ABSTRACT
Mr. Stewart expressed his surprise that this motion should come from the chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means [Mr. Polk], who, he understood, would interpose no obstacle to the passage of this bill, though from constitutional doubts he would be constrained to vote against it. But as that gentleman had, notwithstanding, thought proper to move the reduction of the sum from $602,000 to $300,000, he would not object to it, provided the gentleman would modify so as to strike out the provision in the bill which made this appropriation final, and thus make it conform to the bill reported by the Committee of Ways and Means, of which he was chairman; but if it was the object of the gentleman to reduce the sum more than one-half, and still retain the restriction which made the appropriation final, he would be obliged to resist it; and he now wished to know distinctly from the honorable chairman whether he would so modify his motion or not. [Mr. Polk signified his unwillingness so to modify, and said that his purpose was to reduce the sum and make it final, as he thought it sufficient, and the estimate extravagant.] Mr. Stewart said he would be glad to know upon what ground the gentleman undertook thus to condemn the estimates of the department of war as extravagant. The Secretary of War, the chief engineer, and the officers of the engineer corps, who made this estimate, had no interest in making it extravagant; besides, it was made after two years’ operations on the road, when the precise cost of labor and materials was accurately ascertained. This estimate was printed and placed, more than two months ago, on the gentleman’s table, giving in detail the exact quantity of work required to be done; every perch of stone, every drain, culvert, side wall, and bridge—every thing required to complete the road from one end to the other, with the 345precise cost of each item. Now, let the honorable chairman take up this estimate—no doubt he had examined it—let him point out a single item that is unnecessary, or too high; a single thing that is extravagant; let him put his finger on it, sir, and I will consent to strike it out; this he has not attempted. Why, then, shall the gentleman, without knowledge or examination, rise in his place, and, with his eyes shut, pronounce at random this minute and detailed estimate, made after two years’ experience, by practical, disinterested, and scientific engineers, absurd and extravagant? Why ask this House to adopt his mere dictum in opposition to the enlightened opinions of the War Department, communicated to this House by the President himself; to do so would be equivalent to a vote of censure, which he hoped the House was not prepared to give. It is an easy matter, sir, for gentlemen to talk here about extravagance and prodigality; it is easy to say, as has been said, that this road has cost $50,000 a mile, and that the people upon it have made fortunes by getting contracts at extravagant rates; this is mere declamation. Look at the records in the department, and you will find that the most difficult portion of this road, made during the late war, in the midst of mountains, overcoming difficulties considered insurmountable, at a time when the price of labor and provisions was at the highest, passing sixty miles over mountains, cost less than $10,000 per mile; the next portion, from Uniontown to Washington, cost only $6,400 per mile, including bridges. A cheaper road, under similar circumstances, he contended, had never been constructed; and, so far from making fortunes, the fact was notorious, that there were more honest and industrious men ruined on this road by taking contracts too low, than there were who had made fortunes by getting them too high.
