Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-02-02
CONGRESS.
IN SENATE Jan, IS, 1880.

sale and are subject entry st the minimum price,
and, also,, whether the office of Surveyor General
and the offices OF the Surveyors of the Public Lands
may not be abolished, without detriment.to the pub
lie interest
Mr. BENTON commenced his speech with an an
u'ysls of The Resolutions which, he said, presented
three distinct propositions, namely:
l. To stop the surveying of the Public Land.
Q. TO limit the sales to the lands now in market.
s. TO abolish all tn. offices of the Surveyors Gen
erah
These were the propositions. The effect Of them
Would be:
L. TO click entg ration to tho new States and
Territories.
2. 70 limit their settlement.
3. To deliver up large portions of thcm to tho do
mInion of wild beasts.
4. TO remove all the land records from the new
States
Mr.. 3 -dscaimed all intention of having any thing
to do with the motives of the mover of the resolutions
he took 1t according its effect and operation and
conceived this to be emineny injurious the rights
and interests of the States and Territories, he
should Justify the view wh,ch he had taken and the
vate he intended TO give. by an exposition of facts
and reasons which would snow tho disastrous nature
ot the practical effects ofthis resolution.
On the first branch of these efocts-checking cm-
grafton to the Vest, aiear that if TIL sales are
limited to the lands in market, emigration will
cease to flow; for these lands Of character
to attract people At distance. In Missouri they
the refuse of forty years picking under the Spanish
government; and OF twenty more under the govern
lent of the United States The character and value
of this refuse had been shown officially in the reports
obedience o
call from the Senate. Other gentlemen would shbys
what was said of 1t in their respective State. he
would confne himself to his own--!o the State Of
hllssourl--ond show TO be miserable indeed. The
81 Louis district, containing two and quarter NIL
lions OF acres, estimuted an a, eraoe value of
hteen cents per acre; the Cape Girardcau district
contalnng four and half millions oil acres was esii-
mated at twelve and half cents per acres the West
ern district containing million and three quaEe rs
OF acres was estma ed sixty two and half cents;
rom the other two districts there was nteIligble
or pertinent reurn but assuming them to be equal to
tue Wy estern district and the average value of the
lands they contain would be only halflhe amount
OF the present minimum price. This being the state
OF the lands III Missouri which would be subject to
me G3fer the operation of this resolution, no emf
grants would be attracted to them Persons who re-
move To new count, res want new lands frst choices
ana they cannot get these, they have sui oent
fnducement to move. The Senator from Connect
cnt Mr.. Foot had read part OF Mr. CsraIan,s the
commissioners report show that the lands had
sold rapidly in the Steubcnve district. the Oldest in
the MON he bad shown the sales there for 1899 to
ne about 35oo0 but if he had Wished TO have shown
the other side ofthc question-how much faster thew
SCH IN new distrlcts--Wfat u fine opportunity he
would have found in the Charlottesville district in In
than 81 90 900.
The second i'll effect result from this resolution.
sqPposng 1t to ripen into the measures which it i'm
plies to be necessary would be in ,nnu The settle
Iaents in the States and Territories This Iionj
tation of settlement would be the inevitable effect of
continuing the sales to the lands now IN rkct These
aauS III MISSOURI only amount TO 0rlIt-tIira OF
State BY consequence only third could be set
tied. iwo-tinrds ofthe State would remain without
hlnaoNants; the resolution says for certain period
ana the gentlemen In their speeches expound this
ceTnzln period 10 be seventy-two years. Thew say
seVenty-two millions of acres are now in market tbat
we sell but one million year; therefore, we have
enough to supply the demand for seventy-two wears
Ii does not enter their heads 10 consider that Is tho
price was adapted to the value all of this
millions that Is fit for cultivation would be sold i'm
iicalaley ihey must 60 on at million year for Sc
Eehty Two years. the Scripture tenn for the life of
InA, long peraod In the age of nation-the exact
pTiod of the Babylonsh captivity-a lone and Gov
fowful period IN the history of the Jews aud Dot less
nor less sorrowful IN the history Of the West if
thus Resolution should take effect
The third point of objection is that II uorlE da1o
UP large portion of the States and Territories
to the dominion of wild beasts. In Missouri fs e,r
render would be equal to two thirds of ira stat
comprising about forty thousan nd square miles
ing the whole valley ofte Usage river besides MANY
other parts, and approaching within dozen miles ri
the centre and capital of the State. An this would
De delivered up to wild beasts; for the Indian title ia
extingoIshed and the Indians gone: the white peonle
would be excluded from it; beasts alone would tnla
IT, and oil this IN violation of the Divine command tn
fepehish the earth, to increase and muliipv uno, i
ano 10 nave doHnion over the be asts of the forest
tDe birds OF the air, the fish in the waters and Tho
creeping things upon the earth.
Inc fourth point of objection is ju the removal of
tne iana recorcs, the neutral effect Of abosiDe nil
the ohaces OF the Surveyors General These ofIs
css are hVe IN nuInbep. 1t is proposed to abolish
sau' all ahn me reason assigned in debate is that
'ey are SlnecuTes; That to saw Offices which bry
revenues and no Employment This is tho dogcr;n-
noh OF snecnre We have one of these Offices IN
ntssouEi' ond know sofneth mr. of IT, The Surveyor
Tenefa, Col Mckee, in poD' Of fidelity to his trust
Deohes TO TIE school Of Nathaniel Macon: in in:
Oh science aud intelligence, lie bel,ngs to the fret
ora I OF men that Europe or America contains He
iu MS cIerks carry labor mlj drudgerv to the u-
mate point Of human cxerion and sin FIJI short OF
lne taSh oeore theD; a"d this ia an office which it is
PIoposbn 10 abolish undor the notion of sinecnre
as an ofifce with revenue and ,vbnn, er,,Ine
he apoIitIon OF these Offices would involve the nc
cess'ty o. removing ell their records and thus dcpri
s me country OF all the evidences of the foupda
lions OF all the land titles 'gh;1 vvo,Id he 1900,
morh; OUT The gcntlemans plan would lie incoUpets
including the General Land Office in this civ
g., 'sesS OF h'ch is TO supcrin5end the
I've surveyor GeneTaPs Offices and for which t,erc
oot! t, Dc but little use after they were abolished
hese ore the practical effects OF tho ros,lntio,
TO the new States hecRod--iloig sottlo
nen' limited large portion Of tLSir err 49, 80
Wy ~ 'lie C'niniyn Of beoss---,he land rccord.