HISTORICAL MEMOIR. XV 



due from the United States to the State of Missouri, on account 

 of the public land sales in the State, under the act of Congress 

 of March 6, 1820, and of March 3, 1857, when received, should 

 also be placed in the " State Interest Fund." 



The Board of Public Works were required to attend all the 

 meetings of the Boards of Directors, and watch their proceed- 

 ings. And in order to provide further for the certain and 

 prompt payment of the interest on any State bond which may 

 be unprovided for, the Commissioners of the State Interest 

 Fund, thirty days before the interest is due, shall temporarily 

 take out of any funds in the public treasury, except the School 

 Fund, the Road and Canal Fund, and the Internal Improve- 

 ment Fund, sufficient to pay such interest ; and in case there 

 is not sufficient to pay such interest, then the Governor is au- 

 thorized to issue " Revenue Bonds," payable two years after 

 date, with any rate of interest not exceeding ten per cent., and 

 hand them to the Commissioners, to sell or hypothecate for a 

 loan in anticipation of the moneys due to the Interest Fund. 

 And in case the moneys provided by the act are not needed to 

 pay accruing interest, then they are to be invested, and the 

 interest on the investment added to the fund, and the fund is 

 declared sacred and inviolable until the principal and interest 

 of all the State bonds are fully paid. Thus full and ample 

 provision has been made by the Legislature to meet, at all 

 times, the accruing interest on the State bonds of Missouri. 



These facts are important as bearing upon the future of the 

 Pacific Railroad in completing the line to Kansas, and the South- 

 western branch. 



The main, or Kansas line of the Pacific Railroad, was open- 

 ed to Jefferson City (125 miles from St. Louis), about the 1st 

 of March, 1856, and is well constructed and well stocked. Its 

 business between that point, which is the State capital, and St. 

 Louis, has exceeded the expectations and estimates of all. That 

 line was opened to the town of California, 25 miles further, on 

 May 4th, 1858, and to Tipton, 12f miles still further west, 

 being 162f miles from St. Louis, July 25th, 1858. The amount 

 expended upon that line to Dec. 1, 1858, has been about 



