Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-07

improvement In the country The Senators from Iowa will
he improvement Of the Des Moinss river making hat river
5os several hundreds Of miles, where it was
vigbs o and never could have been but Tor the grant Of
lsHd which wss msde fcf thatPupose few yesrs ago.
And egan Will call TIE sttension Of the sensos from
Wisconsin the fact that they commencing public
Improvement from Green Bay up Fox river and down the
Wisconsin into the mississippi by which the lakes are be
connected with the extreme Of the Mississippi
And, sir how is that work being made Il Is being done
upon the faith Of grant of land made by the Government in
nd Of the work Thsimpoyemens perhaps would not have
made for half century but for that grant Of land The
work already in progress, and portion Of in successful
operation II will always be Of pride and gratfca-
ton that my votes and exerons contributed in some
degree securing these liberal grants Indiana Iowa. and
Wisconsin. 4E
Now, sir having shown that, in these various instances
where grants Of land have been made in aid of these works.
they have resulted in the speedy and may
say speedy completion of the works for which they
granted ask the Senator does find that invaluable
vice has been rendered the country invaluable works Of in
tes improvement constructed solely in consequences Of these
grants Of land Sir, any of legislation is to be
decided by the results that have flowed from IL there 10 no
system that has ever been adopted by this which
has clearly indicated itself than this system of granting
land to the States in aid of public improvements. Sir
think that every friend Of the system, every who has
given vote in aid Of it. has right TO congratulate him
self and the country upon the happy results that have flown
from it, a E sssss ft rRei51s. 5qg
word in another question Of the Senator
He asks how is that the Government is to be benefited by
the enhancement Of the value Of the public lands nasmuch
the price Is fixed by law, and they seldom bring more than
the minimum price, Why, sir, in the bills that have
passed this making grants Of and we have doubled the
price the reserved alternate sections raising the price
70 81 so per by which the Government is 70
ceve the for the reserved half which she asks for
the whole And 1t is upon that principle in all the laws
cept this one that the Government is to be the gamer
There lands upon the lines Of these proposed public
works that have been in market for forty years at 81 20
acre and have not been sod And why Not because the
lands we're rich and FERTILE and capable Of producing the
most extraordinary crops They valueles for the
that they lay in vspalies, with no timber out Of which
to construct fences houses and other improvements and for
the her reason that they were distant from the markets.
could not find market for any produce that you
might raise your farm, 1t the absence of timber and
distance from market that rendered these lands vaueess
Aid in consequence of these two difficulties lands that would
pduce their 80 to 100 bushels Of corn the acre. lands that
ud produce their 30 bushels of wheat 10 the acre. the rich
OF lands in the world have been exposed to SALE under your
lnd SYSTEM for than forty years at 81 25 to the acre,
without finding purchaser. And you may keep them in
market for the next forty years with the result unless
great landed proprietor to be benefited by these improve
ens gives moiety to the construction OF roads, BY which
tie lands are to be made valuable.
But sir, will answer the Senator'S question, with refer
ce to this particular grant The lands upon the borders Of
Lake Superior 70 be- benefited BY this bill are fixed at 81 %
per acre. And admit, he says that although the law
provides public auction sale by which these lands may be
the average thanwo three cents per above
the minimum price, admit that. And will tell the Sem
aor how, although that Is true the Government will be the
gamer You find, s that these lands now will not sell at
81 rs per have referred instances in Illinois, In
DIANA Ohio and other States, where lands have been forty
years in market and still unsod In my State you
about fourteen millions Of of vacant lands that
you cannot sell at 81 "a And while you have that
amount Of lands for you have been waiting for 81 25
per for forty years. you borrowing money to deay
the extraordinary expenses Of the Government in time of war;
and sometimes pay the ordinary expenses times Of peace
and paying six per cent interest upon this enormous
debt you had sold those andsoy years ago, when they
first brought Market the interest upon the receipts
would have up about three times the principal Thus,
while you have lost the of the money which you might
have received forty years ago under different policy you
have paid in interest upon loans greater than these
fuse lands will bring ask if is better policy
give 50O 900 OF land the State Of Michigan make
this Improvement and by that amount enhance the value and
make available fifty millions Of Of lands lying along the
banks Of the Lakes which otherwise would not be valuable
for. il make them available now at $l 25 stop
interest on the money you that extent If you 20
and leave these fifty millions of unso for forty to
must then pay interest upon fifty millions Of dollars
during All that time, waiting for these lands to become worth
81 25 per Let any make the calculation and
how many millions Of money will be saved by this policy
you only make improvements by which these lands be
brought into market and sold at the minimum price.
Mr. DAVIS of Massachusetts,. This public land system
s not matter which greatly interests my mind for long
BY the public lands in any way.
Mr.. JONES They get the money.
Mr. DAVIS. What for .a.
Mr.. JONES Why for the lands.
Mr.. DAVIS. The Senator says we get the money for
the lands. Well, little money does so into the Treasury,
and so far as that goes it is public benefit But do
think that the Of policy Of the United States is
be such very materially to benefit the old States any
disposition which is made Of the public lands We are left
therefore, to act pretty independently and in the way that
deem most Just towards the States, approprang the
lands generally for their benefit believe have voted
literally almost any body upon all these subjects and my
object merely to get little information to guide in
these votes this morning.
The Senator from Illinois Mr. DoUeLAss) does not quite
meet the point The position which ! assumed was that
lands not available for the construction of work Time
and experience have proved that Icoud take safer
ample to prove the truth Of my position than the which
he has quoted himself Why, s think that the Senator
from Illinois will tell you that twothirds of the lands
upon the Illinois and Michigan canal remain unsod at this
day, after lapse Of perhaps twenty years voted for that
very improvement twenty years ago. and apprehend that
twohrds Of those lands remain unsod at this day They
valuable and admit they used for the purpose
the Senator states Of the credit Of the State
Mr.. DOUGLAS Will the Senator give way for an
answer on that one point
Mr.. DAVIS yielded the floor.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. The Senator does not mean that Of the
alternate sections belonging to the Government Of the United
States two-thirds still remain vacant
Mr.. DAVIS. No; mean your own.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. All that is very true. The Govern
Of the United States has already got the money for the
half Of the lands reserved for herself at her price. 1t
is true that have not sold oil the lands belonging to the
State for the that did choose throw them into
market until the canal was finished and then at high prices
as to make the proceeds pay large portion Of the cost Of
the work. Each has been valued and price uPon
It, The prices range from three dollars to hundred dol