Mr. HOWARD. I hardly think the Senfrom California will insist on an elaborate au swer to that question. The honorable Senfrom Iowa states to the Senate that a route up the valley of the Niobrara river is impracticable and impossible on account of the want of tim her an the general ditheulty of the route. It is very true. as 1 have been informed, that a company has been formed in Dakota Territory that has in view a competition for the construction of this branch. Whether that company will proceed. in case it becomes designated under the act. of 1864, to construct a road up the valley of the Niobrara, is more than I am able to say. I am not here as the advocate of the Niobrars route, but I must say that in my judgment the Senfrom Iowa has been greatly misinformed as to the character of that route. If that route were adopted, the branch would commence at Sioux Citv, running up the valle of the Niobrara for a distance of about 260 miles, and would then 08 toward the southwest and terminate probably at Fort Laramie. there forming a Junction with the Union Pacific railroad proper. As to the character of this route I beglcave en passanl to say that so far as l have been able to acquire information on the subject, I am compelled to differ very widely from the opinion tormed of it by the Senfrom Iowa. I have read with a good deal of care a report made by a Mr. Sawyer in 1865 of his exlorations for a wagon road up that valley, an from the head waters of the Niobrara to Virginia City. in Montana Territory. This exploration was made in the summer of 1865. Of course it will not be possible for me to read more than very short extracts from it. He started to make his explorations from Sioux City; he proceeded up the valley of the Niobrara a distance of 265 miles and then passed 06 further to the northwest on his way to Virginia City. which was the terminus of his explo ration. for the pur.use of establishing the route of“that wagon roa. He says in his report: Aocopanying the expedition were 5 emigrant teamsands privatofrsighttraiu of 36 wagons. coupled togetherso as to bedrawu by ei litccii teams of 6 okc of oxen each and heavily lzrmdeds.ome teams einir loadedwith six! Jourhnmlred pounds: grid here perm“ me to an that the entire practicu ility of the route travels over may beseenwhen I state that not one of thesewagons were uncoupled {grins labsJourney for the passage of any obstac eiu s ro. On reading the report you will be struck, sir, with this fact, that the valley of the Niobrara river, so far as be explored and examined it, is found to be well provided with timber. with water, and with grass. In a letter which Mr. Sawyerwroteonly a shorttime since, remarking upon the character of that valley, he says: "I should think from my observations and from thoseof my surveyors that a railroad might be conltructed up the Niobraru tn Laramie at a reasonable costpermile: there is no range of mountains to cross and the excavation and cinbankincm would be about thesameas upon roads in Iowa and Illinois.” I have no doubt that upon a more complete and thorough explanation of the country through the valley of the Niobrara itwill be found that a railroad is entirely practicable upon that route. There has been, however. no very th0r ough exploration of the route from the head waters of the N iobrara river over to Fort Lar amie. Still the committee were informed by a very intelligent gentleman who had repeatedly traveled over that part of the route etwcen Laramie and the head waters of the N iobrara, that in his opinion a railroad was entirely prac ticable between these 2 points. I beg to add, for the information of the Son ate. that the Territorial Legislature of Dakota, in January.1866, in a memorial which they addressed to congressupon the subject, reine n struled very strongly against the construction of the road upon the ox bow line which has been adopted in the map of the Sioux City Railroad Company. They use this language: “ We are also informed that there is some talk of a route down the valley of the Missouririver, to unite with the Central or Iowa brunch of the Pacific railroad at or near the mouth of the Elkhom. a utary trib of the Platte river.