Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-02-06
CONGRESS.
liz SENATE, Jan. go.
PUBLIC LAMBS

Mr. tOOTS rcso!alicn for suspendlue the sur-
vcys OF the public lands, &c being under cIsideIa
Mr. WEBS TER, of Massachusetts,, said, on rising,
that nothing mad been further from his intention,
to tako any par, IN tho discussion of this resolution
proposed only az inquiry, on subject OF much iri-
portance cad one IN regard towhich il might strike
the ini of the and Of other gentlemen, that
inquiry and investigation would be useful Although
tsatd Mr.. W am of those who do 10; perceive
any particular utility nnsti,uting he inquiry. have,
nevertheless, not that harm would be likely 10
result from adopting the resolution. Indeed gives
10 new powers, and hardly imposes my new du'y on
the committee. All that the resolution proposes
should be done, the committee is quite competent
without the resolution, do by of its ordna ~,
powers. But, sir, although have felt quite nd;ifcr-
Ct about tho passing of the resolution yet opinions
expressed yesterday on the general subject of
tue publc lands, and on other SUBJECTS by the
gentleman from South Carolina, SO widely different
from my own, that am not wiling to let The occa-
sion pass without some reply. IL deemed the reo-
i'tien as originally proposed hardly necessary, sti
less do think it either necessary expedient 10
adopt 1t, sace second branch has been added TO it
70 day. by this second branch, the committee is to
be instructed to inquire whether it be cxpedirn, to
adopt measures to hasten the sales, and extend more
rapidly the surveys OF the public lends.
Now appears. that, IN forty years, Mr.. President
we have sold no more than about twenty millions Of
ucres OF pablo lands phc annual sales do not now
exceed, and never have exceeded, one million of
acres A raillion year ~, according to expert
ence az much as tho increase OF population can bring
OF this momeut> s;r, surveyed aud in the market
ready for sale. hundred and ten millions of acres
or thoreako A tais vast mass, at this moment
les on oar hands, for want of purchasers. Can
any maR looking to the real interests Of the coantry
Gid the people. seriously think Of ineuirng whether
ought still faster to hasten the public surveys
nnd to bring, still more and more rapidly other
quantities n'o the market? The truth is, that rapid
ly as population has increased, the surveys have
nevertheless out-ran our wants. phcre arc more
lands than purchasers. T'hey now sold at low
prices. and taken up fast the inc ease people
ihr..:shes hands to tale them Up. II Is obvious that
no artificial regulation, forcing OF sales no giving
away ot the lands evcn can prodcce uny great aud
sudden augmentation of population. The ratio of
Increase, though great has yet its bounds. lIands
for labor multiplied only at a ccrtein rate. The
lands be settled but by settlers; nor faster
thaa settlers can be found system, if now adopt
ed, offorcng sales Z. whatever prices NAV hnve tho
effect Of throwing large quantities into the hands of
individuals who would, IN this way, in ine, become
themselves competitors with the government, i'll the
sale Of land. hfy own opinion has uniformly been
tdat the public aids should be offered freely and al
low prices: encourage sc tlonlcnt and cult
Walton rapidly the ncreasi, population u the
country rs competent 10 extend settlement and cult;
Walton.
Every actual settler should be able TO buy rood
land, ut cheap rate; but the other hand specu-
lation by individuals, large scale shonld not be
encouraged, nor should the value of all lands sold
ind ansold, be reduced TO nothiGg by throwing new
and vast quantities into the market prices merely
pomiual.
now proceed, sir, TO Of tho opinions express
cd By the gentleman from South Carolina. 4'vo or
three topics were touched By him. in rcard which
lie expressed sentiments in which C. not G.. con-
cur.
In the first place, SIT, ths honorable gentleman
spoke OF the Whole course and policy Of the govern
Inent towards those who have purchased and settled
the public lands; and seemed TO think this policy
wrong. lie held it to hove been from the frst hard
aud rigorous; he w1s Of opirieD, that the United
States had acted towarCs those who had subdued the
6DIE a Gtu thar
taat the public domain had been improperly regarded
Us source OF revenue; and that had rigidy COM
PEELED payment for that which ought TO have been
given away. he said We ought TO have followed the
Iralogy OF ether governments, which had acted on u
much more liberal system than ours, planting colo
mes He dwelt, particularly, upon the settlement
OF Amcrica by colonies from Europe; and reminded
;iat their governments had not exacted from those
CDonfSls payment for the soil; With them, he said. It
bad been thought, that the conquest of the wilder
ness Vac, itself, equivalent to: the soil, and he
lTnented that lad not followed that example, and
porsued the same liberal course towards our own
CrpiGraRts to the West.
Now, sir, deny, sitospther, that there has been
uny thing harsh or scrcre. IN the policy of the go
VGEnucnt towards the ncg States OF the Vest. On
tho Contrary, maintain, that il has uniformly pur
sued, towards those Statos liberal and enlightened
system, such as Its own duty alloHed and required
and such their interests and welfare denandcd
Ehe Government has been step-tnother To the ncy
States SIZE has not been careless OF their interests
nor dcuf to their requests but from the rst moment
yhen the Territories which now form those States
were coded TO the Union, down the time in which
am now speaking, II has been tie inva-iaklc object
Of the Government. to dispose of the SOIL according
10 the true spirit Of the obligation under which il
received II; To hasten settlement and cultivation
rs Tor and "a fast as practicable and to the new
communities into equal and independent States, at
the earliest moment Of their being es!o b. thcr num-
bers, to form a regular government
do not admit, sir, that the analogy which the
gentleman refers u.s. is just, that the
all similar. There IS 10 resemblance between the
cases upon which statesman foCnd al argu-
uen The original North American Coonists e.
Their lied from Europe, like our New England
ors, avoid persecution or came h.her q. their
own charges, und often ct the ruin of their for
tunes, as private Adventures. Generally speaking
they derived neither succour protection from
their governments ut Zone. Wide, indeed IS the
difference between those and ours. Frern the
very origin Ut the government, thece western lands
aud the Just protection of those Hho had settled or
should settle them, have been the leadilrc Oh.
iacfa In nnK nnlIcv md hnrn ID IL n-nnr,..i..a.