Mr. TROWBRIDGE. Mr. Speaker, Idesire to explain briefly the previsions of this billand the reasons in favor of its passage. In 1863 a grant of land) was made to the State of Kansas to aid in the construction of n. railroad from the city of Atchison, in that State, to Santa Fe, in the Territory of NewMexico. That was a grant of ten sections to the mile. It has been discovered by a company who have taken those lands from the State of Kansas that on that route thereare 4 or‘500 miles of treeless desert over which it has been decided it is altogether impractieable to build a railroad. The company have proposed to putupon that route, over that portion where a railroad cannot be constructe, what is called a steam traction engine; that is, an engine capable of riiuning upon an ordinary dirt road or a inacadamized road without the necessity for rails. This bill proposes to reduce the grant of land from ten sections permile to 6 sections permile. But the company are not to receive this grant till they have built and equipped the road in such a manner that a train of 50 tons or 200 passengers can pass over it at the rate of 6 miles an hour. I may remark, in passing, that the bridges for this road will cost as much as the ordinary railroad bridges, for this traction engine is much heavier than an ordinary loco motive engine. This grant of land is no greater than grants which Congress has heretofore on several occasion made for the construction of ordinary wagon roads. The land proposed to be granted is the same which has heretofore been granted to this company for the construction of a railroad; but the amount of the grant is now reduced. It is claimed by competent authorities that these steam traction engines are no longer an exeriment; that they have actually been prOVe to be a success. I have here some testimony on the subject which I Will read. A London scientific journal, devoted to engineering, remarks in a recent number: “It should be evenmore widely known than perhaps it is. that traction enginesare now working in all parts of the kingdom and that whcnsent from the makers to the purchasers, i tdistnncesof eVen 100 to 500 miles, they always go on their own steam. They work both up and down inclines as steep as one in 6 and often go over groundwherehorseswould sink. They areemployed. in the Government tloclvyards. rind by the large engineersfor hauling weights up to 40 tons: and we last week iive an account of the removal of a groutblock of 'lornishgranite.intpndedfor the base of the Wellingtonmemorial:itStrnitlitieldsaye."total enagdine eff.o"rty tons.hauled for sonieinilosbyit traction “ We cannot but.think that with somanyof theseenginesnow atwork. the timeis not distant when some of the presentrestrictions upon the use of steamon commonroads Will be removed.” A later number of the same journal, describing the operation of one of the traction engines, remarks: “We have had these engines in all sortsof difli eulties hills such as traction engine;were never before taken at. bad roads. over which they have lied to travel through sofi. shiftin: soil and to cross runningstreains; wehave had themsunk up to their tendersin soft places.but havenever had themyet stuck fast, nor in any difficulty out of whieh they could notextricatethemselveswithout aid and without breakage." Experiments With engines of this sort have been made in this country. I have here the testimony ofscientific men who Witnessed such an experiment in Brooklyn. They declare their entire confidence in the practicability of the traction engines as a means of transportation. From among the numerous letters before me, I will detain the House by reading only the followmg: HEALTHOrricsas‘ Dnrm rxaxr, QUABANTINE.STATENISLAND, February16.1864. MY Dana Sin: It offendsme great pleasure to state that on the4th of December, 1863.I attendedan exhibition of your "steam horse”on De Kalb avenue. in the city of Brooklyn and was exceedingly ratified with its performance. I must confess that was very skepticalas to the practicability of your invention until I witnessedthis exhibition. All doubts. however. have vanished and I feel assuredthat you have attained what. if prosecuted to completion.is calculated to be of immensevalue to the world, and of untold wealth to yourself and friends who have aided you in carrying out your enterprise. I have entire confidencein our ulti mate success and I assure you that if had the meansat my commandvery little time would be lost in completingyour machineand setting it to work, eilther in plowing or in traveling over our western p nins. As it may be of someassistanceto you in inducing others.who havethe means, to assistyou in perfecting your machine and carrying out your contemplated enterprise.I will state what I saw the may chIine do. saw it travel over an ordinary road in the suburbs of the city of Brooklyn. with portionsof the run riini: gear in an incomplete condition, with a very inferior quality offucl, and withan imperfect boil Iand blower. at the rateof certainly ten miles an hour. then siiw you travel over a soft meadow, when the frost was Just leavnig the ground. at thesamerate of speed and witnessedwith perfect surprise the entire easewith which youeontrolled themovements of the machineamong the crowd, about asreadil as a driver would an ordinary teamof horses. I then saw you bitch on 2 blocksofgranite. weighingnot less than eightor ten tons and travel offwith entire easeover the softground. in which the wheelssank about 6 or eightinches, at about the speedof 8 or 9 miles perhour and at the same time directing your coursewith a precisionwhich perfccil as tonished all who witnessedits performance.an not a doubtwasentertainedofyour entiresuccessinyour enterprise by themanyscientificgentlemenwhowere on the spot at the time. ALEXANDER N. GUNN, M. 1). Health officer.NewYork. Jessa Fairs. Esq. Mr. Speaker, itseems to me that if there is any reason to suppose that the vast desert region to which I have referred can be trav ersed by steam, we shall do well to make this grant of land and allow the exeriment to be made. If the company should fail the will obtain no part of the land, and if they 5 mild succeed they will receive no greater grant than those which have heretofore been made to aid in the construction of ordinary wagon roads in various parts of the country.