“ That is the route now under discussion. Ci t“ySufocrhnaeraorultyeownoeulhdurnudnreadbaonudt sfiofuttyhmfriolcms.El his would necessitateall the above roads referring to the roadse ciningfrom Minnesota and Wise ousin and Illinois] to run at least 200 miles out of the most direct routeby the wayoi theNiubrura val ley. That is to say. when the roads are conipleled it would necessitatethe businesson lllttrcfolll roads to travel at least 200 miles further to reach the passesin the Rocky mountains than Would be necessaryshould that Sioux Cit branch run up the Niobrara valley or by the way ( ircct from Chicago. It needsno argument to prove that such It route would not be of any practical value or importance whatever to those roads. The only one that Would in the slightest degree he benefitedby such a diversion ofthut branch would be the aforesaid road via ubuque, knowu as the Dubuquu and Sioux City railroad. But we do mostciirnestly protest against a policy which would favor that or any other of these roads at the expenseof all the others.as that supposedsouth route assuredlywould.” The Legislature of Minnesota during the same winter also remonstrated against the ado “ion of this ox bow route. They observe, in their preamble and resolutions: “ Whereasbyruveral actsof Congressliberal grants of public lands have beenmade for the construction ufa railroad from the head of Lpkc Superior south westerly viii StPaul to a point on the western boundary of Iowa. at or near the parallel of 42 and ii.halldegrecsof north latitnde.intersecting in its passagea railroad running westwardly from Wine na and another running up the valley of the Root river. in Minnesota and one from Mclircizor. in Iowa and connectingwith the North or Sioux City branch of thu Pacific railroad at the above point: that southwestern road operating as a main trunk to nll the others: and whereas the best interestsof all of theseroads.newcll asof the country through which they run and the whole regionofccuntrywustwurdly thercof, require and demand that that branch should run wcutw ly on the nearest, most direct, and most practicable route to unite with the main trunk in the neighborhood ofFort Laramie: and whereas a diversion of thni brunch from that route to the Platte valley route. thereby illLlellSlllvllery materially the distance will be destructiveof the best interestsof those roads and the country through which the run. as also n.palpable violation of the spirit um evident int“ention ofthu law creatingthat branch: Therefore Resolved. That our Sens&Reps in Congress be requested to usetheir hostcllortsand influence to securethe location of said brain h west wardly. asnear as maybombing the parallel of 42 and a hall degroes of north latitude to a point of junction with the main trunk and so as in the most ctfectuiilmanner to iromotethe best interests of all those roads and of a country through which they psifflolflfld, That they protest against and usetheir influence to irevent that branchfrom licinldiverted down the vu Icy of the Missouririver to unite with the Platte valley route.” I have, I believe. presentedtorhe Senate all the material facts connected with this bill. The committee had it under consideration at several meetings; they listened to the statements of many very intel igent gentlemen connected with these various routes; they examined the law as carefully as they were able, and they came to the conclusion that the best course to be adopted was to set aside the order of the President of December 24, 1864 and thus to leave the whole subject open to fair and hen orable competition between the railroad companies that might see fit to compete for the privilege of constructing this branch. The Senfrom Iowa proposes to amend the bill: and if I understand the drifi and purpose of his amendment, it simply proposes to set aside the map which has already been filed by the Sioux City company, to treat it as a nullity, and to authorize this company hereafter to construel. thishranch wherever they may see fit to construct it, by the approbation of the President, thus leaving in their hands the exclusive privilege of constructing the branch, and excluding all other companies from competition with it for that privilege. Sir, I object to this. It is no remedy for the evils which at present exist. The statute of 1864, in and of itself at the present time, contains full authority to the POTUS to designate this company or any other company that he may select for the purpose of building this branch. The Senfrom Iowa tenaciously clings to the privilege which he seems to think has already been acquired by this company. I wish to disengage its grasp upon this privilege. Withont intending to cast any reflection whatever on the character of the gentlemen connected with the company, I mustre eat that I cannot but regard the route adopted y them, running, as it does, a circuitous route to the southeast, then to the south, then to the southwest, through a large portion of the State of Iowa, and terminatin upon the Omaha branch at Fremont, thus advancing to the west only 5 miles at the utmost from the point of beginning. as a very plain departure, as an evasion of the plain intent and meaning of the statute of 1864; and for one I cannot consent that a company who has resorted to such a course shall continue to grasp the privilege it. seeks to enjoy. I think we ought to unclasp that ip if it be possible.