The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-26
Cwsmtp= Sfrth Congress.
IN SENATE,
SECOND SESSION.
SATURDAY, Jan. %, ls4l


of a uniform bankrupt law.
BY Mr. DIXON From owners masters, and others
engaged in steam navigation asking modification OF
the law of 1888 in relation 10 steamboats,.
BY Mr.. WHITE: A joint resolution from the Lee
gislature of Indiana, asking that the eligibility OF the
Executive be limited to one term
By MIR. WRIGHT From underwriters and 9th
ers. against The repeal Of tie pilot law Of 1887.
Also from a large number OF citizens OF New ork,
asking the passage of bankrupt law.
Also TWO memorials which in their general features
pray that no bankrupt law may be passed without
banks and incorporated trading companies be included
BY Mr.. PORTER For bankrupt law.
MINERAL LANDS OF THE UNITED STATES.
MIR. WALKER said he had received from the War
Department the report of DR.. King the agent OF the
United States for the Lead Mines. This was a re-
port OF great research and uncommon ability II re-
lated the Of disposlng OF our mineral lands
and 10 the development OF the resources OF the mineral
region This subject had heretofore been referred by
the Senate to the Committee the Public Lands,
and he had reported bill for the sale Of these lands,
which had received the sanction Of the Senate. The
subject one of the greatest interest The mine
raj region Of Missouri and of the Northwest was al
ready ascertaned TO exceed the entire area Of The
great State of Pennsy yania and by the more recent
explorations OF those most talented geologsls, DR.
Owen and Col Niccolet Gin addition to those Of Or
king,) this mineral region was believed to exceed the
1t the most fertile in soil well the richest
and most extensive mineral region in the world.
Among other valuable minerals in this great region
were iron, lead, copper and zinc In lead the quaint
" produced had augmented from $4,000 pounds IN
1923 to 33,O00,0O0 pounds in 1889 worth al New
York, 81 100000 We had thus risen, in less than
a quarter Of century, from nothing to the third on
the list of nations which produced lead and at the
ratio of augmentation we shoulI, in twenty
years stand at the head Of the list when hoped
might, we now do, not only supply our own
market but that lead would become large article OF
export As to copper, the Importance was still great
Our imports OF copper in 1889 amounted TO within
a small fraction OF $2000000. When we considered
copper not only a coin for small change, but lis
many valuable in manufactures, the importance
of the subject would be perceived To specify no
Others the amount of copper used in boilers on steam
cars and for steamboats, the lakes rivers and ocean
was very great, and increasing every day and trans
portaon by steam the land and navigation by
steam the water to great extent depended on the
use OF this valuable mineral. As connected with
steam vessels for the Navy the subject ofthe
highest national Importance, connected intimately
with the honor and defence of the country The cop
per region Of the United States was richer and more
extensive than in any other part of the world The
mining and smelling of this mineral in our country
had but recently commenced, but under such circum-
stances as to promise the most auspcIous results
The development of our mineral resources in this
whole great region depended chiefly on improvements
first in mining, second, in smelling, and third, in
the manner of dsposng OF the mineral lands, and it
to this last subject that he desired to call the at
tention Of the Senate, and upon which much depend
ed and which he hoped would be finally adjusted at
the next session after full and mature deiberaon.-
Mr.. Walker said he would only at present move the
printing Of this valuable report and OF five hundred
additional copies for the use of the Senate
Mr.. LINN expressed the pleasure he felt at the in
PRODUCTION ofthe document. 1t was certainly matter
of vast importance to the country generally TO have
the mineral lands disposed Of and the sooner it
effected the bette. SO long these lands remained
the property Of TIE Government little would be reall-
zed from en- He considered it the worst policy in
the world for the Government to hold on for the
purpose of obtaining trling rent. lfthey were put
up for SALE individual enterprise and capital would 90
to work in developing the mighty resources of the
West The People eithe eastern and middle sections
of this country did no, appear to have any adequate
idea of the great magnitude of the mineral wealth of
the West. Why (said Mr.. L. the mineral region of
copper lead, zinc, manganese, &c. extends from Lake
Superior until it falls of into the lower attitudes of
portion of the States of Illinois, Missouri, and the
Territory of Wisconsin and Iowa. where the vast coal
fields and salt formations commence from the banks of
the Ohio to the foot of the spurs of the Rocky Noun
tains, where you again ascend from this great basin
into the Ozark chain oil hills 1t again commences on
the borders Of the Mississippi and Missouri taking
southwestern direction enabling you the chain
through the country of the Keoways, and portion
the country occupied Ivy the wandering Camanches
where 1t unites with the mountains bordering the
Rio del Norte Throughout this vast extent are
scattered mineral wealth, ineXhaustible in quantity,
whole mountains of iron ore, &c AT this time Eng
land is the greatest lead country in the world produc
ing annually l00000000 pounds, while the rest of
Europe did not produce more than 5O00O000 In
enieen years the United States, had raised from
& 100000 TO 100000. What with such boundless
resources, might not be anticipated in seventeen more2
He left for those TO answer who could form proper
estimate of the reaion of country,
Mr.. WALKER said he would at the next session
most chceriuy operate with his friend, the Senator
from Missouri, Mr.. Linn in dcvslng system for
the sale of the mineral lands and he fully concurred
with that Senator IN the opinion that these lands
should be sold and not leased and that in the sale the
development of the mineral region was vastly more
important than the from the sales for, to
leasing, the nett revenue little or nothing. The
Ii nds be in the hands of lcssees hut of pro-
prletors in order TO augment the amount OF mineral
In the hands of essees, should have little mole
than those scrapngs of the surface Of the soil called
diggiags which bad extensively prevailed in this
region, The power of steam, and OF the accompanying
and improved machinery, never having been employed
here Gas MI w bclicvcd) but in single instance
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.
BY Mr.. KNIGHT, from the Committee on the
Contingent Expenses Asking to he discharged from
the memorial of the watchmen Of the public offices.
BY Mr. NICHOLAS, from the Committee on Mi
liary Affairs JOINT resolution authorz ng sets Of
the standard weights and measures to be furnished TO
the War Department
BY Mr. KNIGHT, from the Committee on Com
merce: "A bill for the relief Of Robert Roberts.
On motion Of Mr.. NORvELL
Resolred, That the Secretary of the Navy comnu-
ncate to the Senate statement of the cost of build
ing in materials ana labor respectively of the ships
of the line Columbus, Ohio, Delaware, and North
Carolina; the fiigates United States Constitution,
Potomac, and Brandywine; the sloops of war John
Adams, Boston, Lexington, Vincennes Warren,
Nstchez, Falmouth Fairfield Vandalia, st. Louis,
and Concord; the briggs Porpose, Dolphin, Pioneer,
and Consort the schooncrs Grampus, Shark, Enter
prise and Boxer; and the steam ship Fulton and the
periods at which those vessels respectively built
Also the number Of times each of those vessels has
been repaired, where repaired, and the cost of re-
pairing each both in materials and labor, Also the
u ~