Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-05-04


of this proposition. Now the State of Illinois has never de
rived dollar from the Government rivers aud lakes ar
left without improvement, and pay into The treasury
large amount Of money every year from which deriv
nothing in return. And yet if here and ask for tn
grant of few Of refuse lands, met with sucl
objections Senators have urged this morning. Yo,
expanding money every day the seaboad while thi
immense State contributing largely it does the eve
nues of the General Government totally neglected
And when ask for this feeble aid from the Gov
eminent for a work that is to benefit Maine quite a
much as it will Inois-which is TO connect Boston with New
Orleans the North with the South-we met with mer,
bubble about few of land This road is TO from
the northern part Of Illinois right into Kentucky almost, and
my friend from Kentucky will give his aid willing t.
continue quite into his State have objection to it, be
eving as do that purposes Of this kind bene
fetal and advantageous 10 which this refuse public domain
be appropriated.
hope, therefore, my friend from Wisconsin will withdraw
his amendment to this BILL and let manage in
way. take great interest in the bill which he proposes,
and him assistance in securing its PASSAGE whether
does does not incorporate the principle Of his present
| amendment .,.s s& ...
Mr. DODGE, of Iowa Mr.. President, shall vote for the
amendment of the Senator from Alabama glad, sir
that he has offered it. Amy who will glance at map
of the country will readily perceive that the connexion pro-
posed most direct and proper Chicago and Mobile
due north and south Of each other They are
any the points by which the great northern lakes and the
Cult Of Mexico should be connected
had hoped Mr.. President that the nationality and
policy of granting alternate sections of the public lands
the improvement Of roads and running through the
public lands well established that il would be
cessary this late day enter into any formal argument
the subject In support Of it could cite what the Sena-
tor from South Carolina would admit high authority
the and speeches Of his late aented colleague
(Mr CAIHoUN.) 1t is historical fact, and aested by
the journals that the bill making the grant of land for the
srucon of the Illinois and Michigan canal passed by his
casting VOTE when filling the chair occupied by you
And surely, sir, if he had, at any late period of his life
passed through the magnificent region of country whose
growth and prosperity have been much advanced by that
tfI
not that would have afforded him heartfelt qualification
that by which he turned the scale in favor Of that bene
cent
Mr.. President the objection made by the Senator from
Maine (Mr BRADBURr) might be readily obvated by
amendment providing that if there any lands than
sufficient for the construction of the road they shall
to the United States Not believing that the proceeds of the
lands will be sufficient for the entire completion of the work.
of course, deem such amendment necessary and hope
1t would not be adopted if offered
Mr. DAWSON. 1t is said that the principle involved in
this bill has been admitted, and the application Of that
principle becomes question Of policy and expedency The
principle be true but when you carry into execution
you may do it terms vastly unequal to the various por
tons OF the country propose to examine briefly the
construction OF this railroad through the State of Illinois
The road to be 400 miles LENGTH and is travel through
the most wealthy and popuous portions of that State It
to 60 from town to town, from village village from city to
city, and must therefore naturally pass portion of
the country where the whole of the public lands nearly
have already been disposed Of
Mr.. DOUGLAS. II the Senator from Georgia will allow
me, although have wish to interrupt the of his
argument, will state 10 him that the road is to
through the centre Of the State, without particular local
knowledge Of the State he would be justified in upposng that
would through the best and most thcky settled portions
OF the State but he intimately acquainted with it he
would find that the road about half way between the
rivers the east and those the west The country
well mbered the great rivers and upon their tributaries
but about the line of this road you will find prarie ten
twenty and thirty miles wide, without stick of
timber, and dead levels sometimes wet for cultivation It
happens that this road through this prairie region
where there the least settlement wealth, and improvement
of any portion of the State and where there is the greatest
necessity for channel Of communication the markets
The land present thus situated will by Of this i'm
proVement be reclaimed and made susceptible of cultivation
and production. .. .... ~. .@ ..@.
MI. DAWSON. We'll, but this road 400 miles long will
be of the public unless passes through that
ton of the country which is populated.
Mr.. DOUGLAS, Tin his seat There is some population
Mr.. DAWSON. / submit to the honorable Senator
aud to the Senate whether in the counties through which
this road to the lands have not for the most PART been
disposed of by the Government ~.
Mr.. DOUGLAS With the exception of the county at
the northern end of The road my impression that
than half Of the whole of the lands along the line still
vacant in most Of the counties, think in two-thds of
them, is speak only at random, and from my general
knowledge Of the country but such my belief The road
through several fine towns such Bloomington, for
stance and for five six miles Immediately around the
the land is all taken up and cultivated, but there
also large praes where the land is still vacant and my i'm
preston is that the large majority Of these lands still vacant
Mr. DA WSON. Wish TO view this question, not upon
the principle only but upon its application the be-
fore II all these lands undsposed of by the Govern
ment six miles of land through the interior of the State of
Illinois will be transferred to that State, whether passes
through the most fertile the poorest of the lands of that
State and going through the State it must strike than
Of their best sections But suppose cannot
get contiguous sections for perhaps fifteen twenty miles, TO
the right and left of this roadyor may for miles where you
strike the public lands what will be the result Of this
bill Why you may ten miles off aud take your section
there and if you cannot find it thereif there not lands
contiguous to this roueyou may 60 twenty thirty miles
and select lands which will be appropriated If there
lands contiguous to this route you travel right and left of
any extent until you fnd enough to make six miles in
width throughout the whole State Here, then, you may
pass through county, and if you find public lands
there you 60 into adjacent county and find land there
Here you have appropriation of million and half of
of the public lands not in the line Of the railroad ALL
but lying in the State Of Illinois Now the principle which
has been established by Congress this question appo
pirate contiguous Landslide lands which the internal
improvements run, the railroad passes the lands being
their value and make disposition of them. Now
that principle does not apply here. 1t may apply miles
time, and perhaps fifty miles, hut beyond that it will not
apply all But you do make the appropriation upon that
principle all. You make it donation, and you allow
the lands be found any where within the State of Illinois
That is objection which have to The bill.
Now, sir, when to the State Of Mississippi and
to the State Of Alabama the is different there you
mm daey upon the coast through the pine b,rrens and
there the public lands not setled these, Them Of
value there the appropriation will amount TO little nothing
But sir this the ground upon which desire to place
the question. Before act upon the question: want to
be ascerained and decided whether be constitutional not
The distinguished Senator from Michigan (Mr CAss) tells
that the question has been settled beyond oil controversy