Mr. DONNELLY. There is one other objection that has been urged with peculiar force and eloquence by the distinguished Gentfrom Ohio on my right, [Mr. DBLAXO] The objection was that we had no right to do this thing, because we would thereb impair the credit of the U.S. ow, let me call the attention of the House to the fact that this pament of money is only to be stretched throng a period of 20 years; that the lia bility ends at the exiration of 20 years; that none of it can fie paid save only as the road is constructed; and that the whole of it is not to be paid until after the road is entirely completed. If there is any man who can prove to me that the building of this mighty road of 1800 milesin length, the transportation over it of the commerce of China, Japan, and the Indies, the growth" of popular States along its line, and the general prosperity it will infuse into the entire nation will impair the credit of our Government bonds, then indeed, sir, I have read the history of our countryto little advantage. Why, sir, the total product of the mines in the Territories along the line of this road was, during the last. ear, $35,000,000. Build this road and it will be $350,000,000. Why, sir, the discovery of gold in California and the production of $800,000,000 from its mines saved our people from bankruptcy and has affected the commerce and the prosperity of the whole world. Build this road, give facility of access, and you set to work 100s of 1,000s of miners with abundance of machinery, and who can calculate the production of the precious metals that will follow I I remember when, in the last Congress, we were in almost the darkest hour of our great struggle, when it seemed as if the bar of the nation would go down amid the storm, an honorable and gallant Gentfrom the city of NewYork, sent here by the votes of the Opposition, (Mr. Stebbins) arose in his place, and in an able speech demonstrated that the resources of the country were equal to the debt it was contracting; and I do not forget that his strongest argument was based upon the history of our growth in the net and the certainty of our continued grow in the future., Our credit rests not alone upon what we are, but what we are certain to be. Why, sir, if we double the population of this country, we reduce our debt one half. Are we to sit here and, following the niggardly, iniserly policy which some gentlemen seem to favor, permit a great wilderness to remain a wilderness for half a century longer, or shall we encourage that tide of emigration whichis now breaking all bounds in the Old World and flowing to our shores with an unparalleled abundance? Sir, [am sorry to see the course taken by the opponents of the bill. We have heard little of real argument. One gentleman has told you that there is no report here, and that we do not know who are the cororators. Sir, thatis a matter of no moment. 1 his money cannot be drawn until the road shall be built; and it isofnoconsequencewhateverwho buildsit. The object is the road, not the corporators. Give lis a road, and we care not who owns it, provided only that with a propernational lore sight we so guard the enterprise that it shall not. pass out of the hands of our own citizens; and for one, I shall cheerfully vote for an amendment to require that 2/3rds, 3/4ths, or, if you please, all of the cororators shall be American citizens. That is althat we need ask. We shall not be called upon to pay the money unless the road is built; and if we secure the construction of theroad, no gentleman can deny that the money has been well invested. Why, sir, the hand of nature itself ints out the route of this road as the naturalpliighway of the continent. Starting from the mouth of the StLawrence and proceeding westward in almost an air line, you pass over the surface of the great lakes, the mightiest system of fresh water navigation in the world. Passing across 700 miles from the head of Lake Superior, you strike the Missouririver; and from the head of navigation on that river the distance is but 300 milesto the head of navigation on the Columbia river. So that, when this company shall have built 300 miles of road, we shall have built 300 miles of road we shall have secured the means of steam communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific by way of the missouri; and for this the Government risks $750,000 annually. and, building 700 miles further to the head of Lake Supe rior, and we have, with a road of 1000 miles, a very large share of all the results to be derived from a Pacific railroad. Why, sir, we were told by the Gentfrom Ohio, [MTDsmmofl at the very moment that he was fighting this bill, that we must prepare our backs to assume the mighty load of $2,000,000,000 an amount 2/3rds as great as our total national debt yet to be paid to the people of the reconstructed South for the sufferings and losses caused by a war created by themselves and yet not a fur thing is to be expended for the benefit of the great loyal Northwest, which has put forth every exertion to save the Government. Sir, it is our right to demand this measure. It is for us not only a right, but a necessity; This road cannot be built. without some such measure to assist it and the people of the Northwest are entitled to it at the hands of the General Government. The road must be built. If gentlemen are so liberal in their expectations of paying 1,000s of millions hereafter to the people of the South, certainly they can risk $56,000,000 upon good security to unite the great lakes with the specific ocean. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes of my time to the Gentfrom NewYork, [Mr. Donna]