Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-04-12


Miss )ur mir Benton. under the desienario,
of" my graduation bill When the gentleman
from South Carolina NJ. Hnynel first All
dressed the Senate on the resolution before US
Understood him TO have pressed II as measur,
expediency, that the public lands should h,
sold 10 The States " thin whose limits they are
situated. for a nominal consideration. The
gentlem afterwards corrected this impressior
when MS colleague Mr.. Smith of S. CT decIar.
ed hat he also so understood him. Sir, the
gentleman has the right TO claim of us all that
tis statements should be properly represented
| now understand him 10 say that his PROPOSE
ton Is not TO cede away these lands FOR a nom
iunl consideration, but to sell them on such lib
! eral terms that revenue should moi he even a
| secondary object in the sale. He urged with
all his usual ability, the impolicy of even con-
| sidering them as a source OF revenue, Sir. If
now comprehend all this doctrine, it has for its
| ect 10 make impressions which shall secure
II favorable vote on this same graduation bill
| and If So dissent from the doctrine toto cgio
| Whether this were or were not the greai object
| of the debate, with the gentleman from South
| Carolina, il was plainly avoWed 10 have beeu
! motive for II by the Senator from Missouri
| (Mr Benton. in the view which he took OF the
| subject The bill referred TO proposes 10 limit
| the prices of these lands at once In one dollar
per acre, and then gradually b reduce those
prices at the rate OF % per cent per aunnm
| until the lands shall be offered, after the eypi.
| ration of the third year, al % cents per acre
II further proposes to sell lands 10 actual set.
tiers. whether lrespassers or MT, at gradually
! reduced prices, until. alter the expiration OF
| the third year. they are to receive them at five
cents per acre. II that miserable pttance be
not then paid, il proposes to cede eighty acres
I In NIT tIlp NJ
| any consideration, aud as a Donation
finally, by the terms OF it all the lands which
shall remain not disposed by these meaus at The
| end Olive years, are TO be given TO the States
in which they lie upon these conditions merely
that they shall apply them to the promotion
OF education and internal improvement at home,
and refund 10 the Government tie expenses OF
the surveys of the lands So ceded, al the rate of
S2l6 for each township of $4,000 acres.-ln
consequence of the enactment OF such a law,
probab, very little would be bought until the
| expiration of the bird y.ar. when, if the inter
| ference OF these States with view TO secure IN
| whole to themselves for nothing, should not
prevent the sales al ugether, the lands would
| he purchased at a nominal price Such
| measure, sir, would not only be unjust TO thc
citizens OF the oil States, but highly injurious
! TO the Western settlers who have heretofore
The value of properly is merely relative
and is either enhanced diminished by the es
innate placed upon other property OF the same
kind. If hundred millions Of acres be thrown
/ into market at 25 cents per acre, and a large
| quantity of land be offered to actual settlers al
| tue same time DIT 8 cents per acre, the value Of
that which has been bought by fair purchasers
at 81, or al > % per acre. is at once, 9th Ter Gil
cumstances being equal, sunk TO level with
the selling price of all the lands around it. We
| we'll know the operation upon our real proper
ty in all parts of the Union, OF the exposure al
| public sale OF any very considerable portion of
! real property adjoining It. We k"ow that II
great landed proprietor sells me a tract IN the
midst OF his possessions, Al $50 per acre, and
| then, from pecuhiary embarrassment or from
! any other cause, exposes the residue to sale, ny
which he realizes only So per acre for lands OF
equal fertility and advantages, my land, as an
effect of this is reduced o his last selling pace.
When he put million Of acres around nine in.
! to market al a nom indl sum, he equally dimin-
ishes the selling value Of mine by the act, whe
Their his motive for doing so BE- TO augment pop
ulation and improve the country, OF wanIonly
TO effect my ruin. And should this bill become
a law, the former purchas' rs who have paid
full value would, IN consequence al the deprF-
clalion of the pre-" 'rty occasoned by the en-
actmeut, have "A better equitable right to remu-
neTa'ion for losses by the Government, than
many claimants whose demands are annually
Iiquidated here without our hearing note Of
remonsirance against them. -lhe bill has been
pending here for the last four years and the
disposition eyinced 10 entertain II as a subject
for future decision, has cherished expectations
which are sedulously encouraged by rnmors in
the West, that lis provisions will eventually be
I1,x s,.I 4, a.. 10 and,
Western gentlemen me can bear witness
that it Is 20, antcpations have been too gem
rally INDUCED that these lands will before long,
be offered for nothing This must tend to i'm
pede our sales, and perhaps TO some extent to
suspend the settlement of our Western frontier
IA result, suppose, 10 be deprecated by none
more ply than bv the gentleman from Mis-
souri, Mr.. Benton himself. In the mean time,
without the final action Of Congress on the sub
jeci, the illusion Is every year increasing; and
10 add TO the evil. we have now a new doctrine
which has been already adverted to ia this de-
bate-,hai these lands OF right belorg To the
new States wi hin which they are situated. The
gentleman from Missouri, in reference 10 the
charge Of hostility to the West, to prove or
disprove which would not myself now offer
single mark, has chosen to Inform US that ne
has never obtained here more than aslngle vote
| LOT MS HTdtuhllOD Uiii u OH Tue
of all the States northeast OF the Potomac
and he adds, that vote was given in 1928 by
former Senator from the State which have
the honor in part 10 represent here. For this
good deed, the gentleman from Missouri pro
ceeded TO pronounce panegyric on that soma
tor, which was merited on stronger grounds
Though readily according in the justice winch
imputes the most correct motives TO that gen
teman, who is my neighbor, and with whom
lived on terms Of friendly intercourse, ex'
ercsing, as he doubtless did, his conscientious
Judgment on the case, yet with my views, thus
briefly explained | am constrained 10 say that
cannot vote for this bill. According To my
mode of considering it, il is proposition 10
give away the birthright of our people for
nominal sum aud am vet to learn thai the
citizens of The Middle States have indicated
any feeling in regard to it differing from that
expressed 10 the vote referred to when, with a
single exception, all the Senators representing