Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-10-08
Thank You for Nothing.
Great Humlbug.

l
On the Sd of last month we published
Law passed at the last session of Con-
gress giving to the people Of the Valley
of the Des Moines the alternate sections
in a strip. of land five miles wide on each
side Of that river from its mouth to the
Raccoon Forks. OF course all the Lands
disposed of or in any way incumbered in
said stripwere not to be included. These
lands were to be selected by an agent ap.
pointed by the governor of Iowa, subiec.
to the approval of the Secretary of the U.
). Treasury. la return the Des Moines
river was to be forever used as a high
way Tor the government of The u. S., free
of toll. The whole is subject to pro-
vision that the Legislature of the State of
Iowa is to accep, the terms and comply
with the provisions
Feeling great interest in the improve
ment Of the Des MISUNDERSTANDING a
suitable improvement that would secure
slack water navigation for that beautiful
river would develope the resources of one
of the mos. delightful countries in the
woodland having no particular section.
al prejudices TO overcome--we reoiced
with the people of that section of the
country in the passage of the law afore-
said.
The people of that region carried
their enthusiasm SO far as to propose Civ
ing our Delegate, Gen. DODGE, a Public
Dinner. presuming he was instrumental
IN securing the passage of the law. The
Democrat, at Keosauqua. was most Law.
ish in its praises of the General. almost
to dedication, and all seemed to settle
down with the conviction tina, the pas
sage of this act was about 10 make grea.
man Of the General.
But. alas. alas! the sober second though,
of the people has destroyed all hope of
Gen. DIS making any thing on. of tina,
transaction And what is worse we fear
the people of the Des Moines Valley will
be no better of for the passage of such an
act. 1t appears by perusal of the dis
trlbution act. passed in 1871, that in order
to obtain these alternate sections thus an.
proprialed, they will have to be deducted
from The flee hundred thousand acres of
land appropriated to each of the western
States for purposes of internal improve
ment. As the Legislature will have TO
make the apporlionmen, of these SOC, 900
acres, ii is thought they will hardly be
willing TO give SO large portion 10 the
Des Moines Valley as is contemplated in
the act of the last session of Congress-
1t we had remained a Territory for some
years longer, we have no great doubt that
these alternate sections might have been
thus appropriated without much dissen,
on the part of the people living remote
from the Des Moines. but as they are soon
10 have the disposal of the whole of these
100000 acres themselves, they will view
the subject differently.
Why we head this article "Thank YOU
for nothing" is because the law appro.
priating these alternate sections requires
the performance of certain conditions on
the part of Iowa, which, as a sovereign
state, she never will comply with, and
makes Congress assume the power of say.
ing how she shall appropriate portion
Of the very 100000 acres, which, az a
state. she will have the sole control Of
If the Des Moines Valley or any other
portion of Iowa obtains any benefit from
hese 100000 acres, it should no. be for.
gotten that Iowa will not be under any
Obligations 10 Gen. Dodge for it, or even
o locofoco Congress, as the law max.
ng this donation of 500. 900 acres to each
u The new western states for purposes of
Internal improvement is the act of The
WIG CONGRESS of 1871. Would
hat the whole of The provisions of tina,
ct, which is known as the Distribution
Act. were now in full force. Below will
e found the section of the law 10 which
We have alluded.
Sec. 8. find be 1t further enacted, That
here shall be granted to each State spe.
flied in the first section of this acl FIVE
undred thousa nd acres of land for pur.
oses of internal improvement: Provided,
hat to each of the said States which has
lready received grants for said purposes,
here is hereby granted no more than
uantity of land which shall, together
nth the amount such State has aireadu
sceiued as aforesaid, make fUe hundred
tousdnd acres, the selections in all of
le said States, TO be made within their
mis respectfully in such manner as the a
legislature thereof shall direct; and loca. ,
in parcels conlormably TO sectional d. !;
lsions and subdivisions. Of no, less than
ree hundred and twenty acres in any
he location. on any public land excep,
lch as is or may be reserved from sale h
apv 4aw nf Cnnrroe, ~, n.o,i..~.,: =