The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-01

ne dated Sfais 81 fases 10 C,g,sss asstd That the
be and ~ hSss "a ia
lands in the states Of Illinois and Arksnsas and Territories
be exposed to sale IN hs same that ohsr pabe
lands authorized b. law 70 Re scd except as hereinst
See 4 a.a o. I, G.rtLsr enacted That months notice
Of the times and places Of said sales shall be given ~ such
The Preiidep nav thipS sypsdent with bIs description
Of the mineral OF the States Of Illinois and Arkansas
and Territories OF Wisconsin aud Iowa. and oil the Lands 10
be offered for sale showing the Aumber and localities Of the
different mines known the probability Of discovering
ssf Sss S sss q 4s g. shot sheet
bead and paints the and expense Of Transporting
the whole 10 the pTincha. markets in the United States
SIC s. find BE- Il Ggilfr saaetsd That upon satisfactory
proof made 70 the register sud rsFster Of s proper ANA
hh.s Of lead ore actually discovered and being worked
then and in that the shall be sold IN such legal
will include such mine mines and soeh tract or eets
shall not be sol. 9a 9E ~ e TSs I 10 IL sss sSSd
Vision OF any said lands upon which there may be an
outstanding lease from the government OF the
shah be sold until tAtF hs determination Of
such lease safes by sux Of time voluntary surrender
CT other legal eNtinguishm9nt thereof
Mr.. RATHBTN moved to amend the second
section by adding provso-"that such lands should
not he sold for less then ten dollars per acre" Re
1 ssenI
Mr.. R. then moved a similar ProvisO at Ave dol
lars per acre.
Mr.. R. said that some of these lands were worth
an immense sum Of money, and would, 70 short
time, be worth thousands; that was, the lands
where mines were ascertained TO exist. He was in
favor Of selling these lands, but not ofgying them
away, nor Of throwing valuable property Into the
hands OF spectators without something like ade-
quate compensation. He was not in favor OF allow
ing the whole mining territory OF the government to
be sold at 81 50 per acre. lfother gentlemen were
SO, they had the privilege Of voting accordingly.
He had long been satisfied that Il would be better
the lands should be sold but, in doing this, care
should be taken that something like AN equivalent
in value should be received; something that might
stand as an evidence, as an apology that the most
that could be obtained for them had been OBJ
| tanned.
Some Conversation followed between Mr.. A. ID.
SIMS and Mr.. RATHBUN, directed las the re-
4 porter understood) TO the means by which il had
been aseertsined that the value Of these lands was
as great as alleged.
u Mr.. JOSEPH J. MCDOWELL, (sfler some con-
4 yersation with Mr. RArHBUS and others as to the
provisions Of the bill adyered to the fact that these
lands had been exempted from the presumption sys-
tenn, and said that the object Of the government
that these lands might bring something like their
;. yalue-would be effected by this bill. Il required
that sufficient notice should be given To all who
wished To buy OF their sale; competition would thus
be produced according 10 the inducements held out
by the value Of the lands and he would prefer to
dispose of them in this way than to fix stated
price on them. He would therefore vote for this
! bill
Mr.. Nee. having concluded,
Mr.. CLERNAND said, The gentleman from
New York Mr.. RArHsvsl has spoken in opPosi-
ton to the bill. Mr.. McC was not surprised at
that for lately it seemed to be inveterate habit
I with Mr.. R.-a kind Of second nature, to oppose
everything without much discrimination, between
the right and the wrong He says he is opposed to
the bill in its pr esent FORM because its effect as
law will be the sacrifice Of large quantity Of most
valuable mineral lands and he has therefore moved
an essential modlhcation-one which, il adopted,
will probably defeat every important and desirable
I object contemplated by IT, He proposes first to FIX
a minimum price Of $40 per acre upon all of these
lands and, If that should fail, minimum If IS
per In effect, he says such an amendment
will elevate the price Of the lands above the ability
Of settlers to monopolize them by combinations,
and will admit the competition Of spectators, and
thus, by competition, increase the amount of
nue. to be derived from the lands II appears to be
his disposition to favor the acquisition of the
lands by Spectators a means to secure large
enues, even at the expense Of the meritorious set
tiers, whose interests and expectations would be
sacrificed by his policy. He seems to prefer
speculation, and large profits, to the sale Of
the lands at less price to the poor who
would hive upon them, cultivate them, and
thus add TO the general wealth, and TO the virtue
honesty, and dignity Of the American character
The gentleman should not forget, If he ever knew
the fact, that but small proportion Of these
vatons actually contain mineral and that by setting
! such price upon them as he proposes, he will not
only not sell them, but by the same act exclude
from them population, settlement, cultivation, and
the means of developing their various capabilities,
| agricultural commercial mechanical and other ad-
vantages. But the gentleman alleges without such
| a minimum, the competition of the specuator will
be excluded by COLLISION and combination among
settlers. How soi 1t has been constant habit to
prefer this charge against the class of settlers but
is without foundation, except in those cases where
combinations of settlers were necessary to meet and
counteract combinations of SPECTATORS. And in
such cases they are justfable. The gentleman,
however, may suppose that the spirit may ac-
tuae the settlers that have actuated the san-reners
in his own Stale. II this is the gentleman's appre-
hension, he may rest assured he is mistaken. The
I nation nor the world affords no class of men more
worthy than the settlers and pioneers ofthe West and
southwest They are brave, hardy, industrious,
and patriotic-they are generous and magnanmous,
and none have contributed so much to extend the
limits OF the republic, and to distinguish charac
ter as they have. 1t is the great army of pioneers
who have overcome the wilderness and the savage
privaton and danger, to plant the flag of our free
institutions upon distant and almost unknown lands
The gentleman is equally mistaken in regard to the
worth as much an equal quantity which you,
Mr.. Chairman could designate in your own favored
State or as could be designated in Illinois, fit only
for agricultural purposes The experience of Mis-
souri, has proved that lead lands are not worth
than other good farming lands. In that State pre-
vious to 1899 there were 2,800 square miles of
mineral reservations, and these were supposed to
contain the best lead mines in the northwest. In
that year they offered for sale to the highest
bidder, and since at private sale at 81 IS per acre.
and the highest average price received for those
sold, and only few were sold, was 81 % per
The average price fall the public lands sold of all
descriptions by the government, is 81 81 per acre
thus showing only one cents difference
An egregious error has prevailed in regard to the
value of these lands and the general unacquaintance
of the public with their value for many years; and
this has been the cause of the long standing contro
versy which has been kept up in and out of Con-
gress about them. 1t is fact, sir, that they have
been known and appreciated at more than their true
value since 1890. In the seventeenth century ore
derived from them, and constituted nm article of
traffic between French traders and the Indians in
! habiting the country. ~-r-v
In l7l2 Louis the XIV, King of France, granted
the mines in Louisiana to Anthony Crozat. In l7I7
they had been reunited 70 the domains Of the Crown