The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-20

brace, The consequence was the addition Of new
descriptive term IN the House embracing class oil over
flowed lands unht for cultivation. II now embraces
swamp lands and those which. though not swamp lands
are overiiowed so as 10 be unit for cultivation
The difference between these lands is this that lands
that habiualy wei are called swamp lands and those
a Tbss. sn sy always
yeyed 10 the dry season. and by the Surveyors are noted
as overiowed lands upon the field notes, iron which
they may be at once identified overfowed lands and
unit for cultivation hope the Senate will not take
course which is calculated 10 delay the bill at this late
period OF the session. but will agree to concurrence IN
the amendments oil The House, az they accomplish Just
what The Senate intended and thought il had done in the
words employed here when the bill was passed by the
| Senate.
Mr.. BADGER Mr.. Presdeot, think the honorable
senator from Arkansas [Mr SEBAsTIAN] does not take
the objection to The phraseology which we have made
not whether that phraseoogy i accurate az s dsG;
States in which they Ie Does the bill ascertain what
or oyeoswed ssn who s 10 what ae
lands and what erhowed lands This is not An ar
rangemen which provides for an examination to ascertain
what are lands of this description TO identity them
when they may hereafter be granted II is present
grant OF lands AS the bill passed the Senate, that pres
ent grant was accompanied with references, certain and
specific to of the public Offices OF the country as 10
what was granted That Is my difficulty; not that swamp
lands will or will not be giyen but that as the bill comes
from the House, il is entirely Indefinite and uncertain
The bill gives US no rule by which Is 10 be asceraintd
what is granted TO the States, sf. ..a5 . f
Suppose the States make gantof Of these lands,
alleging that they passed to them by this act OF Congress
How Is il to be asceained upon trial whether the state
have right to grant that land or not II Is matter ~
allegiance, to be determined by the examination OF wit.
nesses, and will depend npon The different opinions Of
whether tins or that tract OF land come within the
description contemplated by the act OF Congress AS we
passed the bill only necessary to refer to the Land
Office 10 ascertain precisely what were swamp lands
MIR BELL Mr. President, if | were to oppose this
amendment might supposed to be upon grounds OF To-
cal and selfish character want TO appeal TO the senator
from Mississippi, lMr DAvIs] as scientific gentleman
10 know what would be the effect OF the passage OF the
bill upon some OF the interests that represent upon THIS
floor beg his serious attention to It, Sir, either TINS
grant OF and-for il is very extensive be oil no
benefit to the public in the navigation OF the Mlssssipp
river, even to the States, will be great benefit 70
the public, so far their interest IN the navigation oil the
Mississippi and the produciveness OF the lands on The
border Of the Missssll', are concerned This benefit
only be secured in one way; and that IS, by eyee
ing the banks o. the Mississippi 50 as 70 make Hese @
not sufficient Tor that purpose they are good or nohng
Now, ask the senator from Mississippi Mr. DAys] to
say what will be the effect resulting to section OF my
country upon the Mississippi. if what is called the Amer
lean bottom is leveed the opposite bank-if on the
Missouri side, the Arkansas bottom, between the st.
Francis and the Mississippi, shall be eveed in pursuance
OF the object Of this grant to the State OF Arkansas No
matter whether the Mississippi be eyeed on the borders
OF the State Of Mississippi or louisiana or not What
will be the effect upon the intermediate country OF about
hundred miles inexient where one bank oil the Mis-
sisspp shall be completely eveed and the water fenced
out. and the other left unprotected. The Mississippi,
scbed by the highlands the one side has this heavy
embankment and there is nothing upon the other ihen
upon the gh, bank as you 60 down the ryer NE 70 bank 1
unprotected What will be the effect
MIR. DAVIS, OF Mississippi. MIR. President will say
thai this topic upon WHICH scientific men differ almost
much upon any other subject that could be proposed
II the honorable senator values my opinion however,
have difficulty in answering that believe II would
the levee side In the manner
and upon the other might overflow lands not previous
ly oveIhowed. .U
Mr.. BELL. think it well becomes my colleague and
myself to look some what to the condition of that immense
extent of flat country that will be thus exposed ior nearly
hundred miles. The whole extent OF the highlands IN
the neghborhood of little place called Randolph, snd
the Chckasaw bluffs, above and below Memphls-an
immense extent OF counry-wlll be liable to be sieced
from the diligence and better fortune Of our neghbors oil
Arkansas, who have these public lands
Now, sir am very well aware that, unless the waters
be fenced out these lands proposed grant TO The State
Of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, will be OF no
value either TO The Stale Or The coanry and would DC
very unwise policy upon the part oil The government TO
grant the lands, unless contemplated some futue I'M
proyement by which they 10 be redeemed and made
productive Then, when 10 consider that on The
line of Illinois, OF Missouri. OF Arkansas, OF Mississippi,
and Louisiana, there is immense quantity oil land
that may be redeemed by the sku and faithful applica
ton OF these ands should remember that there is an
other strip of country which cannot have any protection
by any bounty Dunhcence OF the government or by
any beray wisdom of the government So far as the
appropriation OF land is wise one, II IS local, private,
and temporal question Here, then, the other hand,
strip OF country, about one hundred miles in extent,
LEFT entirely unprotected, IRON winch Tue waters can only
be fenced out immense cost To levee this will be
entirely local question. II must be done from the re-
sources of the State and the United States Il will
be local question, and il would be almost impossible to
concentrate the sentiment or public lberaly of that
country protect il remind my friend from Kentucky
that he altogether dsinteresed IN this matter, and
know he able coaduor when called upon 10 assist
in such question as this.
Now, Mr. President what want to bring the attention
OF the Senate 10 s that may be necessary that this
should be changed Is not this to which
the benefit OF the appropriation should be extended to the
section OF the bank the Mississippi rver
without adherng too closely 10 the policy of only appro
prang these public lands to objects within the States n
which they lie ls IL not case IN which the lberay
and the justice OF senators OF other States may be well
appealed 10 do not see how they can resist IT, Now,
il happens the State Of Tennessee that the lands bor
was known whether the waters OF the Mississippi
overlowed them and rendered them unfit for cultivation
The surveys extended 10 the borders oil the river,
and in many cases when the water was ten and fifteen
feet above OF them II was supposed that every
foot OF land the bank OF the Mississippi was fere so
hai in the State OF Tennessee II all located, and
much OF without any actual examination by the purcha-
sers think, SIR have right TO appeal TO the Sen.
and to Congress 10 extend portion OF the proceeds o
these lands to that unprotected seconkentucky and
Tennessee incuded-of perhaps one hundred and twenty
miles in extent
Now, sir, have to say regard to the other question,
that the provision OF this bill II comes iron the House.
il il is faithfully carried out, cannot rid the United States
Of acre OF land that would ever be valuable unless
these improvements take place for not only the pro.
unfit for cultivation There is scientific agrcuturis,
eotton suQar planter who