Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-01-21


and interest, bought, land. Many Of these now
owe for the land thus bought, and will have great
difficulty in making up the instalmens yet unpaid,
the price which the land now bears. Now Il these
two funds united, the result would be TO raise
the price of the Blue Dog for while: but The lands
will regulate the price of the scrip in spite Of legs
ton. although perhap not before some poor men
nay many poor men, shall have lost their land, To-
geiher with all they have paid on 1t and whatever
improvements they have made. Now the scrip which
was issued for the completion of the canal east Of
the mouth of the Tppccanoe river, and redeemable
for the lands appropriated for that purpose has risen
in value 1t is now worth ninety cents on the dollar;
whilst the scrip issued for the completion of the
canal west of the mouth Of the Tippecanoe river,
and redeemabe by the lands appropriated for that
purpose is worth no more than fifty cents on the dol
lar. Now what does this bill proposel Neither
more nor less than that the buyers Of the Blue Dog
lands shall help the buyers Of the White Dog lands
to pay for their farms, which cannot be looked upon
in any other light, by any man in this legislature,
than manifest injustice.
Mr.. W., believing that the members of the legis-
ature were fully prepared TO vote on the side OF JUS
tice, would leave it TO the members of the House to
determine He would, however, before he sat down,
remind the House of another good reason why those
funds should be kept apart 1t was, that the White
Dog lands situate along the line of canal FIVE
miles on either side, consisting of alternate sections,
selected, and ALL nearly all, sold; while the great
e portion Of the Blue Dog lands lay at distance of
from 10 miles from canal, Dy the
greater part of which yet unsod; and much of
which would not sell at any price, owing to their
inferior quality. These lands taken n1aSse
without any selection, let them turn out TO be good
bad.
Mr. Dole said, this is question of much more
importance to the State than many members may
suppose. If it were question Of the relative value
of tie two kinds of scrip which already issued,
then it would be as the gentleman from Noble seems
10 suppose II to bea local questOn-conDed 10 the.
persons holding this SCRIP and to the purchasers of
canal lands, in which the State would have but little
interest, but such Is not the case it is great State
question, and one IN which every county and every
citizen has and ought feel interest The ques-
ton is whether the State will apply the lands donated
by the general grant for the construction of the Wa
bash and Erie canal, TO its Legitimate object, and
thereby carry out 1t in good faith the trust committed
TO them, whether the Legislature will longer con-
tinue upon her the law of 1872 which sepa-
rates this fund into sectional divisions, retarding the
prosecution of the work without any corresponding
good accrulng to the State, or any considerable por
tion of her citizens. The gentleman from Noble
seems TO suppose that the lands east and west Of
Tippecanoe separate grants for separate works;
but this Is not the he will find by reference
to the acts Of Congress upon this subject In 1927
the Congress of the United States granted to the
States of OHIO and Indiana quantity of lands equal
to every alternate sectlon FIVE miles IN width along
the whole line of the Wabash and Erie canal for the
purpose of constructing said work, which the act
Lake with the ndrigdble waters of the Wabash, leav-
ing that point the Wabash to be selected by the
State Of Indiana. Under this act the State proceeded
TO locate said canal to the mouth Of Tppecanoe river
and the lands granted selected, it
that point Some years afterwards the State of
Indiana believing the question open to the
point on the Wabash where this canal should ter
innate, proceeded to make another selection of
lands for the construction of this great work Terre
Haute This selection of lands was duly reported to
the Commissioner of the General Land Office who,
doubling his authority to confirm the grant, referred
the subject the President, and by him it laid
before Congress. By their action upon the subject it
was clear that they intended not to make a new
grant, but TO confirm the selection made under the
original grant: consequently there can be no other
conclusion than that the whole grant from the Lake
to Terre Haute is and the same; and that any
action Of the State 10 separate the work or the fund is
not only injurious to the interest of the State but is
breach of the compact entered into by the State with
the General Government. Ii is wrong, therefore, in
the Legislature of the State TO consider this
local question, confined only the upper and lower
Wabash country. These funds were improperly sep
araed in the Legislative enactments Of 1872 and It Is
improper in the Legislature to continue this separa
tlon The duty as well as the policy of the State is
apply all the funds granted by the United States to
the speedy completion of this work. Had this
been pursued heretofore, the canal would now have
been completed to Terre Haute, and proper appica-
ton of these funds will yet complete this work that
pOlEL Wllnln TWO years. AS TO the question OF re-
ducng the value of one Of these dogs" and ad-
vancing the other, 1t is question with which the
State has nothing to DO: the State this scrip
par funds, and redeems it such, and all the legsa-
tion upon the subject should be with view 10 its par
value. Mr.. ID. hoped this question would be well
understood before it acted upon, and with view
OF giving members opportunity of examining the
subject he would move TO lay it upon the table.
Mr. Cassat said, he regretted extremely that he
was dragged into this debate. That be had not in
tended saying word upon the subject, he had
given his at length in the report he had just
submitted and he would now content himself with re-
plying to the gratuitous remarks of the gentleman
from Noble.
That gentleman, said Mr.. c., complains bitterly
that there was not more etiquette observed in calling
together the select committeeman he neither
ticketed or publicly notified to be and appear in the
House of Representatives at certain hour to SIT In
conclave this grave question of matchmaking dogs
Now feel all due penitence for this great error, but
in extenuaiion of my crime, must plead that the ap-
pearance of my old friend from Noble misled me.
did not suppose that an hones-faced, hardsted old
democrat such he appeared would be disturb
ed about infracIion of the rules of etiquette.
did not suppose that he in the habit of receiving
in his county gilt paper billes inviting him TO log
rollings &c, and reasonably supposed that the old
gentleman would adhere to his home customs, and re-
ceve friendly invitation in the lobby to consult upon
the fate of our dogs. But such my mistake The
gentleman only manifested unforgiving spirit,
but in the magnitude of his wrath he prOclams that
have Struggled into this House, without the consent
of the members of the committee, the report and bill
Just submitted. In answer to this charge shall only
say, that hold myself ready TO prove that that report
and bill was submitted to every member of the COM
mittee except the gentleman from Cass, vino was not
presen-that majority directed me TO report the bill,