The bars at the mouth of the passes can be removed sufficiently to admit ships of any size to New-Orleans, the bed of the river can be deepened, the channel made in some degree more regular, uniform and direct, and the levees subjected to a regular system of construction, which, accompanied by the other improvements, can promise safety for the present and security for the future.

Mobile, January, 1850.

ART. III-PACIFIC RAIL-ROAD.

REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEES OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.

ALTHOUGH We have been disposed always to press a more southern route than that proposed by Mr. Whitney for a rail-road to the Pacific Ocean, we have never once doubted of the practicability and great commercial value of his, and that in its plan and details it embraces the only constitutional mode of effecting the great work, whether through the agency of that gentleman or through any one else.

Our hopes of a more southern route, we are now in fairness compelled to say, are almost entirely at an end. If there were all the merit in the world in its favour, the numerical strength of the North is against us; and when has the exercise of that strength ever been forborne? It is idle to talk about impracticabilities; and if there is one argument stronger than another in support of our assertion, it can be found in the fact, that the reports, resolutions, memorials, and addresses of the late Memphis Convention, have received not the slightest consideration or attention from Congress, and are destined, it is believed, to lie upon the table until doomsday.

Instead of no road at all—for it is certainly reduced to this-we unhesitatingly prefer Mr. Whitney's as the only alternative, and fear that it is one of the few chances left of turning the public lands into any advantage which shall be shared alike by all of the states. The cry against land and monopoly, which has been raised at the North, already enters Congress, and will exercise a despotic sway there. At every session, millions of the public domain are recklessly squandered. The late " Bounty Bill" takes off a third, if not half as much as Mr. Whitney asks, at a single swoop. A desperate game will be played over these spoils at the next Presidential canvass, and the chances are a hundred to one, that before five years this prolific source of revenue will be entirely cut off. The decree has almost been registered already, that the public lands shall henceforward be GIVEN AWAY and not sold.

Thinking in this way, we do not hesitate to publish the annexed article from the pen of a friend, remarking, at the same time, that whilst we agree with it in the main outline, there are particulars from which, were it necessary for present purposes, we would dissent. By examining the papers from our own pen in the Review upon the subject, the reader will readily learn these particulars. We have no secrets in the matter, and have always spoken plainly. Mr. Whitney's road is only one of half a dozen which, in a century from this, will cross the great body of our continent to the Pacific, as they now cross from the valley to the Atlantic Ocean. They will not interfere with each other, but create distinct

lines of trade, and travel, and population. If the first be given to the North, there is consolation to the South that she will come in for a share before the final day, in this as in other matters over which Congress has now control.―(EDITOR.)

This is a subject which has occupied much of the public attention during the last five years, and its importance since the acquisition of our Pacific possessions is so manifest, that all admit the work must be, and but few doubt that it can, be accomplished in some way.

Mr. Whitney, the projector of the stupendous enterprise, has been untiring in his efforts and energy in making the subject known to the public, and in urging it upon the consideration of Congress; and from the favorable reports of different committees of both houses, as also from the very favorable impression he has made upon the minds of the members and upon the public at large, it was expected that some definite action would have been had before this. In the meantime, sectional and local interests, and personal jealousies, have reared themselves in opposition, and possibly placed in danger this, the only feasible plan, for the great work, which may now be defeated for ever.

The South have generally favored Mr. Whitney's scheme, and several southern states' legislatures have adopted resolutions strongly in its favor, recommending its adoption, &c.; but since the acquisition of California, and the increased agitation of the slavery question, she has felt a strong desire to have the road located as far south as possible. The two conventions held last fall, the one at St. Louis and the other at Memphis, may be said to have represented local interests. St. Louis and the adjacent country urged St. Louis as the only suitable starting point, while Memphis as warmly supported her position, and the two together were antagonistic to Mr. Whitney, because his plan could not accommodate either. These two conventions were unanimous on the great importance of the work, and declared it must be done. Mr. Robinson, chairman of the Committee on Roads and Canals, in his able report to the House of Representatives, which is now before us, says, in speaking of the two conventions, "but while they have seemed to prefer a more southern route, or a more southern point of departure than that proposed by Mr. Whitney, they have pointed out no means of executing their respective plans, except by dependence on the national treasury; and the committee think, that if those conventions had been brought to the question of means they would have been confounded. None can deny that this is the sine qua non of questions on this subject. For the grand trunk road with three branches it was agreed, first, as to the means, that the government must take the work in hand; in other words, the national treasury is to furnish the means out of the proceeds of the public lands. Now it must be seen, that the three branches from the Mississippi to Independence must first be constructed, for the transport of materials to and westward from that point for all the necessities of the road, as well as for progressive settlement, as there are little or no materials beyond.

