The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-01

One word more This amendment in relation to the |
remainder OF the public lands only re. enactment Of
6aon q he proceeds Of the public lands in n fair air pro- pro-
portions TO the different States We propose giving YOU
the thousand miles long and the six miles wide first
10 give you everything you ask, and then only
10 come in for distribution OF the balance But we
hope you will moi in with many more such requests
this, you will reduce the residue below the
sty oil division think that this il precisely the time
for presenting such amendment as this, and hope
that shall not be disappointed in the extent Of the lib
crafty 81 my friends upon both sides OF the chamber
Mr.. BENTON. The general principle, Mr. President,
which is before the Senate, not senators all know,
presume, As long as twenty years ago. the
question Of the power and propriey Of the general gov
ernmens cedlng to the States the refuse lands lying
within their borders, raised by me in what was
denominaed the graduation bill. That bill contained
three features The first was TO reduce the pnce OF the
public lands the second to make donations in
limited quantities 10 actual settlers; and the third and
last clause OF the bill cede the refuse lands to the
States within whose borders they lay Or the purposes
which somewhat covered by the propositions now be-
fore the Senate.
the subject at that tme appeared 70 me- Mr. President
that this beneficial disposition Tor the United States
to make of her refuse andsto cede them to the States
which they lay for those purposes which in their
would be beneficial TO those States and to all the States
To determine what to be considered refuse lands
il thought best to that those which had been
in the market for twenty twenty years. without
finding purchaser at the minimum government price,
should be referred TO that class and that with regard to
those States in which the lands OF that description
only. it was not worth the while OF the general govern
men to attempt TO make anything Of them by maintaining
the expensive machinery OF land Office in such States
The proposition OF the bill now before the Senate is OF
similar kind il is 10 cede portion OF The public lands
OF refuse character in part TO some Of the States in and
OF great object of political and social importance to
the whole country. The locality. Of the improve
ment is, to be sure, within certain States; but the
Improvement itself will be beneficial to the whole of the
United States The only State which has had the full
benefit Of this kind Of legislation with regard 10 the public
10 Tha auufa Tam Uh has
addressed the Senate the subject, Mr. BELL,] has
said that the State Of Tennessee received benefit from
the cesson Of the Glands within her borders by the
United States The general government gave 10 her all
the lands she had there She not in this
State % great extent as elsewhere, but she was
nevertheless landhoder to considerable extenl and
in the year 1885, believe was, passed law, by Al
very ready of the houses of Congress-
ceding the State of Tennessee all the lands lying in
that State, amounting, believe, to about three millions
Of acres actual computation made short time be-
fore placed tat about three and half millions OF dollars
This, if you go by acres, was considerable Donation
although ii probable that, when reduced TO actual cash
value would amount to much Most OF the land
probably not worth than ten dozen cents per
acre but the principle was that we gave up the WHOLE
all that the United States had in the Sise--and, be-
leve, without any limitation whatever OF the objects to
which the proceeds should be applied We not only gave
up all the lands; but there was at the time on depose IN
dollars which had been derived from the sale OF land
within the State, and we gave that up, also.
Mr.. BELL. (nterposing) Will the senator from
Missouri allow me to ask him question: Whether the
States which such cessions have been made have
not been required 10 investigate the titles to the lands
granted by the State and the United States and whether
in his opinion the State OF Tennessee has received
from the sale OF these public lands one. half OF the
amount which it has cost her TO make those nyestga
tons ask that question, knowing that the honorable
senator, though living out OF the State, has most
Intimate knowledge of the whole subject, and have
myself seen him engaged upon these very inyestga.
tons.
Mr. BENTON Well. sir, II simply comes to this
that the OF the United States gave up all that
she had She gave up every speck and the 900 be-
sides Ii the State OF Tennessee had difficulty and
expense II she put 10 some trouble, II not the
fault OF the general government which did all that she
could do and now if The bill before the Senate to
carry out in full the principle OF that bill should not
only cede these lands to the State OF Illinois, but wei
should refund to her all the money which has been de-
rived from the sale OF lands in her borders The app
cation before this body is for part OF the refuse
land My opinion is that the whole principle con-
tanned in The graduation bill, so far the lands
cerned, ought 10 be adopted and that the whole OF the
refuse lands ought TO be given up to the States in which
they are.
And with respect to the general proposdon-that Of
dividing The proceeds OF the lands among the States
this application rests upon the principle OF the young
States having desolate lands for which they have no
taxes. and which undergo cultivation, which held
instances being thus garrsoned as hey are 81
peslences and manned by presidential marshes, become
inaccessible to the people OF the country; and YET the
government holds 10 them. They become a shelter
for wild beasts which prey upon the surrounding neigh
borhoods.
Mr. President, the principle OF this bill rests upon
different plan, These States the younger children
oil the confederacy They made up OF the men that
have gone forth into the wilderness to provide for them
selves. They have settled these States which have
grown up under great harshps. The application is TO
make some beneficial provision for the benefit OF these
States by the grant OF lands which lie within their Dor
ders.
Mr.. President, have said few words in favor OF the
general principle OF this BILL because cordially maintain
the principle oil appropatng grants OF those refuse lands
IN all these States for beneficial purposes, 10 extent
which will absorb all Of them and believe that the
general government have done well when they get rid OF
these lands in that way.
Mr.. TURNEY desired 10 say one word in relation 10
this subject in allusion to appropriation Of land the
State OF Tennessee Tor the specific purpose Of building
college at Jackson the western district OF that State
The realized from the sales Of these lands amounted
TO not than or fifteen thousand dollars, all told
That was all the State ever derived under the act OF
lSa6Ho enough 10 build the college, though il aided
very much in It's construction This (safd he) Is the his
tory OF this law OF 15a6 do not say that the
the only lands ceded to the State Of Tennessee By
the general government; far from it: cessons were
made OF much greater value The law Of 1916 was OF
very small value 10 the Stae--one that was in very
short time forgotten consequence OF its nsgncance
and one that ought to have been forgotten And, sir,
take the whole OF the lands coded 10 the State and they
would not be equal in value 10 the set apart for
common schools in other States | believe Congress
would have done much better than they did, IL they had
gone on and given the public lands to the States
Now, MIR. President, | opposed 10 the general
policy OF this bill but must say, for one that think
y far preferable to the system OF policy, which has pre-
vailed Tor some years past OF appoprang these lands 10
internal improvements exclusively where the lands lie
shall vote for the proposition OF my friend from New
Jersey not that think the policy is good one but select