BULLETIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION WALTER M. SMITH, Chairman WILLARD G. BLEYER, Secretary FREDERICK W. MACKENZIE, Editor THOMAS S. ADAMS, Economics and Political Science Series WILLIAM H. LIGHTY, University Extension Series WILLIAM S. MARSHALL, Science Series DANIEL W. MEAD, Engineering Series EDWARD T. OWEN, Philology and Literature Series NO. 211 ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE SERIES, VOL. 3, No. 2, PP. 167-439 A CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY OF RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED STATES TO 1850 BY LEWIS HENRY HANEY, Ph. D. = Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Iowa A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN 1906 Published bi-monthly by authority of law with the approval of the Regents of the University and entered at the post office at Madison as second-class matter MADISON, WISCONSIN APRIL, 1908 The author wishes to express his indebtedness to the inspiration received from Prof. F. J. Turner, to the advice of Prof. Richard T. Ely and of Prof. B. H. Meyer, and to the faithful help of his wife. Upon the work of Mr. R. J. Usher in the Congressional documents partly depends the accuracy of the foot-note references and the exhaustiveness of the material. Iowa City, Ia. February 18, 1908. LEWIS H. HANEY. The beginning of the movement for Railways - Latrobe's Re- port - Oliver Evans and his Open Letter to Congress - Dearborn's Petition - Roger's Marine Railway - John Stevens; Government experiments proposed - Strickland's Report to the Pennsylvania Society for the promotion of Internal Improvements - The first commercial railways: CHAPTER II.-THE RAILWAY ENTERS CONGRESS: EARLY IDEAS Concerning Structure and UTILITY Track, description and cost of kinds proposed by Stevens, Evans, CHAPTER III.-COST OF TRANSPORTATION AND RATES OF TOLL CHAPTER IV.-RAILWAYS VERSUS CANALS: 1830-1840 Railways did not find a clear field - The House inquires: 1825 -Congress experiments: 1830-B. & O. versus C. & O. -The controversy typical of the times Movement from canals to railways - Exceptions — The railway predomi- 181 195 CHAPTER V.- RAILWAYS SUPERSEDE ROADS AS A NATIONAL IM- Roads or Railways? -- Steam on common roads - (Note on steam carriages) - The Buffalo-New Orleans Road Bill – Movement to change Cumberland Road to a railway (debate and vote) - Railways supersede turnpikes in the mail service-General summary and conclusion.. CHAPTER VI.-THE RAILWAY AND SOCIETY CHAPTER VII.- THE RAILWAY AND THE GOVERNMENT Agitation for government construction - Construction not to include ownership or operation About 1822 government ownership and operation became a political impossibility -Railways regarded as a possible investment - Movement for government ownership: Pacific Railways --The Movement not general -- Government regulation, six grounds for it Chronological Summary. - PAGE 228 241 251 BOOK II.-AID TO RAILWAYS CHAPTER VIII.-- GENERAL INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS CHAPTER IX.-GOVERNMENT SURVEYS The General Survey Bill: 1824 - The first railway route surveyed: 1825-26-Surveys become frequent-Charges of corruption - The Act of 1824 repealed: 1837-38 — Discussion of the various surveys (Appendix containing a list of surveys made or proposed under act of 1824)..... 268 275 |