PART FIFTH. JOINT RESOLUTIONS AND MEMORIALS. MEMORIAL. For Daily Mail from Iowa City, Iowa, to Omaha City, Nebraska Territory. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled, Your memorialists, the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, would most respectfully represent that the interest of a large portion of this Territory would be greatly advanced and commercial commerce subserved by the establishment of a Daily Mail Service from Iowa City, Iowa, to Omaha City, Nebraska. Your memorialists deem it unnecessary to lay before the Congress of the United States, any arguments upon a subject so imperatively demanded by the business commerce of a large portion of the Territory. Therefore Resolved, That our Delegate in Congress be requested to use his best efforts to procure the early establishment of the Mail Service named in this Memorial. Approved January 5th, 1858. MEMORIAL AND JOINT RESOLUTION. Relative to the establishment of a surveying district, and the office of Surveyor General for the To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled. Your memorialists, the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, would most respectfully represent to your Honorable body, that the interest of this Territory will be greatly enhanced by a 71 72 JOINT RESOLUTIONS AND MEMORIALS. division of the present Surveying District of Kansas and Nebraska, and the erection of a new Surveying District for this Territory, and respectfully submit the following reason for asking such change, to which we particularly desire to call the attention of your honorable body. The great extent of the present district, and the rapidity with which it is being settled, renders it impossible for one office, with the force employed, to extend the surveys as rapidly as the settlements require and demand. The want of centrality of location of the present office, it being at Lecompton in Kansas Territory, in about latitude 39 north, whilst the Surveying district extends nominally from latitude 37 to latitude 49′ north, and really embraces within the present field of survey, from latitude 38 to latitude 43. north, extending only about seventy miles south, and nearly two hundred and eighty miles north of the present office, add to this the fact of the rapidly extending northern settlements in Nebraska, and you may well suppose that in less than one year from this date the field of survey will extend full four hundred miles north from the said office. To reach his work now from the Surveyor Generals' office, the Northern Deputy is compelled to make a tedious river voyage of from six hundred to eight hundred miles, subject to vexatious delays, and an enormous expense, or he must perform a land journey of from four hundred to five hundred miles, occupying from twelve to twenty days' time, which, with a full field corps of men and animals, foots up a heavy bill of expense. Then, when the Deputy has finished his work, he must perform the same journey to make his report, thus inevitably consuming in traveling expenses from one-sixth to one-third of all the proceeds-almost invariably more than the profits of his contract. The recent establishment of a distributing (disbursing) office at the capitol of this Territory will facilitate the business of the Surveyor Generals office (which may be) located in its vicinity, and secure to the Deputy Surveyor the payment for his work, without the risk and delay attending the transmission of his drafts to Washington or Saint Louis for payment. We particularly desire that your honorable body will duly consider the great advantage that will innure to the County by the proper extension of the Government Surveys completely in advance of the settlements. In view of the foregoing, your memorialists respectfully request that your honorable body will give this subject your earnest attention, and that you will, at the earliest practicable moment, erect a new Surveying District for this Territory, and make suitable provision for the establishment and maintainance of an office, therefore and for these things, we, your memorialists will ever pray. Resolved by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, That a copy of this Memorial and Resolution duly authenticated, be transmitted to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and our Delegate in the Congress of the United States. Approved January 5th, 1858. |