A grant of land to aid in the construction of a railroad from Davenport to Council Bluffs.

DECEMBER 12, 1853.

Ordered to be printed.

MEMORIAL AND JOINT RESOLUTION to Congress for a grant of land for a railroad from Davenport via Musatine to Council Bluffs.

The memorial of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa respectfully shows to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States:

That for several years the people of this State have petitioned your honorable body for a grant of land to aid in the construction of a railroad from Davenport, in Scott county, by the way of Muscatine, in Muscatine county, to some point at or near Council Bluffs on the Missouri river.

Your memorialists beg leave now to renew their petition, and to point out some of the reasons which induce them to believe that this project may be deemed worthy of the consideration of Congress.

There is now in progress, and nearly completed, a continuous line of railway from Boston by Albany and Buffalo, from Philadelphia and Baltimore by Pittsburg and Cleveland, and from New York by way of Dunkirk to the southern bend of Lake Erie. These lines are continued from Cleveland to Toledo, from Toledo to the southern bend of Lake Michigan at Chicago, and from thence by the Chicago and Rock Island road to the city of Rock Island, opposite to Davenport in this State. These lines of railroad are all continuous, connected and completed, except about eighty miles of the Rock Island and Chicago railroad, which has progressed with a rapidity unknown in railroad construction on this continent, and will be completed in about twelve months, thus making one continuous line of railway from all the great eastern cities to Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, the head of navigation on the Illinois, and the foot of the upper rapids on the Mississippi.

A line of railway from Philadelphia and New York by way of Pittsburg and Christline to Fort Wayne, in Indiana, is nearly completed to the latter place, and is about to be extended to Chicago on Lake Michigan, where it will intersect the Chicago and Rock Island railroad. Your memorialists believe that the extension of these great lines, all uniting at Rock Island, from Davenport by the way of Muscatine to Council Bluffs, is a national work; that it is the most direct line, on the best ground, and the shortest distance from the great cities. and lakes of this continent, through the heart of Iowa to the great crossing places of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and thence to Oregon and California.

2

Your memorialists believe that in addition to this line of railway being the most direct from the commercial centre of the Union westward, the advantages of crossing the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, where they can be cheaply and safely bridged without offering any material obstruction to the navigation, gives it advantages over any known or projected on this continent.

Your memorialists have every reason to believe that, with the aid of a grant of land similar to what has been given to their neighbors in Illinois and Missouri, they could build a continuous railroad through the centre of the State from the Mississippi to the Missouri river, in a very short period of time.

Your memorialists beg leave to inform your honorably body that the grant of land proposed would materially advance the value, and expedite the sale of the balance of the public lands in this State; and they respectfully declare that they have not been less patriotic than their neighbors, nor less deserving of that consideration which the government, as a great land-holder in the west, ought to extend to all States where the public lands lie.

Your memorialists further represent, that when the State of Iowa was admitted into the federal Union, a contract was entered into between her and the general government, whereby all the public lands in this State remain free from taxation until they are sold to individuals, and this exemption from taxation is a greater consideration to the federal government than the value of all the lands which are included in this memorial; and your memorialists believe that liberal grants of lands are not only due to the land States, but greatly beneficial directly and indirectly to the federal government as a large landed proprietor in those States.

Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, That our senators in Congress be instructed, and our representatives requested, to use their best exertions to procure a grant of land from the general government to aid in the construction of a railroad from the city of Davenport, in Scott county, by the way of the city of Muscatine, in Muscatine county, to Council Bluffs on the Missouri river in this State, provided that said road go by the way of Kanesville.

Resolved, further, That the Secretary of State of this State be, and he is hereby directed, to forward a copy of this resolution to each of our senators and representatives in the Congress of the United States. JAMES GRANT,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

I certify the foregoing to be a true copy from the original rolls on

file in this office.

GEO. W. McCLERY,

Secretary of State.

A Light-House on Absecom Beach, and Bell Buoy outside of Absecom Bar.

DECEMBER 21, 1853.

Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed.

STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

JOINT RESOLUTIONS respecting a Light House on Absecom Beach, and Bell Buoy outside Absecom Bar.

Whereas, the erection of a light house on Absecon Beach, and the anchoring of a bell buoy outside Absecom Bar, would greatly promote the safety of vessels navigating the Atlantic coast, and thereby conduce to the interests of navigation and commerce; and whereas, an application from the citizens of this state for an appropriation for such objects, is now before Congress; therefore

1. Be it resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That our senators and representatives in congress be requested to use their influence to obtain a sufficient appropriation for the purpose of constructing a light house and the anchoring of a bell buoy as aforesaid.

2. And be it resolved, That the governor be requested to forward a copy of these resolutions to each of our senators and representatives in congress.

Approved March 3, 1853.

STATE OF NEW JERSEY:

I, Thomas S. Allison, Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey, do hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true copy of Joint Resolutions, passed by the legislature of this state, and approved March 3, 1853, as taken from, and compared with the original, now on file in my office. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed my official seal, at Trenton, in said state, this twelfth day of April, A. [L. S.] D., one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three. THOS. S. ALLISON, Secretary of State.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Trenton, N. J., April 12, 1853. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of Joint Resolutions, passed by the Legislature of this State, agreeably to the requirements of said Resolutions.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. F. FORT,

Hon. J. R. THOMSON.

Governor of New Jersey.

ཐ* །

Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed.

JOINT RESOLUTIONS relative to the Construction of a Breakwater at Cape May.

Whereas, certain resolutions were passed by the legislature of this state, in the session of eighteen hundred and forty-four, and at other sessions prior and subsequent thereto, requesting our senators and representatives in Congress to use their efforts to obtain an appropriation towards the construction of a breakwater harbor at Cape May, which have thus far resulted in no measures on the part of the general government in furtherance of that important object; and whereas, the coasting trade connected with the river Delaware has greatly increased since the time referred to, and it is believed that the amount of vessel property engaged in the coal carrying business alone, would fully warrant such an appropriation; and whereas, the construction of a breakwater near Cape May could be made at a cost not exceeding one-fourth of the amount already expended on the breakwater near Cape Henlopen, (as by reference to the survey made by Major Bache, of the topographical engineer corps, in the year eighteen hundred and thirty-six, will more fully appear,) and that said breakwater would afford a more ample and important harbor, not only to vessels entering and departing from the Delaware Bay, but also to those passing along our coast in tempestuous weather, and is imperiously called for by our fellow citizens along the whole Atlantic coast of the United States, interested in the coasting trade, and out of the track of coasting vessels, north of Cape May, and very difficult of access in thick and stormy weather; therefore,

1. Be it resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That our senators and representatives in Congress be once more earnestly requested to use their utmost exertions to obtain during the present or the next session of Congress, an appropriation for the commencement of a breakwater harbor on Crow Shoal, in the Delaware Bay, near Cape May.