The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-04
THE MON.

United States without giving any compensation at all
If the government wants to locate fori or any other
public work upon the improvements OF settlers hefelo
fore made, think Ought 10 buy enough Tor mat puf
pose and they all the land that they desire
hereafter when settlements shall be made upon H. That
is the way the bill now stands, and hope the amend
ment will not be adopted.
Mr. DAVIS of Mississippi. have acted in this matter
entirely under inior maton | have derived from The
Secretary Of War have mo feeling upon The subject
whatever can readily imagine however, that the hon.
orable from Illinois may ask pledge Tor injured
men who always hang about garrsons upon the IRON
tiers. and who will be certain 70 lay claim upon The
site where the fort stands unless they are excluded.
Mr. DOUGLAS. The point make is ibis The bull
AS stands, authorizes the ofhcer TO reserve as
much he peases so that no location can ever be made
hereafter any fort than the officer chooses to al
low the man to come The only point s, whether they
shall take property heretofore invested there now as
to what has occurred at the mouth OF The rver Inc
United States officers have taken possession OF Astoria
and al the time OF three other points thefe-CaPe
Disappointment, Point Adams, and Sand isand-ma
king three other sites around Astoria in addition TO the
town Of Astoria itself do not think they ought to be
permitted to do II there is an actual claim, under Inc
provision OF this bill, to the possession OF improvements
think the government OF the United States ought not TO
be permitted TO take them
Mr. BENTON, Will the senator from Illinois read
that part OF the bill to which he has referred 2
Mr. DOUGLAS read as follows
SIC o. And be it further enacted, That claim to do
nation right under The provisions OF this act upon sections
10 &c. shall be valid or allowed the residence and Gull
tiyatiou upon which the same founded shall have
menced after the survey Of the same shall such claim
attach any tract or parcel OF land selected fo military
post or within one mile thereof any other land
served poses unless The residence and
cultivation thereof shall have commenced previous 10 Inc
selection reservation OF the same for such purposes
Mr. BENTON. think the bill, as ii stands, allows
ample latitude in all II is the President OF the Uni
ted States who is to approve this selections and we are
apt to think have got by this provision the high ONCE
oil the President for our security. Now, we all know
how this thing The President can have no more TO do
with than "ihe man in the moon" Nor has the Secre-
tary Of War charge OF the business practically done
hui nd Tho Vhprp
be--one thousand two thousand, three thousand miles
Off He makes his representation, and his representation
is the decision OF the thing All the rest is matter OF
form The President exercises no voitlon-he Secre-
tary of War exercises II is entirely the act OIL the
commanding officer in the country.
Now. Mr.. President, have had some experience upon
this subject know something about this thing OF re-
serving lands for military purposes, and know exactly
how ii operates. The officer will have TO make large
lance from the military post possible in order that u
may not be encroached upon tor the purpose OF selling
whskey to the soldiers That is the view which the
officer takes OF the subject II is TO keep of that kind OF
people who ebauch the garrison and to save the trouble
OF repulsing such persons They make large reserva
tion as much as they deem necessary, and when they
the countryior those who want TO sell spirits to the gar
rson will 60 through your reservation in the night The
district around unnhablted and unless you place SEN
tnes all it, the reservation purpose IN
the world but that of creating desert in the place which
is 10 become rendezvous Tor all who choose to go there
We had very severe Of this kind in Missouri, OPP
III.
great many miles up and down the river in the State OF
Missouri, opposite that fort Well it answered no pur-
except to prevent that part OF the State from being
settled That all But, being done by virtue OF the
law il with extreme difficulty that we got that part
OF the State open to settlement This The way i works
always. Unlimited reservations are alowedJust exactly
much the officer who is in command chooses to
make and it perfectly uncertain what his Judg ment
will be- because he has rule TO go by as the Judgment
of the chancellor whose rule was said to be as uncertain
the length of his foot, be it big or little one so
with the different commanding officers; 1t depends en-
tely upon their own opinions feelings whether they
much or little land
O the grounds which used for military purposes
in the Stale OF Missouri. there is not one OF them which
belongs TO the class reserved There were many res
ervatons in the State of Missouri in the beginning
many in the OF ST. Louis. But they have all been
given ap; and that which the United States uses IN the
State Of Missouri for military purposes has been given to
them by the inhabitants there. will cite Jefferson bar
racks for an example Al all events the United States
now use none that was reserved. think there IS no
Of necessity for this thing 1t will not meet any
great necessity An officer may exercise the power In
his hands very arbitrarily BY going and taking possession
of the settlements and the houses OF Individuals tor al
such distance that officer OF the United States has
an immense idea OF his own power, and can do almost
ans thing IN The of the United States think the
bill as stands goes lar enough There Is not the least
necessity for extending II any further The places
where want these posts upon the frontiers IN
the Indian country and perhaps some upon the seashore
Tor the purpose OF protecting the seaboard Towns All
the body OF the country remains iee iron any necessity
for military reservations TO be established think II is
sufficient as II Is
Mr.. DAVIS. OF Mississippi ] think the closing re.
marks OF the senator from Missouri answer the burden
OF this argument He says that these lands taken for
military purposes. They were taken IN Missouri but
progress of time surrendered 10 the people Then
imagine that the people OF Missouri have not suffered
much except by posts that held as the senator
thinks, by gift He cites Jefferson barracks the site OF
which, happen TO know, was acquired by purchase
and a very bad tte at that. The fact is that these
vatons made for the benefit OF the people They are
made upon territory belonging TO the United States
But VI one were TO listen the Arguments made here
this morning, he would suppose that these troops were
forced into the country for the injury OF the people, and
the land belonging 10 the people was 10 be taken IRON
them for the benefit OF these troops Now, sir, the land
belongs to the United States and they giving II away.
The question it, what shall for the benefit Of
the United States These troops are located at such
places the defence OF the country requires As
the defence OF the country requires these troops no
longer. the garrison is removed What claim there
be- them against these military reservations made for the
benefit Of the people alone, and reservations too, made
from the property belonging to the United States Now,
II military post is required any particular place, and
the United States has made reservation there when
they call upon the government TO give them the protec
ton OF garrison the government mus, there and buy
the land This is the practical operation of this thing
Now TO this great abuse OF the powers OF the officers
upon the frontier: Let which testimony is best to
be taken. An officer stands there withou, any perma
nen interest that OF his country. He will select a
maintenance OF order, whether upon the frontier upon
the seacoast He will desire to have settlements
to him as possible, so as 10 be able TO supply himself
easily with provisions from the gardens and diaries and
has been often the orderly persons have been al
lowed 10 make settlements the posts while the dis
orderly people have been excluded But when posts
are selected for garsons upon the seaooas they are ne
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