Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-04-20
SPEECH OF MIR. MASON, OF OHIO.
On the bill for continuing the Cumberland Road
Mr.. Chairman:--

/, has been with deep regret that have wit
messed Of la:e disposition to withhold appro-
pratt for the completion OF the Cumbefiahu
road And this regret has not been d'ininisheo
nv seeing the early enemies OF this natonai
work filing their ranks by recruits from those
Tho were once its friends. Having ITS origin III
compac, with the Western States, 1t has hitherto
received the support Of Congress and the Execu-
i've from the time Of Mr.. Jefferson down to the
present dav, without regard 10 party poiit'cs.-
Although it is doomed TO encounter every year
the stern opposition of gentlemen from certain
qua,te of the Union, and 10 with them stanoins
theme Tor patriotic defamation, yet party raiiy
has never been effected against It,
II is now thirty-seven years since this govern
ment entered into "A solemn engagement with the
people of that part of the Northwestern Terrific
nv which constitutes the state oil ONO, 10
Law on, and make public roads leading from The
lavig able waters emptying into the Atlantic, 10
the OHIO, to the said State, and through the
same
Congress, bv an act Of Apri! 80, 1902, Offered
to the Convention of the eastern State OF the
said Territory. when formed. for their free ac-
cepiance rejection three propositions, winch,
If accepted by ihe Convention, should be O6fSd-
torn upon the United States.' Of these PROPOSE
tons, only one Is material TO my purpose II Is
the third in the series; and II declares:
"'rhat one twentieth part OF the nett proceeds
Of the lands living within the state, sold by Con-
gress. from and after the ihirtieih day OF June
next, after deducting II expenses incidental TO
the same, shall be applied to the laying Oh! and
making public roads, leading from the navIga-
Bile waters cmptying INTO the Atlantic, TO the
Ohio, TO said State, and through the same. Such
roads 10 be laid out under the authority of Con
press, with tho consent of the several States
through which The road shall pass: Prorided, al
,rnys That the three foregoing propositions here
in offered are on the conditions that the Conven-
ton Of the said State shall provide by an ordi-
nance, irrcrocable ,ritiout the consent of the u
nited States, shat every and each tract OF land
sold by Congress from and after the thirtieih
day Of June next saail be and remain exempt
from any tax laid by order or under authority
of the State, whether for State, county, town.
ship, any other purposes whatever, for the
term Of five years from and after the day OF
sale"
Bv an ordinance adopted in November 1902,
the Convention 10 which this and the other pro-
positions were Offered, rendered TO Congress
mod of the proposition, to the effect that
-fifihs of the tive per cent should be applied
i'm having roads within the State under the d.
rection Of the Legislature thereof And with
this modification the propositions were declared
to be accepted, if Congress should agree 10 the
same. Congress gave1 t assent by the act III March
3. 1903, and thereby the compact was consuma-
ted.
What is the exten, IF the obligation imp ,sed
led States? Is It limited, contend, by
he duty to appropriate the two per cent. to the
of the road, without regard 10 the |
question whether that amount be sufficient TO
I'M sh one mile or one hundred miles of the road ?
Such Limitation would be sheer mockery,
hat could find no Justification either IN the con-
ract itself, or in the mayims OF that enlightened
policy in which it orig inated. II the intention
4 the parties to the compact, or the circumsan-
es under which it made, be allowed to have
nv weight, we shall be compelled to re ect an
that defeats the great object lnten
ed TO be secured by the arrangement.
What were those objects? They were tinan-
iaI, Commercial, and Political.
The vast regions of unbrolen wilderness w.
no on the northwest side of the Ohio had been
let!ged, bv the most solemn acts, for the pay
,ent of the public debt contracted in the Revo-
,,ionary war. The Treasury was empty, and
he means of supplying II scanty and uncertain.
his mighty estate, with the exception OF We
v small part of it. then in possession Of the
ndian tribes, and must have remained forever
alucess to the United States. had not the
atesmen Of that days by wise forecast, taken a
measures to make it available. /
And amongst these none believed to be /
Iore efficient than that of 'iaying out and ma c
ing public roads leading from the navi gable wa p
RS emp, ing into the Atlantic, TO the Ohio, 10 I
,e said State and through the same The u g
tied States was great iand-hnider and in want I
money sales conld not not be effected without 1
Irchasers, and purchasers could not be obtain =
unless the lands rendered accessible by {
,ening pads leading TO and through them q
ence the construction Of roads has, by the set n
ed policy of the government, became an essen o
al part of the land system. As early rs March,
SOP, Mr.. Giles, of Virginia, cbairman of the II
.mmitiee on the admission of the Northwestern Il
errtory into the Union. made a report to the e
ouse Of Representatives in which the proposi- IT
IN mlde, that afterwards, with slight al p
ration, incorporated into the act of April S
}, 1902. 1t was, to lay out and make turnpike IL
other roads from the Atlantic waters to the s,
lio,' to be continued afterwards through the c.
ate Of Ohio
The committee recommended that ten per Al
Mt. Of the nett proceeds arising from the sales i
the public lands should be appropriated to the p
instruction Of these roads; and that grants OF oil
I'd for education and other purposes should be s,
,de, on condition that the new State would re- al
I'm from taxing the lands sold by the United ii
ates for the period Of five years. And the mo- ii
e for this arrangement, avowed by the oil
nrnittee, was, that they viewed the lands OF m
: United States within said Territory as an pt
portant source Of revenue sand deemed It al m
OF the highest importance to the stability and I'll
rmanence Of the union Of the Eastern and West v,
, parts of the United States, that the inter tt