Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-01-28
GQN0K@Sls
WEDNESDAY. Dee. 80. 1929
DEBATE IN SENATE.

l.
MIR. Foot, was considered:
Resolved, That tho Committee on the Public Land
e instructed to inquire into the sxpediency Of limit
ing To- certain period, the sales Of the Public Lands
10 ueh lands only as have heretofore been OF red To-
sa~, anu are subject TO entry at the minimum price
Anc also, whether the Office Of Surveyor Gsnera ma,
nov os abolished without dsrnent TO the public inter
MI Foot said he thought the resolution so explicit
mat u carried on It's face nuch of its object that FUR
'ner explanation might be considered almost unnecss
say lie observed. however. that he was led to the
int otucion sf the resolution from fact oh aimed by
examining the report of the Commissioner Of the &c.
neral Land Once. That report stasd that there
a. present. seventy millions Of Of Public aud al
ready surveyed aud in the market.
There Mr. Foot read an extrAct1 Such, said Mr.
ro.t, las been the extent to which the surveying Of
Public Lands has been carried under the existing
TEN OF our land laws, that, we find lands
surveyed and in market than what are necessary TO
supply the demands OF the country for many years to
come. twas therefore. that he wished to limit tn
sales Of Public Lands TO those already in market; and,
si.'' TO- quire into the exrediency Of abolshng the
once OIL Surveyor General I'm IL such time those
lands shall have been disposed OF.
Mr. Holmes asked of the mover Of the resolution
why the proposed inquiry restricted to thr ex-
pedlency only OF dispensing with he Office Of Survey
or General. u Mr.. HIS rccolle etons were correct,
the were hive land districts, TO each OF which was
attached Surveyo- Oae district northeast of the
Ohio, where tho officer called the Surveyor Gen
eral; and foure her districts where the oic-rs
called Surveyors, merely. Now, asked MIR. II does
the gentlemen wish the Committee to inquire into the
expediency OF dispensing with tho office Surveyor
L nr' technically so called, retaining the other Sur
vsyors in olhce, or does he wish the inquiry 10
ten to the expedeney of sbo'i.hing all these office:
Mr. Foot was not aware that there w,re o;her U.
s. Surveyor not subordinate to the Surveyor General:
lie thought that ommendat TO dispense with
the services OF the Last mentioned offer, carried with
1t recomm ,Dda'on dispense with the service. OF
others in like manner. He was, however, anxious
that The inquiry should be ,ds to the fullest extent,
and would accept OF any modification to meet The views
OF the Senator d ON Maine.
Mr. Benton cad, that he did not wish TO interpose
any check TO inquiry much less dill he pretend to
question The right OF the gentleman froR Come
or any Other gentlcmano seek informant in whatever
mode they thought proper. He was decidedly in la
vor OF Introducing subjects to the con sderaon OF ie
gisative assemblies through the medium Of revolutions
IL was the course pursued in the B itish Paramrn
where the name, nature, object and ultimate effect Of
every resolution was fully aud freely inves gated
Many subjects require such deliberations tho.e Of
great national utility absolutely dem nded it, sub.
Iect, aer having undergone this process, returns to
the House illustrated by all the lights the Committed
can she'd upon it, This resolution, however the SUBJ
Jeet embraced In II being OF immense importance
only 10 the western country, but TO the whole u
nion,l he wished TO give imperative character in
order that the sense Of the Senate might be fully
pressed In rca ION TO II before proceeded any fur
Their. tie would. therefore, give the gen iemaR from
Connecticut an opportunity Of presenting his re,o-
luton in manner that would render Il debaeabie i,
iimipe.
