Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-08-08
PUBLIC LANDS.
REMARKS OF MIR. ROBINSON,
OF ILLINOIS.
In SENATE-July 8, 1882.

Dositon of the Public Lands: ana deep, ds Is
the interest of the State, which in part, have me
honor to represent; yet, at this advanced period
of long and protracted Session, would nave
contented myself with silent vote upon the bill
under consideration, had it not have been tor the
new principle it embraces and the doctrine al
vanced by some Senators who have preceded me
in the discussion, that reduction IN the Pice 81
the Public Lands ,DouM be ofno Advantage to the
States in ,vhich they are situated And 1 must
acknowledge my surprise at hearing this rom
honorable gentlemen, representing States, which,
time after tire. and year after year, have in the
most solemn manner, through an organ no less res
pectable that their Legislatures, pressed by me-
MORALS the most importunate upon Congress, the
great necessity Of literal reduction in price, or
Of a transfer of the lands to the States in which
they lie.
Some months ago resolution was adopted by
+be Senate. instructng one of its committees,
Hhe Committee on Manufac4ures,) to inquire IN
to The eYpe.s:s.ncy Of rcds,{enQ the price OF the
Public Lands, and of ceding them to the sereral
States, pithin Which they are situated, upon rea-
.sonabe terms. Against both these propositions,
an diverse report was made, and new PROJECT
submitted for consideration; and that project
referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and
reported upon with the amendments now under
consideration To this reference. we have heard
loud and repeated complaints, that the Commit
tee on Manufactures were treated unklndly; that
the usual courtesy was denied them, and that the
reference was unprecedented IN the Senate
Tow, Sir, it does not 10 appear to me. Had the
committee on Manufactures contented them
.selves with report adverse as it was) upon that
which was referred to them, and had their report
then been previous to any action of the Senate,
tn TO committee. their
plants would have had some foundation in rea-
son. But when they themselves first travelled
out of their Jurisdiction, and brought forward
measure, not within the scope Of the reference, but
7egitimately within the cognizance of the Com
Snittee on Public Lands; the first wrong step
having been taken by themselves, was very prop
serlv corrected by the Senate, in the reference te
the second committee, where of right the subject
belonged I hope, therefore, that the majority
who made this reference, will stand acquitted of
zany charge of unkindness, or lack of courtesy to-
ward that highly respectable committee which ia
-vored us with report, manifesting an ability
sand zeal worthy of better cause.
The Committee on Manufactures submitted
stwo propositions; first, appropriation to each
Aof the seven new States, to wit:-Ohio, In
sdlana, Illinois, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi,
sand Louisiana, of ten per cent. on the nett pro-
sceeds of the sales of that part of the public land
switch lies within it, for objects of internal inn
provements within their respective limits. Sc
acond, that the residue be dipided among the tpen
x.y four States, according to their federal repre-
sentative population, to be applied to education,
lnternal improvement, or colonization. or to the
reduction of any eristing debt contracted for in
xera,al Improvements, as each State, judging for
-itself, shall deem most tonformable pith its oun
interest and policy.
The Committee on Public Lands concurred
I'm the justice and policy of the first proposition,
but in an extended degree, and proposed that fif-
aeen instead of ten per cent be given to each of
the seven new States. But to the second propo-
eitIon, making general distribution of the res
idue among all the States, they wholly dissent,
land recommend in its stead, reduction in the
price Of all lands, which have been offered and
not sold at public sale, to the sum of one dollar
per acre; and Of refuse lands or such as have been
subject to entry for five YET RS or more, to fifty
gents per acre.
The Honorable Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
Clay few days ago, when this subject was un-
,Ger discussion, dwet at some length on the claim
(which has been set up by some on behalf of the
xStates to their ownership of the public lands
within their limits. As that subject is not be
dore us, l would not pursue him into the digres-
Sion, had not the Senator been pleased to notice,
with some degree of ridicule, the message of a
aormer Governor of Illinois, containing an elab
sorate argument in favor of this claim Sir, II
would have listened with great pleasure to the
Honorable Senator, if he had undertaken to re-
flute, by opposing argument to argument, the reas,
cons which have been arrayed with SO much abil- |
aty by the distinguished author of that message.
INSTEAD of denouncing in broad terms, the doc
trine as ridiculous, and the author as playing the |
dlemagouge. If the Governors object was to
play the demagogue (which by the by wholly |
deny would advise him, from this hencefor- |
ward, to ground his arms, acknowledge himself a
mere Tyro, and that he has not even learned the |
horn-book of the art What! Set up as dem
1gogue on so small scale; in State with pop
;ulation of merely an hundred and sixty thousand
why not elevate his asprations offer sop to the
whole twenty States; make bid of three
and half millions of dollars cash the first year,
and the same amount annually for four consecu-
tive years; with pretty strong nuendo, that if
things work well the annuity shall be made per-
Petual, at least as long as there are public lands
for sale. II the Ex-Governor had taken this
ground, then would the game have been worth
playing out.
The present is an inauspicious time, to divert
l,rp n IL