The Beginnings of the Texas Railroad System. 
51 
aid in their construction. 24 This measure was defeated by the men 
who favored public ownership. 
When the agitation for railroads became violent in 1855, such a 
measure was again introduced in the Legislature in opposition to the 
plan of Governor Pease, who had by this time embraced the policy 
of State ownership, and recommended its adoption by the State. 
After a tedious debate extending over the greater part of the session, 
this act was passed over the opposition of those men who favored 
public works. The agitation for government ownership thus came 
to naught. 
( h ) Terms of the Act. 
According to the terms of the act, all the railroads' then in exist- 
ence were to be loaned $6,000 for each mile of road constructed, after 
the completion of the first twenty-five miles, and the grading of the 
second twenty-five miles. The Special School Fund, consisting of 
$2,000,000, was to be equally divided between the roads on the east 
and west sides of the Trinity River. The loans were to be made by 
a Board of School Commissioners, consisting of the Governor, the 
Comptroller and the Attorney General. 25 
12. Resume. 
The method of securing railroads adopted by Texas was, therefore, 
the system of private corporations aided by the State. The aid 
offered consisted of 10,240 acres of land and a loan of $6,000 to the 
mile of road constructed. How efficient these measures were in pro- 
moting construction we shall learn in another chapter. 
NOTES. 
a Cyclopedia of Political Science, Political Economy and the Political History 
of the United States, edited by John J. Lalor, Vol. 3, p. 515. 
2 Vide my paper on “Land Grants to Railroads in Texas.” 
Resolution of Congress, approved March, 1845, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 2, p. 
1229. 
Report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office of the State of Texas 
upon the Findings of the Special Commission appointed under the Act of March 
2, 1899, November 7, 1899, p. 4. 
“Act of February 10, 1852, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 3, p. 1145. 
6 These were: the Texas Central, the Texas & Louisiana, the New Orleans, 
Texas & Pacific, the Texas Western, the Vicksburg & El Paso, the Brownsville 
& Rio Grande, the Galveston, Houston & Henderson, the Indianola & Victoria 
Plank, the Marshall Railroad, the Memphis, El Paso & Pacific, the Virginia 
Point & Austin, the Columbia, Wharton & Austin, the Sabine & Sulphur 
Springs, and the Chambers Terraqueous Transportation. 
7 Vide my paper on “Land Grants to Railroads in Texas,” pp. 25-28. 
Twelfth Decennial Census of the United States. 
9 “If we pursue this course our railroad charters will cease to be offered for 
sale by individuals who have obtained them for the purposes of speculation. 
Those who wish to construct railroads will obtain charters without paying a 
premium to the persons who have induced the Legislature to pass them, and 
