The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-03

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Evansville This last grant for 100000 acres by
these grants the States OF Ohio and Indiana enabled
10 have canal several hundred miles in length That
important and magnificent mproyement-the longest ca
nal IN Amercaowes its existence TO this policy OF grant
ing the public lands in aid Of public works-a canal
through which portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio,
and Illinois, receive large portion OF their goods, and
send TO market large portion OF their products
Again sir. there is canal connecting Lake Michigan
with the Illinois river by which there is continuous
communication from the mouth OF the y. Lawrence,
through the whole line OF lakes and the Mississippi to
the Gull of Mexico known the Illinois and Michigan
canal Ihat canal owes It's existence to grant OF land
made by this government the State OF Illinois, IN alter
nate sections IN aid OF the work Il is true that the
giant which was only for about 100000 acres, was not
enough 10 complete the work-not half enough but. sir
the senator from Massachusetts Mr. DAvIsl ought to
know, and IT he reflects minute he will know, that the
completion OF that canal is TO be attributed 10 the grant
of lands made by this in aid OF its construc
ton He, sir, rendered essential service TO the State OF
Illinois IN the negotiation which resulted in the compile
ttonof that canal The State OF Illinois remembers with
gratitude the service he rendered her that OCCASION
After that experience it seems to me that he ought to be
convert to and advocate OF this system of i'm
provement It was true have before observed, that
the grant OF land was not sufficient to complete the work
but after had expended upon the work about ~ ooO
000 and the resources and credit OF the Sate we found
il absolutely impossible TO complete The work without
negotiating new loan OF 81 900 00o and those lands
specifically pledged for the payment of that new loan
II upon the faith of those lands that
bled TO get the money. But for that grant oil lands we
should not have been able get the money, and the
work would not have been completed In consequence
OF that grant, we have navigation by water from
the Gull of ST. Lawrence through the whole line OF those
lakes, down TO the Illinois river and the Mississippi 10
he Gai Of Mexico making the greater portion Of the
| sive inland navigation in the world
/ Then call the senator's attention to another work.
The senators from Iowa, am sure, will forget the
grant of lands made by this government to aid in the i'm
provement of the Des Moines river, making that liver
navgabe for steamboats, for several hundred miles, when
II not navgable before, and never would have be.
but for the grant Of lands passed by only four
or five years ago.
Again the senators from Wisconsin will inform you
that there is magnificent Improvement now being made
in that State Green Bay, through Fox
and Wisconsin river, with the Mississippi By means of
this great work. the extreme of the Mississippi
will be connected by continuous navigation with the
whole line of lakes and the II is being done up
the faith OF the grant OF land made by this government
in aid OF the work that grant OF land that put the
work in motion II would not, for many years TO come,
have been attempted without it, Now sir several OF the
locks have been completed and the work is rapidly pro-
crossing, with portion of il in successful operation
Now. having shown that in these various Instances
wherever, indeed, you have made grant OF land IN aid
of these works-ihey have resulted in the speedy
mencemen, and may say, the speedy complexion of the
works for which they granted ask il the senator
does does find that Invaluable service has been
dered to the countrythat Invaluable works OF improve
ent have been executed consequence OF these grants
OF lands Sir any system OF legislation is to be tested
from the results that flow from IT, no system was ever
adopted by this government which has clearly vim
dicaied itself than this policy OF granting lands IN favor
of public works And, sir. think that every friend of
the system, every who has given a vote in aid
OF it, has right TO congratulate himself and the cohntry
upon the practica results which have flowed from it.
One word in answer to the other question OF the sena
tor. He wants to know how the United States bene
fitted by the enhancement OF the value OF the public lands,
nasmuch the price OF the lands fixed by law and
sell them in scarcely any instance above the minimum
price In the bills have passed this session that not
the In every bill passed at this session, making
grants OF land for these purposes have doubled the
price OF the alternate sections, raising from the mini
nun OF 81 rs TO 81 so so that the to re-
ceve the for the remaining half OF the lands
would have been otherwise received for the whole.
There lands, upon some OF the lines OF improve
ment. that have been market forty years at 81 25
acre, and which have not been soldands OF great fer
ty, but which inaccessible, lying in the midst OF
vast praires, where there timber with which 10
construct houses, fences and other improvements. and
Tor the further that they distant from mar
ket The absence OF timber and the distance from
ket rendered these lands vaueess In consequence o
these difficulties, lands that would produce eighty and
one hundred bushels OF corn, thirty bushels OF wheat
TO the OF the richest lands the word-have
been lying in market unsod at dollar and quarter an
for forty years You hardly able 10 sell
them You may keep them in market for another forty
years, unless the great landed proprietor who IS chiefly
to be benefited by the improvements shall contribute his
moiety towards their construction.
will also answer the senator's question with regard
to this particular grantwhether the lands upon ihe
border OF Lake Superior are TO be benefited by this bill
while they still to be sold al dollar and quarter
The senator says that the auction sales OF the
public lands have proven in practice 10 be merely nomi
nal, the lands seldom sell above the minimum price
This very true But does not prove that the United
States gains nothing by the enhancement OF the value OF
the lands by railroads and canals have already re-
ferreI to the fact that in all the States where The lands
have been many years market large portions OF them
remain unsod because OF their dsnnce from timber and
markets such will continue to be the case, unless
these obstacles emigration and settlement removed
This only be done by encouraging thafnaking OF
roads canals and other means of communication 10 and
through them. Without these improvements you cannot
realize dollar and quarter for your lands with these
improvements, you will find ready sale OF all your
lands dollar and quarter and many OF them al two
! dollars and a half While you have millions OF acres
OF these lands, from which you cannot realize dollar
under the niggardy policy which opposes this BILL you
borrowing money delray the extraordinary expenses OF
the government IN time OF war, and sometimes the odI-
, nary expenses IN peace
Now, 4 ask il IL would be better policy TO make
these lands available the treasury under the liberal
policy which we advocate, and pay oil your debts and
Stop the interest such loans On the shores
OF Lake Superior there than 50Oooo0 OF acres
OF land which never be sold and improved without
they have the OF communicating with other por-
the falls OF st Marie but there is obstruction, which
can be obvaied by canal threequarters OF mile IN
length thus atordng good navigation from every portion
of Lake Superior to the This great object can be
attained by grant OF 10000 oil the refuse lands IN
Michigan, the time that you enhance the value and
hasten the settlement OF than 50,0OO,00O OF acres
upon the borders OF Lake Superior Unless you do this
] unsold for forty years In my own State there are
Ia 100000 OF lands, all in marke, and
sold. The same s true OF Indiana, Missouri and
other States. Thus it will be with nifty or a hun.
dred millions upon Lake Superior, II an lllbera and
unwise policy "a 10 prevail. II such policy bad pre-
vailed would have insured the sale OF these lands forty
years ago, when they first brought into market, the
use OF the money, the interest upon IT, would now
amount 10 about three times much az the government
pnw Us tprt Iefap nv ma ma n.