MIR. Foot said that. perhaps he ough, to max. AZ.
acknowledgements TO the gentleman from Missouri (Mr
BSn on,) Tor the kindness with which no conceded n
him the privilege Of making inquiries as he thous HI
proper, and OF modifying his resolution so a, TO me
the views OF the gentleman himself. He would saw
however that he had the vanity at thi. time IN am
pose hn'elf fully acquainted with the subject cmbrac
ed IN the resolution. HIS object in bringing IL before
the Senate was 10 obtain information aud he did moi
feel disposed TO alter its phraseoogy so a, to make hi,
resolution impeI alive, and 10 instruct the Committee
10 report bill. When the Committee did repart the
gentleman from Missouri would have an annie o.no,
tunity Of exposing whatever injurious tendencie. be
might anticipate to the Western country #, ON tbe A.
dopiion Of the resolution.
Mr.. Benon replied that il was in hi, power to civ.
TO the resolution an imperative charac err or at least
take such course would prevent IL fror, being
on without a iu discussion In the Senate, as TO III
objects and ultimate bearing. He was prepared I,
make decided stand against il; and he now soIemn,,
protested against :he principle which il involved.
was wholly immateriai to him wha, va, The o. ject O
the mover oil the resolution, or what the inquiry Pr
posed TO be msde its effect, 10 his mind was tbs
result would inevitably be 10 check the ennis alton I,
the Western country. The western country was hi.
(Mr Benion') field, not that Of the gentleman iron
Connecticut; lie was acquainted with It's Interests and
resources; the gentleman from Come ccut was no
was, in fine, the couHry which he had long made hi:
home and with which his best feelings and wisbe,
were ndenlifed He could not consen, tha, This
luton should 20 to the COMMITTEE unless the gentle
man would agree to give TO it decided character NJ
matter IN What form, under what prete 1t il wa
introduced, ii its practical effects propose
matter OF consideration, whether migfation TO the
States should be checked or not IL was his (Mr. b.
duty TO meet il at the threshold, In the same maone
as he would an injury attempted az inst any other sec
lion OF the Uncn. and oppose with al the cnergei
lac possessed. Two years ago, saii Mr. Ben'on, wher
the tariff bill being under IL 40 laid do
on the floor Of the s. strong motive for the en-
| enlargement Of manufactures, that such encoutag.
ment would have the effect OF aiming the all alb
sorhng force Of emigration to the West; when manu-
features aud emigration thus made ntagonist-
each other he (Sr. b. had then, though unsupported
REPLIED and exposed in indignant terms the injustice
such proposition. The same odous doctrine had Of
ten made irs appearance that hoor and had OTTER
been tramped under foot What, he (Mr. b. woul,
ask would be the effect produced by the abortion o
the measure proposed by the resolution? Would not IL
immediate effect be 10 stop the migration to the West
Would IL not be 10 eonhne the brave and hardy cult
vaor and defender Of tho soil 10 those barren spot
Itch are now passed over waste and refuse, an,
at the same time 10 condemn the rich and beauiif,i
wales OF the western wids, which yet uDsuryeyed
to eternal solitude! What said Mr.. B. IL the ebarar
ter Of the lands which yet UNFOLD, and are IL
the market at the minimum price! Are they not, b.,
asked, mere scraps adjoining TO plantations and wher
purchased, purchased only for the purpose ofkeepins
OIL troublesome neighbours; are wanted only for wood
wa'er, or pasiuragP, aud not Tor cultivation Mr.. Ben
ton held in his hands the report Of the Commissions
Of the General Land Office, in which the average va
Iue Of those spots OF land stated, and in which The
true character was given as 'ieluse spots desirable
only Tor the purposes he had Just mentioned and
for the emigrdDt, who never, going into ne "
country thinks Of picking UP waste tracts OF 80
but Of settling himself fertile tract holding out
fair prospects OF future support for himself and grow
ing family. In another point Of view, Mr.. Benton had
s stronger ObeciiCR 10 the adoption OF the
embraced in the resolution. On States Of the
West, tho eject weUd be but trivial while other.
u would he most disastrous. In States Il would
prevent one OF land from being sold and
tied upon willie in others would the sale "a
cease altogether. To Ohio, for example, whose latds
had he. cd md oaad If a..