"Let us, then, come to the real truth of the case, and we shall find, as your committee believes, that after the soldiers' warrants are satis

fied, there will not remain enough of available land to build these three branches to Independence. Whence, then, are to come the means for this trunk road from Independence to the Pacific? The question of means is therefore exhausted, and falls to the ground, on any other plan than that of Mr. Whitney. Your committee have reason to believe, that the government itself, with all its means and credit, would sink under the attempt to build this road on any other plan.' And the committee, throughout the report, show conclusively, that no other plan than Mr. Whitney's would receive the sanction of Congress, or be recommended by a committee.

The report of Senator Bright, chairman of the Committee on Roads and Canals, takes the same ground in the most decided manner. Mr. Bright is favorably known to the South, as well as to the whole country, for practical and sound constitutional views; we take great pleasure in making extracts from, and comments upon, his lucid and able report.

He goes into an examination of the other plans-of which there are three-as compared with Mr. Whitney's :

"First. A government work directly.

"Second. The loan of the government credit to a company incorporated for the object.

"Third. Setting apart a specific portion of the national revenue from the sale of the public lands, leaving the work still in the hands of the government."

All of these plans the committee pronounce as unconstitutional and impracticable. The latter, in addition to its possessing all the difficulties and constitutional objections of the first and second, is impracticable on account of means; for, with the disposition which has been and is being made of the public lands, it is rendered certain that the receipts into the treasury will be altogether inadequate for such a purpose. But the insurmountable difficulties presented in these three plans are superseded by substituting the principle of pri vate enterprise and private responsibility, as proposed by Mr. Whitney's plan, which is, that a belt of territory sixty miles wide-that is, thirty miles on each side of the road-with its eastern base on Lake Michigan, and its western on the Pacific, comprehending about 78,000,000 of acres, shall be sold and appropriated to this object, to be accounted for by Mr. Whitney at the national treasury, at ten cents per acre-good, bad and indifferent-amounting to nearly $8,000,000.

And "the bill provides, that the first eight hundred miles of good land shall be divided into sections of five miles each-that is, five miles by sixty; and that, after Mr. Whitney shall have built his first ten miles of road, and after it shall have been accepted by the government commissioner appointed for the purpose, as being in all things a fulfilment of Mr. Whitney's engagements, and not till then, he shall be entitled to sell the first section of five miles by sixty, as well as he can, to reimburse himself for his expenditures on the first ten miles of road already completed and accepted; and so on, in the same manner and on the same conditions, for

every successive ten miles of the first eight hundred, leaving every alternate section of five miles by sixty untouched, with all its increased value created by the road, as public security for carrying on the work to the Pacific. Thus, when the road shall have been completed through this eight hundred miles of good land, the government will hold, as security for the extension and final completion of the work, the road itself, all its machinery, four hundred miles by sixty of these good lands, untouched, and raised to a high value by this public work, together with the entire remainder of the belt to the Pacific.

"The bill also provides, that the titles of the lands sold by Mr. Whitney shall be given to the actual purchasers by the government, and not by him, and that all remainders unsold shall be disposed of at public auction, at the end of ten years after the road shall have been completed on each ten mile section-that is, the unsold parts of Mr. Whitney's sections of five miles by sixty; and this, to prevent the reservation of lands for speculation. From the end of this first eight hundred miles to the Pacific, where the lands are poor and unavailable, the bill provides that Mr. Whitney shall proceed as follows, to wit: that, at the end of every ten miles of road completed and accepted as before, he shall be entitled to sell the whole section of ten miles by sixty, to reimburse himself, as far as the sales will go, for his expenditures on that ten miles of road; and for any deficit, he shall be entitled to go back and sell at public auction, to the highest bidder, in lots of forty to one hundred and sixty acres, as much of the reserved, untouched lands on the first eight hundred miles as this deficit may require; and so on, and in the same manner, for every succeeding ten miles, to the Pacific, selling the lands of each ten mile section after the road shall have been completed and accepted, and going back to sell the reserved lands only when and so far as there may be a deficit, as before; and all this under the supervision and authority of the government commissioner, whose duty it shall be to see to the fulfilment of the terms of the bill.

