The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-04

10 the ball a. follows;
sas q section Two ~ ,s As ;s wo 49, .sso so i
exclusive Also. strike out OF the NH line the word se
lecL"
The question being ,aksp upon the amendment. twas
M. WHiTcoMB moved 10 amend as follows:
Add to end OF second section follows
Amd provided farther, ThAi any and all lands reserved TO
the United States by the entitled act grant guam
lily Of land 70 the SAFE Of Illinois ior the purpose Of aiding
IN opening canal g conascs ne waters o. The Limos
1877 be- and they hereby reserved 70 the United States
from the operations oil TINS act
The question being taken upon the amendment il was
Mr. DAVIS, Of Mississippi. moved to amend section
q line &C. After sad inserts provided that the LANDS
TO be so located shall in no case be further than neen
Mr.. KING hope the amendment will be adopted.
It will obyiate the difficulty Of many senators with re,
gard to the possibility Of going too lar for the land
will confne il TO the range OF the railroad am per-
fectly satisfied with il myself
MIR. DAVIS, of Mississippi II rs intended by TINS
amendment to bring the provisions q the Pill within tne
principle Of making the grant to promote the public IN
ieresi in the land Immediately connected with the road
and 10 Do benefited by il for passing through the prairie
country Of Illinois, there is no doubt that al the land e,
greater distance than that will be benefited and 10 that
extent will be connected with the road Whilst settlers
on these lands have all the elements OF production 40 inc
soil and seasons these lands must remain vaueiess 90
long as the cost of transportation to market - so great az
TO render the products Improbable when transported 70
the place where they to be sold In the case wnere
land 10 really valuable but s unsaeable N
of its remoteness from suitable market Tor US poducts
II will be made valuable by being brought WITHIN rach
cable OF getting 10 market nay opect y oneling
this amendment s to bring the provisions q tne Dill win
in fair operation OF the principle and policy avowed so
as 10 enable me TO vote Tor II.
Mr.. DODGE, OF Iowa. | move to amend the amend
men offered by the senator from Mississippi BY making
accept that amendment.
MI. DAVIS. Oh, no Fifteen miles is as far, quite as
far y bs an willing e 60 ,e, o,.h j |. ,o
ed But, Mr. President, look upon this grant as con-
fering very small boon upon the State Of Illinois My
purpose now IN rising is to mention 2 the Senate Tact
that was anxious to elicit upon previous occasion to
an interoga9ry which proposed to my friend from In
diana. Mi. WHIrcoMIl Think thistwo- dollar and-a-
half clause is q very rigorous one, asked my friend,
been ingafted upon the Indiana law He replied great
ly my surprise, that was was quite certain then
that he was mistaken for had examined all the laws in
found no such provision. Anxious, however. to have
the fact In authoritative shape. addressed the Com
missioner Of the General Land Office on the subject and
received from him. under date OF yesterday letter, from
which make the following extract
The quantity Of land granted Indiana for canal pur
poses was 566 672 acres The minimum Of The United
The quantity Of land granted 70 Illinois for canals
2s 67 acres The minimum Of the United States alter
nate sections was not raised.
To Iowa there granted Tor the Improvement. Of the
Des Mones river s2l acres The minimum Of the Uni
ted States alternate sections was not increased.
TO Wisconsin has been granted for the improvement Of
the Fox and Wisconsin rivers 2ii $40 The mini.
Of the United States alternate sections has not been
increased
so E33'sa e he aS sas
minimum raised 80 80, but subsequently, reduced
TO 81 % the acre
reference TO the grant for the Wisconsin and Rock
river canal brings TO my recollection the history OF that
measure My present colleague, then the interchangeable
delegate from the Territory OF Wisconsin,, abofed most
increasingly in doors and out to obtain what was then.
now called donation to those whom he represented
ra~ ha fha 0rafif
ing laudits Of well done good and faithful servant =
Instead Of which. loud long, and deep, besides
many complimentary notices in the way OF being burnt
in egy heaped upon his devoted head by the set.
tiers along the line OF the contemplated canathe very
people whom OF all others he had supposed he best
serving These worthy pioneers, who were settled on
the government sections could not brook the idea OF
paying hundred per cent more for their farms than
their Deghbors who happened 10 be but few feet from
them on The opposite side OF mere artificial line The
consequence was that after much excitement among the
people and considerable financial difficulty on The part Of
the Territory OF Wisconsin, growing out OF this canal
grant, the whole thing was repudated and the price OF
the lands reduced 10 81 % an acre. ] have not made
these remarks from the slightest intention to interfere
with this bill My friends from Illinois are satisfied with
rs and ,a % ne s 70 os
Of the bill. hope my friend from Mississippi [Mr.
D1x will Sscs e. ~ h,v. attended
as can d. and bring i under the principle under which
alone could vote for IL.
NIr. DDDGE WithdTeW the amendment
Mr. DAVIS. | will Join with the senator IN reducing
the from 81 so TO 81 IS; for am ready to grant
land in any amount to actual settlers, but am not will
ling to give it to corporations in excess. -
Mr. DAWSON. | very much regret that my Trend
should have thought proper TO extend the influence OF
this railroad thirty miesiteen to the right and fifteen
Mr.. DAVIS II is restricting. not extending it.
Mr. DAWSON. IL extends II from the six miles in
Mr. DAVIS: Oh, mo- | beg your pardon; the bill pre-
haa M m
Nir. DAWSON. II will restrict II, in the principle,
from the present bill
Mr. DAVIS II the senator will allow me, will ex-
plain.
: MIR. DAWSON know how il is
Mr. DAVIS | beg leave 10 set the senator right upon
single point The bill provides for taking the lands
within FIVE miles each side OF the road but In Of
for them, taking the most contiguous" lands This
amendment restricts the State from going more than
fifteen miles from the road for those lands.
Mr.. DAWSON. What wish 10 say is this, that in
lcgissting should never adopt any principle cacu
lated 10 deceive the country and to give the opportu
nifty OF returning home, and saying did this upon
principle when did not. The principle which has
because the reserved sections doubled in value
That is the principle, and the ground upon which
tors say they will vote for the Now, sir, de-
sire TO know whether. you extend this to fifteen miles
from the road taking lot at that distance will make
the adjoining lot double in value Suppose that you should
take the railroad from this place TO Baltimore and should
select section fifteen miles south of this road and ap
propriae to the railroad Will il improve the other lot
Of land single dollar II will not; and we all know IT,
opposed TO taking the proceeds OF the public lands
and approprianQ them 10 the States improve