Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 7.pdf/115

Rh through the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue River valleys, the proceeds of the half-million acres of public lands granted to Oregon for internal improvements. This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Corporations, which reported the proposition back by recommending the passage of an act to levy a tax of one mill on the dollar on all the taxable property in the State, and apply the proceeds of such tax to the payment of the interest on the construction bonds of a company to build the proposed road. The bill became a law, but was never utilized.

Immediately following the legislature Colonel Barry prepared a report of his survey, with maps and profiles of the line, which, together with a report on the Resources of Oregon (the first ever made), prepared by the secretary of the company, was laid before Congress at the opening of the session in December, 1864. Prior to this in the winter of 1863-4 Hon. C. Cole, M. C., from California, had introduced, in the House a bill granting lands to the California and Oregon Railroad Company to aid in building a railroad from the Central Pacific Railroad in California, through the Sacramento and Shasta valleys to the northern boundary of the State of California, and to such company as the Oregon legislature should designate from Portland, Oregon, through the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue River valleys to a connection with the said California road at or near the State line. On being apprised of the work going forward in Oregon in aid of this enterprise Mr. Cole addressed the following letter to the Secretary of the Oregon company: