The daily union., 1846-06-29

w VI q
Washington.
RErRoCEssIoN OF ALEXANDRIA
Nj. ARCHER, in pursuance of notice heretofore
given moved that the previous orders be postponed
and that the Senate proceed to the consideration OF
the bill providing for the retrocesson Of Aexan-
drld
GRADUATION AND REDUCTION or THE PRICE OF TIE
rUBLIC LANDS.
Mr.. BREESE expressed the hope that the Sen
ate would proceed to the consideration Of the sub
ect which was made the special order for Thursday
last the bill providing for the graduation and reduc-
ton of the price Of the public lands.
Mr. DICKINSON suggested the ProPrlety OF
proceeding with the private calendar.
wAREmousNG system.
Mr.. DIX expressed desire that the warehOusng
bill should be taken up, but as the land bill had the
precedence, he would not press motion without
effect
Mr.. MILLER expressed the hope that the un6n-
Ished busness-the Washington monument sIle-
would be the first dsposel Of
Mr.. YULEE was desIroas that the land bill
should he disposed Of.
After some discussion as to the priority Of bust
ness the question was taken on Mr.. ARcHER's mo
ton take up the bIIl for The rctrocessIon Of Alex
andria, and It was disagreed to.
wAsmNGroN MoSuMENr-AGArS.
Mr.. MANGUM, IN redemption ofa pledge gwen
ing the erection Of monument 10 General
Washington upon the public grounds wihiR the
city of Washington, moved that the said bill be Ia
ken up for consideration
Upon this question the yeas and nays were de
manded and being taken, resulted as follows:
YEAs-Nlessrs Archer Illey Thomas clay ton, John
Clayton Cor~n 'm'en!en, DA'" Dayton, LIahs'
Greene, liza! ood jamagn Johnson Of Mary hand John
OF Louisann, Alangum, Miller Morehead Pcarce
Phelps summons L phan and Woodbridge
NAYS Mcssn Alien. Ashley AtchI'on, AtheHon Bag
rolqut dickinson D,A Fairdrd IIauncgan Houston
Lewis. NcDufhe, lrnny hacker. Rusk. Sewer, Iurnry
aud ulee-24
So the mouon was not agreed to.
The bill providing for the graduation and reduction
Of the price Of the public lands WAS thea taken uP
and considered IN committee OF the whole.
rHL PUBLIC LNEps.
Mr.. DAYTON made few remarks IN support OF
MS amendment Without entering INTO any debate,
he desired simply to say, that the object OF the
amendment more especially To meet the PrIncI.
pie recognised III the obecuonal section, winch made
provision for bcstowrng on several OF the States
large amount Of the public lands.
MIR. BREESE entered INTO some statistical details
explanatory aud illustrative of the bill
Mr.. K. JOHNSON made a few remarks show
ing that the proposed plan Of graduation was detec'
tive and improper. 1t was, he contendcd, manifest
ly lnludlcous TO place lands IN the class to be sold
twenty-five cents per acre, because, fora long
time they had renamed in the market at dollar
and qua ter unsold, never having been offered al
4 smaller rate; and with the other classes
But the second section of the bill was stl more un-
lust that the first for = provided for the absolute
surrender II the States all lands remaining unsold
after a certain PERIOD, aud which had never been
offered at lower rate than one dollar quarter per
acre. To such an enactment he was entirely OPP
posed lie would ask to strike out of the ID section
all that follow the word acre"
Mr.. DAYTON remarked that that was exactly
his motion.
Mr.. BREESE then SAID that the objection of the
senator from Maryland had presented itself to the
committee, and he had prepared an amendment to
ObvIate II, which he would offer as soon as the
| amendment of the senator from New Jersey was
disposed oC
Mr.. PENNYBACKER asked whether 1t was
competent for Congress to make donation Of any
portion of the public lands which were, he uCder.
stood, held IN trust for the benefit OF the whole
Union? Mr.. p. then read authorities in support OF
his position. He concurred IN the view taken by
the senator from Maryland Mr.. JOHNSON.
Mr.. MILLER asked whether the chairman OF
the committee could inform them under what clause
the alternate sections coded to Missouri inClu-
ded' These sections had been granted to improve
the lands, and before any Improvement had taken
place they proceeding to vote the whole of the
land.
Mr.. BREESE would not the discussion on
the question mootei by the senator from New Jer-
sey. 1t had already been fully discussed during
this session IN more than one occasion.
Mr.. ATCHlSON observed that nlne-tenths of the
land in the Stale of Missouri had been returned, as
not worth the expense of surveying. 1t was there.
fore conferrlng no great favor TO grant these lands
Mr.. CALHOUN (who rot heard very dis
tnctly in the gallery then and SAID that he had
several strong objections to the bill now before the
Senate, although he was quite favorably disposed
towards the object which sought to be attained
by it In his opinion, the plan of graduation had
not been properly devised. He would propose that
all lands In the market unsod after ten years should
be offered at dol lar acre; tten If, after an
other given period, they remained unsold, let fur
ther reduction of twenty-five cents be made, and so
on till the rate was brought down to twenty FIVE
cents per acre; and then, If the lands still remained
unsod, let them be ceded the State within whose
limits they situated. He agreed with the
view taken by the senator from Virginia, Mr.. PEN
NYBAcKER. They had right to give away the
public lands; but he Mr.. c. believed that if Just
and proper system of graduation were adopted it
would be found that all that remained unsold after
beng offered at twenty-five cents an acre would be
OF quality so inferior and so small quantity, that
to retain 1t would not the attendant expenses.
Referring to the vast amount of the public lands,
he stated that III lS4i in the States, there were
hundred and sixty millions of acres-an area equal
10 all New ngland, York, New Jersey, Pennsy-
vana, aryland, Delaware, Virginia, and part of
North CarOIna They had still, he supposed, equal
extent of public domain. Sold even at twenty five
~~"'9 oH otIc IL Noulu NC caSly seen WHal an ln
mense amount would thus be obtained. There was
danger IN reducing the pric: too rapidly. That
would throw the lands into the hands Of large spec
Ilators. The process of graduation ought to be
regulated with great judgment, both respected the
prce and the time The present process would con-
sumo eighty years before the lands would be Who'll
y disposed of, and the average return would be only
about sixteen cents an He was in favor, thon
of just and proper graduation, and that on the
ground of fulfilling the trust assumed on taking the
proPrietorship Of the public lands.
Mr.. DAYTON then said that he would modify
his amendment by making it strike out and insert
that the sixth class be fixed at ten cents an acre. 1t
was suggested that that was great reduction. But
was the principle that he wished to test by this
amendment. He desired put it to the Senate
whether they were prepared to surrender finally all
control Of this portion Of the public lands But the
price was not so low, Kentucky had disposed Of
some of her public lands at that rate SO had Ten
nessee. IL was not in reference to the amount of
receipts, but the principle, that he pressed his
amendment. They had not yet attained the
right to surrender their rust of the public lands
IIn h., "a IL