
and for different purposes. The land
WAS donated to the State and was found
ed on the benehcent poliey which the
government in its purer days devised 10
secure the settlement OF the pubiIc
lands, and at the same time to enhance
the value of the alternate sections which
| it reserved, so that in no event could the
government be loser.
'The grant was made few years be
! fore the war Mississippi accepted 1t IN
good faith and made haste to avail her
self of it by surveying the line and ap
propria,i ling to its construction stocks SHE
| had invested in other enterprises,
amounting to about 81 300 600. The war
ensued, and the work was suspended
| but as soon as the State got upon her
| feet her interest in the enterprise revived.
ste is now before Congress with her pc
tition for the extension of the grant, and
has proved her faith by her works IN
furnishing the labor to build the roa'i.
She wants the time extended in order t.
supplement her own efforts, for she i
not playing the part of the WAGNER who
did not put his own shoulder to the
wheel.
How much time do you think is
needed for the completion of the road
II have a letter from the President oi
the company, Mr.. w. Fl. Hardy, stating
that it can be completed within less
than six years
The question has been asked, does
good faith and sound policy require The
Indulgence which is asked in behalf Of
| The road?
Good faith, yes, because the govern
ment donated the lands upon a condi
ton subsequent, and they have not beer
forfeited. Sound policy, yes, because
| the same great pun poses upon which
the grant was originally based, still
exist"
Is the scheme feasible and meritori
Gus?
"Assuredly. This is shown by the
preference which the State is willing Il
give it over every other enterprise. Tht
road will penetrate region which ha:
no equal for its timber resources -
immense forests of pine, cypress, oal
and magnolia, which can only bt
utilized by the construction Of the road
The lumber which these forests vii
Weld is i'll great demand, especially il
the West. The terminal point of thu
road on the Gulf, mas harbor twerty
miles long by ten miles broad, and
depth of water averaging from twenty
to twenty four feet of the mainland
1t has better outlet to the sea thai
New Orleans or Mobile New Orleau,
is 120 miles from the Gulf, aud tn,
government has expended millions o
dollars to make it accessible. The
heaviest draught vessel cannot approach
nearer than twenty miles to Mobile.
"Why expend millions of dollars t,
secure an outlet for the products o
the country through the harhors o
those cities, and hesitate to donate
few hundred thousand acres of lane
that will never be utilized until til,
road is built? As prudent proprieto
the government should not hesitate
moment in extending the time of tn
grant, thus securing another eat inter
state thoroughfare, and at the SAM
time doubling tie value of its reseryet
lands"
Mr.. Barksdale further said that tn
capacity of Ship Island harbor had beef
fully tested by the British fleet in tn
war of 1912, and by the United State
naval forces in the late civil war, AM
that it had been found a good one.
L. o. w