The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-27

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now before the Senals would give away was not our
own, but thar Of gentleman Interested in the subject.
from having lent money to government calculation
has since been mentioned which reduces the amount
consideraby II, however, most generally occurs in
cases OF this kind that the amount TO De appropriated
exceeds the amount originally sappossG wse ~, me pro-
niionsry army the advocates OF the measure ayered
thai the whole cost would be but few hundred thou
sand dollars year Instead q THIS y me-
il has not ceased yet xU,.. ....
Another case in point occurs TO us. when measures
being taken to remove ,Ss .ssss N what was
then called Lovelace county, for whom was necesse
to make provision elsewhere member from that
number The event proved that six hundred and ninety
land entries OF three hundred and twenty acres each
were necessary to satisfy these claimants
So il will be with the measure now before Congress
II will require far land to carry II through nan ~
advocates suppose Amendments may De introduced
which will cut of one class OF out Is he class
thus cut of will have Just good claims a. the class re-
aned the classes thus cut of must be restored u not
the present, at some future session OF Congress On
waa sip @ q
widowed wife, how can you refuse Il 70 the wmoweu
mother, or to that chdless and helpless old man
fore the Senate, and you establish principle which VIII
make requisite indefinite appropriations OF public land
II is however we told, useless to argue the ques,
the members II The Senate and Of the House will lose
their popularity unless they pass It. Popular 4 may De
with those who expect % @ osne,ea ~ y, ou y w
dency is 10 destroy excellent public land system Dy
side o and to throw all the most choice Of the public
with one individual in private life who when he sub
ect has been explained to him, has not stamped Win
the seal Of reprObation.
!" Il makes the officers OF the Mexican war appear too
graspngas not satisfied with their regular pay and the
honors Of their station" ,i
Supposng however, that every other objection to the
bill should be removed the fact that its passage will IN
volve violation Of the public faith ought. OF ITSELF 70
il to be rejected The pledge given TO the public
creditors found the 18th section OF the act OF jan
uary 2S, lS47, and is in the words following:
"Ard Be farther enacted, That for the payment Of the
stock which may be created under the provisions 81 this
act the of the public lands hereby pedged and
i & hereby the duty Of the Secretary Of tho Treas
nry 70 use and apply oil the moneys which may Se t.
after first day Of January, 1915 FIRST 10 pay the interest
~ stocks 6 ys 81 h s' Se
vaue."
II is difficult TO see how pledge Of this kind can be
eyaded, except by kind of special pleading, which,
though very becoming in county-court lawyer, would
be very unbecomng 10 q statesman:
.Here you see public lands themselves that
hundred year sod and the thereof
applied 70 the OF interest oa the Stock inc pledge
This is very ingenious. but public credit and public
honor will not bear such interpretation For the
years preceding the LIST Of January l64 the sales
Of the public lands yielded ,376 year. This was
the which was pledged to those who made the
loan of wenty-hree and half millions On the faith
OF this pledge, government got the loan on much more
favorable terms than would otherwise have been rac
cable. The security sufficient but barely sufficient.
afforlng alter paying the interest," moderate sum TO-
wards reducing the principal Already has The value OF
y bssa 70 a. 70 reduce he
price Of public lands from 81 IS TO 75cents an acre Last
year. in consequence the revenue from the public lands
was reduced about 100000 below the average Of the
preceding l.. lS47 This there
will be still further reduction about seven millions
OF acres OF Mexican war scrip are yet Indicated Pass
from The public lands will be reduced 10 nothing
The grants for school purposes and Tor aid u making
roads and public sIsds regarded e fixed rem.
value Of the pledge Neither have they any objection to
the grant Of swamp lands to the States on condlion o.
present condition, are OF no commercial value, and by
their unhea,hiness diminish the value Of the adjoining
lands Draining these lands WILL like grants ioI school
The value Of pledge But grants for other purposes,
especially they reduce the from the lands
to nothing, or almost nothing, will be violation OF the
public iah such as is without precedent in the history
q the United States government since the adoption OF
the constitution.
have grand land speculation in view. but they much
TO the American people The worst enemy OF the Amen
can name could wish for nothing better than % see viola
ted the public faith oil the American nation. The strength
OF governments, Ia modern terms depends on their credit
and that credit must be- like Cesars wife, above susp
cion Ships will rot Notifications decay, and all the
ierial Of war become antquaed; but il government
preserves its credit whatever wants can be speedily
supplied. Why were we able to carry on war with
Mexico in such way as TO produce sensible increase
ia burdens imposed on the peoplei Simply because
our credit good thai had the whole loanable
capital oil the world 10 borrow IRON.
We may have other wars, and wars OF more serious
character han that with Mexico. Nothing is to
be deprecated than a with Great Britain because
nothing would more eHectually retard the progress OF
two countries Is impossible II II should occur would
require expenditure Of two three hundred millions
year And where should we get this amount We
could not raise by direct taxation We could not offer
the public lands pledge, because, il the bills
before Congress become iaws they will all be
gone Should offer TO pledge the customs. the meney
lenders would say, Experience has proved that such
France and Holland, duly respected but when made
BY the American government they are worthless We
lent money TO carry on the war with Mexico the
pledge OF the public lands, and of It's first acts
alter the close OF the war, was to give away many OF
the lands az to reduce the revenue from them TO almost
nothing"
Its said that there are men who laugh the pledge
NOT what they laugh at They know that the strength
Of government consists in its credit and that its credit
depends on its preserving ts faith nvioate var with
Great Britain may be far of trust II ls. Dut our
foreign relations are extending in such way, that we
know not how soon we may come in collision with some
powerful foe. Even should such collisions be avoided,
the liberal expenditure" Congress 10 sanctioning may
negotiation Of such loans such violation OF the public
faith Is involved in the bills before Congress- can
not but have very unfavorable effect
We repeat II, 10 only through the attention OF Con-