Year: 1859




ported two months before the Railroad bill,
and was ahead of it on the calendar. On
the Sth Of MAY it came up in regular order,
and on the 10th Mr.. Richardson having this
bill in charge, being recognized as the file
leader in Congress of the Nebl aska forces,
gave notice of his intention to close debate
on the next day. On the l4th he offered
the resolution to close debate on the sue
ceedng day, when Mr.. Mace, an Anti
Nebraska man, from Indiana, asked for a
postponment until day in the next week.
to give time for further debate. Mr.. Rich
ardson objected, by reason of the Railroad
special order. Several Anti-Nebraska mem
bers asked for further time, and Mr. Ethridge,
an Anti Nebraska Wing from Tennessee,
proposed postponement Of the special or
der. In response to this Mr.. McDougall
said he would consent were it the unanimous
wish of the House. Mr.. Hunt, an Anti
Nebraska Wing from Louisiana said the
proposition was a fair one, and ought to be
accepted, SO it would seem that several ear
nest and undoubted Anti Nebraska men
were favorable to the course proposed 10y Mr.
McDougall, though the opponents Of the





They saw that if the Railroad bill was post
poned and did not come up at the time of
the special order, it would probably fail for
the session. They fought manfuly for it,
inch by inch.


1t was thought that if the Railroad bill
were not postponed, and the Nebraska ques-
ton were pushed at time, it could not pass
before the time when the Railroad bill, com
ing up at that period in the session, would
probably have passed. There would then
have been ample time for its discussion; and
as majority of each branch of Congress
are believed to have been favorable to the
BILL there is no reason why it should not
have passed during the session.


AT best, Gen. McDougall made mistake
and we think he must now admit it. 1t
could not be worse than it is. The Railroad
is as far from being law as ever, and it
could not by possibility have been in
worse shape had our representative taken a
different course. lie gained nothing for the
road by his course, and we believe he lost
much. He did material service to the Ne
braskaites; for had he been, like Col. Ben
ton, "a permanent obector to the postpone
ment of the Pacific Railroad bill," we be-
lieve it would have passed long ago


1t is not to be supposed that Gen. Nc
Douga believed that he was sacrificing the
Railroad to the Nebraska bill, for several
Anti Nebraska Railroad men acted with him;
but such appears to us to have been the re-
suit of his course. The Railroad bill was the
great measure for California, and we believe
Gen McDougal labored earnestly and ably
for its passage, and he ought not to have al
lowed that irebrand of Pierce and Douglas,
the Nebraska bill, to come between him and
his favorite measure. He should have known
that the leaders of that outrage on the peo-
pie were no friends of California or the Pa
citc Railroad, and that if they once got
through the favorie scheme, they would
throw their backs on California, having no
further use for her or the votes of her rep
resentatives.


The above article was far from presenting
a fair statement of the record furnished Mr.
Washburn; but, understanding his partisan
violence on the question of the Kansas Ne
braska bill, it was as fair as | had reason to
expect, and is, in my opinion, sufficient to
show not only his recent attack unwarranted,
but that it was made, he knowing it to be
so. The truth, as any person can readily
learn from the proceedings OF Congress, was
simply this: Mr.. Richardson, Chairman of
the Committee on Territories, proposed to
close the debate on the Kansas Nebraska
bill on certain day. The Opposition in
sisted upon further time for its discussion,
and complained of being gagged by the
majority. The reply made was that the de-
bate must be closed in Committee before
the special order on the Pacific Railroad
came up. The proposition was then made
by members of the Opposition to postpone
the special order one week. The PROPOSE
ton was accepted by Mr. Richardson, and
acquiesced, because | regarded it as both
just and polite.


Having been induced to say this much,
| will take this occasion further to correct
some popular impressions as to the history
and fate of the Pacific Railroad bill in the
33d Congress.


The first ground taken by any candidate,
for, or member Of the United States Senate
or House of Representatives for California,
was by myself in August, 1852. opened
the canvass which followed my nomination
by speech at the Verandah, in this city, in
which discussed the feasibility of the work,
and the manner in which Government assis-
tance could be made eflectual continued
to present the same views throughout the
canvass. The following winter, during the
short session of the 32d Congress- the views,
as substantially presented by me, were EN-
bodied in bill, and introduced into the
Senate by Hon. VIM. M. Gwin.


As soon as practicable, after the opening
of the thirty-third Congress, introduced q
bill into the House of Representatives, which
was referred to select committee of thir
teen, of which the Hon. Israel Washburn
brother of Mr.. G. A. Washburn, was mem