The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-30

scribe rules Tor the disposition OF the public lands and Of
dispose s he public nd is gwen s il
many words Where the power is given without any
limitation appshend that i our duty to Judge Of the
terms OF sale We have right TO sell upon credit we
have right to sell for cash; we have right 10 make
any other disposition OF the public lands which we think
proper provided that disposition is IN accordance win
the nature Of the trust which hold In other words,
we may make any disposition Of these public lands which
tends to increase the trust fund will not speak on the
question OF our right to give away We do mol propose
70 give away do not deem Il necessary 10 answer thsl
question We propose TO make proper, CONSTITUTIONAL,
and legal disposition of the lands, in mode that Will
ana ne Tbsrs no upon
4 But confess we bound TO exercise this power ~
manner consistent with the trust placed IN our hands
We not therefore diminish, but must increase and
improve this trust fund.- and make Il perform the largest
amount we can Now, sir suppose you had large sec
ton of The public lands entirely inundated, so that they
were not worth afarthing acre suppose by giving
away tenth portion of those lands you could render the
whole OF them valuable and saleable suppose that il
DO o ssos s e give away
lirey valuelesswhile, by giving away portion, you
render the other valuable. and get considerable
for it. Would any man say il was not wise, il il his
own inheritance his own property TO make that DISPOSE
ton Of portion in order to make The other portion yua
be and II i would be wise In case is il not
senator has saidand clearly think SOL think there
IS constitutional power to dispose OF it, and 10 make
legal disposition Of il in this way We propose to i'm.
prove the trust fnndo increase its value BY this mode of
But the senator asked me- Where is the power 10 make
the purchaser pay double plice for the land Sir we
land We have land that is yalueless that will not
selor comparatively valueless, that will not sell at the
present price Why will il sell the present price
acre for it. because is not worth 81 25. But we pro-
pose now togiye away one half, on condition that the
other half shall be rendered worth 2 50 per and,
after this improvement is made the other half will be
worth ~ 3d. The purchaser purchases it for what it is
worth Y y no hardship upon him to sell him land
worm " % Tor VI a II preference e taxing from
no tax upon him. Il will require him give money
but we give him better land He gets equivalent for
10 uav er snd = w no ,n
land only worth 81 %; and that objection van
ishes in moment But then must remind the
senator from Georgia, Mr. DAwsoNl that this point
Of hardship the settler, compelling him to pay double
price for the land, question addressed TO
and being Is Il not reasonable to suppose that
have been more likely to look into that question care
fully and practically than those who have been removed
from the scene Of action Il it probable that and my
colleague would be willing to impose such hardship
believe il just TO the government put there, and
because il is just our own people We know the land is
not worth now the government price We believe il will
be douby and treby worth the price by the
granting OF this right II will be for the advantage Of
settler and the advantage Of the purchaser that this
grant should be made and il the price Of the land in
creased the value OF the land is increased 10 greater
ratio will occupy no more tine because the question
has been 50 thoroughly and frequently discussed.
4 IL.
ing into this discussion, do propose go further into
il now than to submit to the Senate PROPOSE
tons TO show the fallacy OF Of the grounds which
have been assumed is said that you are to take alter
nate sections six miles each side Of the road and II you
find it within the six miles, you are take it
where you can find it, provided you take it conguousy
II you cannot find 1t continuously twenty miles of, you
may go fifty miles Very well; can we, BY a mere statu-
tory at make the alternate section fifty miles of worth
~ SO, because they have taken worth 81 IS by this
grant do not see how this effect is to be produced
/ : Mr.. SHIELDS, Qnierposing) Will the honorable
senator yield the floor for moment will state upon
that point that the land selected at distance from the
road IS merely the alternate section to be granted
/ Mr. BUTLER. Then there is no increase in price in
any other section to correspond TO it,
| Mr. SHIELDS II may be that The land thus selected
will not be more than 200 acres. But II would be
for the alternate section in that to be enhanced
in price; and will say, in that particular case, the gov
eminent must suffer loss in consequence OF the selection
Mr. BUTLER resumed That is fair statement Sir,
had not read the BILL and did see how this to
be balanced. Not TO dwell upon that point presume
that If the senator from illinois is correct the road will
least run for fifty hundred miles through settled
land suppose IT is not an extrayagant proposition,
that may hundred miles contiguous cult
waited land Then where they 20 for their land
will for ii that with four hundred miles from
which TO choose, they will find where the best lands
and they will find them contiguous" too. should moi
want better Jacobs staff show me where the bes
lands They would find their contiguous lands,
will answer for il among the best unoccuped lands upon
the rombgbee somewhere else upon the route Il is
nothing less than, under this preex to select
good lands 10 pay for the public roads through the State
OF Illinois, 10 be connected with Mobile. Now, how
will you get through Kentucky and TENNESSEE You
make road, and receive landssome in Alabama, some
lin Mississippi some in llnoi--and with these lands
you construct road through Kentucky and Tennessee
suppose they TO get charter which is intended to
persede or evade that clause OF the constitution which
provides that the Of Congress shall be obtained
before any two States shall form compact
agreement
Now, sir il one oil these great national thoroughfmes
is TO be formed, would indicate very different route
4 / think there might be found in the neghborhood Of
Charleston $50 miles Of public lands; and the road might
be laid off through Georgia. Alabama, Tennessee and
i illinois There would be difficulty at all heard
the senator from Missouri Mr.. BESTosl say something
the other day about lacking bills . but this system o
taking alternate sections TO make road is giving "a
4 the different States, The power TO regulate thing
which above all others should be pub,ci lshe public
highways agree with the senator from Georgia, Mr.
DAwsos that cannot consent that the Congress OF the
United States iduciary proprietor, has any right q
sell dispose OF the public lands otherwise than 10 sub
the nds OF the trust II has ne right 10 give then
| away, even TO Hungarian heroes. | know you have
done III you have done great deal II introduces sys
TEN OF partially OF all others most fatal, introducing
elements OF local jealousy in the United States l. sir
should much prefer the system OF the honorable senator
from Kentucky, [Mr. CLAYil Tor think il is not only
| more liberal, but more correct
l. for one, would much prefer tomorrow that the pub
lie lands should be sold for what they would bring. and
officers OF the war OF 1919 and Of the recent Mexican
war; and thus withdraw them entirely from the field q
political Influences and party warfare; would decidedly
prefer it, shall never have dollar OF interest ~ the
matter As lar my State is concerned stand some
what in The condition which called I'm speaking OF