The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-02-27
FOX AND WISCONSIN RIVERS.

order, that the Dill appropratlng tor the m
provement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers
was pending when the committee rose yes
ierday, on which the honorable delegate from
Wisconsin Mr.. DoDGE] was entitled to the
floor; hence the chairman of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means [Mr. Nc
KAYl could not get the floor to make his
motion.
The CHAIRMAN sustained the point Of
order, thus deciding that bill pending yester-
day was the bill now before the committee,
and on it, that Mr.. Dodge OF Wisconsin was
entitled to the floor.
Mr.. DAVIS of Indiana (Mr. D. yielding
the foor) Withdrew the amendment he had
offered yesterday.
After a few remarks in advocacy of the
bill, Mr.. Dodge moved that it be laid aside to
be reported to the House.
Mr.. OWEN said, that he was glad to per-
ceive, that the motion of his colleague Mr..
J. w. Davis to amend this bill had been with
drawn. And he rose now merely to reply
10 some remarks, which had been called
forth from the present chairman MIR. Jane
sonl during yesterdays debate on the bill
now under consideration; which remarks ap-
piled, however, to another bill in which his
(Mr. O's constituents was deeply interested.
He alluded 10 bill for a canal gra nj, con-
Meeting the waters of Lake Erie with those
of the Ohio river. With reference to that
bill, the present chairman Mr.. jameson had
remarked, that Indiana was one of those
States that had already received, in aid OF
her public Improvements, a large amount of
lands, and was still demanding more. 1t
was true, the bill alluded to was now lying
in Committee of The Whole on the state of
the Union, having passed the Senate both at
the last and present sessions; at The present
session under the yeas and nays, by a vote
OF 81 to g.. 1t was true also, that bill asked
a grant of land. But that grant was not ask
ed las the genileman's Argument seemed 10
imply as a favor from the United States
The land asked for was, the alternate Sec
tons in the land district, every acre of which
had been thirty eight years in market. And
the express condition on which il was to be
granted, was, that the State oflndiana should
complete the canal in question. That canal
was $50 miles in length; of which $50 miles
were already completed; a gap ofabout 100
miles (partially worked) remained incomplete
and that incomplete line ran directly through
the land district (the Vincennes d~istrict)
where the land was asked. The grant was
asked on the ground, that il that hundred
miles of canal were completed, (of which if
the lands were not granted there were no
hope,l the land remajning 70 the limited Unit ID
quantity, would moi, in point of fact, be d.
minished by one dollar IN ralue. He be-
lieyed there was not man well acquainted
with the character and situation ofthe lands
in question who would not agree in this
opinion. The simple circumstance that these
lands had been offered, and offered in vain
through more than a generation oil men, at a
dollar and quarter, might alone furnish evil
dence, either that their price should be re-
duced, or something done to give them ad.
ditional value. AS it was, they we're value
less, uusaleable stock on the hands of Uni.
ted States. The graduation bill now pend
ing in this House proposes to reduce the
price Of such lands TO fifty cents; another
; proposal would have redu led them TO tUenty
} fire cents. The bill of which he was speak.
ing would be, in fact, but equivalent 10 re.
duction of the price of the whole lands il
that district TO sirty-tpo and Ghaf cents
And, in addition to this, this canal bill Sc
! cured TO The United States, what of course
6 no graduation bill does, the free right OF wal
from the lakes to the Ohio, a valuable priv
ilege; in war it might be highly importan
2 one.
If, then, the remarks of the gentleman Il
whom he was now addressing himself, [MI
jameson, were to be construed as an asser
D ton that this grant of lands to Indiana wa
2 a favor asked by the United States, he IN. o.
D must protest against that construction. |
was asked, indeed, as that which woult
greatly benefit that State, and which nigh
> essentially aid herin relieving herself from
bufdensome debt; but it was not asked al
taking something from the United States
e Spectators, prompted by motives of sell
interest alone, frequently give away the al
;. ~ternate lois of a town, when of small value
and dull sale, on the condition that improve
ments be made thereon. They do this, no
x as a sacrifice; not as any favor &c
those who take the lots. They d
it on deliberate conviction that they shall b.
gamers by it. And experience shows tha
they calculate wisely. So il has hilhert
= been with grants of lands to Indiana. The
have encouraged the rapid settlement of tn
u country; the rapid sale of the public lands
They have built up towns, cities settlement
where the forest, but for sue policy, would
yet remain in unbroken solitude.
On such grouds, applying with especia
force in the present case, is the grant ofland
asked for this canal. And, in this view c
d it, surely it is no ust argument against it, tina
such grants have heretofore been made t
our State.
He (Mr. O.A owed the committee. ne