The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-06-02


upon the statute book for twenty-five years, without
single effort ever being made to repeal IT. Sir,
mourn" 10 my friend driven TO such miserable
shit and subierfuge for cannot 80 far disgrace the
term as 10 call it argument
The honorable Senator. sir having given US history
OF the origin, and his opinion as TO the nature, OF the
Joint resolution Of 1916 next proceeds TO favor Us with
The reasons which induced the late Executive to issue
the Treasury circular. These reasons are numerous,
plausible, and imposing but yet ineoncluslse and un-
satisfactory TO me. will apply TO them the test OF
TRUTH and show. think. to the satisfaction OF the
Senate that by such test each OF those reasons Will
vanish into smoke and empty air.
The Senator begins his enumeration, by telling us
"that complaints made Of extensive frauds prac-
tised in the sale OF the public lands" Sir | will ask
HIM, who made those complaints will ask, who u
was that charged fraud upon the land oicersl Shall
tell him who they were These charges were mainly
made by the late Senator Poindexer, and by his allies
in politics. by him and others equally hostile to The
late Executive and his administration. These charges
were made years preceding the Treasury order,
and with the known design Of reaching certain land
officer in Mississippi will ask the Senator If these
charges had any influence with the late Executive or
with US! Yes, sir, they had influence with the late
Executive, and with and that was, to induce US all
to denounce turn the late Senator and his associates,
and TO defend with zeal, and skill, and perseverance,
the individual alluded to- This the influence, as
well as my memory serves me, which these complaints
had upon Who else complained! We're there atty
States We're any such complaints made by the people,
in the form Of petition! No. SIR as far as my memory
serves me, we had no such complaints from an, - ess
NC ID. ne ae n1n
States, where the public lands lie or from any Of the
old States either where the public lands do not lie, rise
IN his place and propose any remedy for these COM
paints No, sir. Did the late President deem these
complaints OF such vast Importance to form the sub
ect Of general special message to Congress for legs
lauve remedy No, sir, Did the Secretary Of the
Treasury complain to of the then existing state Of
things, and solicit interference No, air There
were, according to my recollection, complaints made
except those TO which | have alluded And those we
laughed at as the bitter oupourngs of disappointed am
bltion, and as the whining srnseess, and hypocrtca
eiusons of political adversaries, who were, above
all things, DESTROYS Of bringing the administration into
odIm, contempt and disgrace. And If we had not
viewed these complaints in this light but had, the
contrary, believed them well grounded, what need
there either for the Treasury order for Congressional
interference TO prevent these fraudulent practices In
the first place, all knew that no land officer
buy land without the special permission OF the Secre'a-
ry of The Treasury In the second place, all knew
that II land officers disposed to commit fraudulent
practices, that the Treasury order could not mend the
matter No, SIR they could readily sign receipts for
specie as for bank rags And, again. As full and
comprehensive answer to every objection, II the land
officers were guilty of fraudulent practices the President
held in his own hands the ample remedy. He had but
to remove them from office and appoint others in their
places who were competent and faithful This reason,
therefore, Tor the necessity of the Treasury order in
every light in which il be presented to my mind,
seems TO me utterly groundless, and that account
am sorry that It has been gravely enumerated one
The next reason, sir which the Senator assigns in
justification OF the Treasury order, is that of alarming
attempts to monopolse large tracts Of land in the hands
OF individual and associated propnetors." This reason,
think can fully very few words and satisfy
the Senate, that if that had been desirable it could
have been accomplished without the aid of the Treasury
order. II the late Executive had wished to prevent
monopoly ofthe public land all he had to do to accom-
pilsh his object, was TO withhold his proclamation for
sale OF the public lands This prompt and simple RENE
dy would have cured the evil without the agency of any
Treasury order. If it had been the pleasure of Con-
gress to prevent monopoly OF the pnblc land all they
had to d., was to withhold the annual appropriations
Tor the surveys and the object accomplished with
out the intervention Of the Treasury order And did
the Executive Congress either show any determine
ton their part stop the sales Of the public lands
No, sir; Congress passed the usual annual appropra
tons for the public surveys, and the Executive on his
part, brought the lands into Market rapidly it
desired by those interested and will add that if either
the the other of these things had not taken place,
that it would have created in the west little
sation.
While upon this branch OF the inquiry, will give the
honorable Senator the views entertained in the
States so far as understand them, upon the question
OF land monopolies: will give them cheerfuly, and
hope they will not fall upon his senses, like seed
by the way side, which the thons and thistles
grew up and choked but that they may be remembered
by him in time come, and be of service to him
hereafter.
There are, sir in the States, three kinds Of land
monopoes, which are felt almost intoerabe grlev-
anccs The first Of these is that Of the Indian monop-
oily. Whilst their title is unexngushed the, lands
cannot be settled upon, cultivated by citizens,
do they yield any tribute to the States The
war now going in Florida, the apprehended difficult
ties with the Cheokees in Georgia. will 90 far to show
the Senate the light in which this monopoly is viewed
by the citizens Of the States interested II consider
ed as such grievance that find the people of
those States, and their friends, readily disposed risk
blood and treasure, and alege, national faith
and honor too, to this monopoly Sir, this feel
ing, upon this kind Of monopoly, is not local II exists
wheresoevcr this monopoly exists. And the Senator
will nd with all his intellect, that he will strive in vain
TO convince the people interested that it better for
the United States and better for them, that their lands
should remain in that situation than to be disposed Of
for even bank rags by the bae and that, too to asso
cated proprleors'
The next most Objectionable monopoly Of the public
land IN the new States, the monopoly Of the Federal
Government. 1t is true that can settle, and live
and breathe upon the lands owned by the Government,
unless, indeed, should be driven off from by the
military force, recently most graciousy lnma-
ted by the Senator from Kentucky that ought be,
under the provisions OF the obsolete act of 1907. This
permission to settle upon the public lands is the only
benefit derived while these lands monopoised by
the Federal Government These lands in that condi-
ton, yield by taxation to the States. They
are but sparely settled and but indfferently improved
by the occupants, Of the uncertainty Of the
time they will be permitted to remain undisturbed in
their possessions; and account Of the great uncer
ainy they feel OF ever owning the land of being
munerated for their labor upon it. This monopoly is
considered great grievance much so, that at al
every session OF Congress have Of petitions,
may say, in one form another, besecchng and i'm
plorng Congress for the passage OF graduation laws Of
presumption laws, Of donation laws, for some other