"If, at any stage of this work, Mr. Whitney shall fail on his part, the bill provides that all his rights shall be forfeited to the government, and that the road, so far as completed, with all its machinery, shall belong to the government; and Congress may sell or dispose of it as may be deemed most for the benefit of the nation; and all the unsold and reserved lands would revert and belong to the nation, the same as if this act had never been made a law. And if Mr. Whitney should die, his successors would be under the same obligations, and liable to the same penalties, on the same conditions. The bill also provides, that, when the road is completed to the Pacific, with its machinery in operation, to the satisfaction of Congress, so that the government can in no way be made liable for the expenses of its operation and repairs, then whatever, if any, surplus lands may remain unsold, shall be sold for the account and benefit of Mr. Whitney; and whatever surplus money may remain, after paying all charges against said road, shall be his, as a reward or compensation for this work, and the road and its machinery shall be considered as belonging to the nation. Although the bill provides that the title thereto shall vest in Mr. Whitney, still Congress retains the power to fix and regulate the tolls for both passengers and merchandise, so that no more shall be earned than barely sufficient for the expenses of operation and repairs, and the United States mails are to be transported free. Congress will hold the power to give the management of the road to any other party, at any time when Mr. Whitney may fail to operate it as the wants of the people require. Thus it is clear to your committee, that Mr. Whitney's only chance of gain from the enterprise is in the hope of making the lands, by building

the road through them, produce him a sum exceeding what will have been his actual outlay for the construction of the road, its machinery, and the $8,000,000, or the ten cents per acre, which he is to pay into the treasury of the United States for the entire belt of lands-and this all a creation from his efforts and means, a positive creation and a positive gain to the nation.

"Your committee believe, that, by the provisions of the bill, it is not possible that the government or public should risk or lose anything; and so far as the road goes, though it should not be completed, the public will be gainers. In any contingency whatever, should the road be commenced and continued for one hundred or two hundred, or more miles, the government will hold a capital under its control for a new arrangement, if required, to complete the road, without loss and without taxing the people.

"In this manner, and in the execution of this stupendous work, the country will realize, as your committee believe, all the energy and effect of private enterprise, without risk and without expense, and will have, in the end, a public work costing upwards of $60,000,000, with $8,000,000 in the public treasury, for lands which, without the road, would never produce to the government $10,000,000, and when the same work done by the government would probably cost near $200,000,000, which would leave a public debt of at least, as your committee believe, $190,000,000, for the interest on which would be required a perpetual tax on the property and industry of the nation; whereas, by the provisions of this bill, it will not cost the nation a single dollar, and the public treasury will have $8,000,000 in its vaults for these lands."

It is Mr. Whitney's declaration, that he can complete the road to the Pacific in fifteen years, but the bill limits him to twenty-five years, divided into three sections; a failure of one is a forfeiture of all.

The committee add, that the road built after this plan, subjecting transportation to no tolls, except only for its expenses of operation, would accomplish the great objects aimed at, and the products of the Mississippi basin could be taken to Asia, and exchanged for their rich manufactures and products. The commerce of Europe with Asia would pass over it; in a word, the whole commerce and intercourse between a population of 250,000,000 in Europe, and 500,000,000 in Asia.

The committee also considered, that a "rail-road to the Pacific, if obliged to charge tolls on transportation to earn the interest on its cost of construction, could not be sustained; the necessarily high tolls would exclude business; and are of the opinion that the road can never be built and sustained except by capital created by itself, as by the plan proposed; and that it would be doomed to failure if attempted by the government, or on the credit of the government, as the people would never submit to perpetual taxation for the interest on its cost. The cheap transport to be obtained by this plan involves the only principle on which this road can be made a successful enterprise, and the more satisfactory, because it will not cost the government or people a single dollar."

"Your committee think it would be very difficult, and enormously expensive, if not impossible, to construct such a road through a now entire