The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-08
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEEERRED DEBATE.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 81, 1851.
SENATE.
oypRrlowED LANDS IN LOUISIANA.


SENATE.
oypRrLowED LANDS LOUISIANA
oo motion by Mr. DOWNS, the Senate proceeded TO
of Senate bill 32S-being bill to aid
wv State of Louisiana in recaimng the overiowed lands
Oihs The bill having been amended as heretofore pub
NJ MILLER said Ii understand this bill, it grants
al, ,he lands 10 the State TO louisiana Il seems TO me
nrs,ty large business. and should like TO know upon
MIR Mr. DOWNS The precise quantity Of lands in Louis.
;,ns cannot state but all thai at all available are
ihiok, very nearly twenty nine millions OF acres.
MI SEWARD. Ii the senator Will allow me- can
;s. he exact amount of unsod lands II is 80 s54, 600
M DOWNS That quantity, however, is reduced
vary greatly by laws already passed by Congress- The
hl psssed in iS49 and another bill extending that law
assed at the last session Of Congress, granting swamp
ands to the States embrace large portion OF the unsod
su being asua 4 Lind
A. snpoximate idea OF i may be had by looking at this
man boldng up the view OF the Senate large map OF
In,iaIanal upon which the swamp lands are colored al
though must bs borne in mind that great deal Of land
4 entered within that have statement here which
comes as near think, any document we have to the
amount of lands which are worth anythngor there are
gsat many lands upon the southern border OF the State
which are sea marsh and irrecaimable and ought not
10 be taken into account. The Commissioner of the
General Land Oce in his report 10 the Secretary of the
Interior recently made on this subject, says:
OF the lands which will remain the property of the
povsrnmen after the swamp and lands. grant
by the act Of 81 March lss shall have been certified
Tia. 47os,ooo acres have been in market 10 years
!. ,ss sss,als a,s :. :. :. ~ -.
This is exclusive of The lands in the Greensburg dis
tct The for excluding these hands from this
msn is they be classified with the other pub
snds the whole OF the surveys having been reported
"ndpH Of the money ordered for those which had been
sold by the act Of 18th August, lSl2 ;"
The 4,72l,l3O of private land claims unadusted
vet unocated might be offset against the unappropra
led land in GIeensburg district. if it not sufficient
say that the resuryey Of il would be worth more than
what remains unappropriated.
When We consider that the length of the gulf and
lake in Louisiana is ,O50 miles where the
marah is more than an average OF mile wide, which is
perfectly worthless, and examine the map which
companies the report showing the extent OF the swamp
and reflect that all except the vaueless lands
were long since brought into market it may fairly be
umed that the quantity mentioned in this extract (7 649
3 acres) the whole amount Of the cession embraced
by the bill that il Of any value, all OF which has been
market more than ten years. and much OF it for more
than thirty.
In the remarks which delivered to the Senate on
former occasion, read from the report of the Commits
aoner, showing that these lands OF very inferior
quality. from which all the lands OF any real value have
long been selected and entered, and proceeded
show that it would be 10 the advantage OF the general
to cede all these unapproPrated lands TO the
Safe
will mention, in addition to this, the fact that it has
been found that the annual expense OF the government in
administering the public lands in Louisiana. in series
Of years. about $50 900, while the sales have
been upon an average about the same amount 80 that
really for several years past the United States have moi
received anything But upon looking at the last report
Of the Commissioner OF the Land Office this subject,
find that the amour, OF sales has been only about
5000 acres, being much less than hereofore and there
10 be very little demand there for the location OF
bounty land warrants.
will state Also that the lands have been in the mar
ks Of them for forty-sx years. Our lands all
extreme in their qualities They are either very good or
very inferior The good lands have all been selected and
purchased long ago they all ,aken up by private
claimants ALI that remains is the land OF very little
value regard the grant, as far as the value OF the Land
concerned as Of comparatively little importance But
ageat sbect in addition TO the value OF the land is that
The State may have it in their own hands, and may be
able to settle the private land claims which have been
Standing for halt century. and which amount to up
wards OF four millions OF acres shall not 30 into the
general consideration Of the great object oil the bill,
which TO enable the State to prevent the overflow OF
The Mississippi will mention, however, the fact that
neafy three millions OF dollars have been received by the
United States for lands sold in Louisiana, which were
worthless until reclaimed by levees. This grant,
therefore, BY recompense for the ben
6 actually conferred by the State OF Louisiana upon the
United States
hope then SIR that the bill will be permitted TO pass
II relieves the United States Immediately OF all expense
the management OF these lands. There is large por.
uon OF which the government is about to resurvey the
expense oil which will not be met by the sale OF the lands
lof one hundred years 10 come. IL has already been
stated mat IN consequence of The great number OF land
|
before the United States would realize cash receipts from
the sales OF lands. However this may be in other
Saes when We consider the great length oil tme these
lands IN Louisiana have been the market, and that The
good lands have been exhausted long ago, there can be
no doubt that the government would realize very little Tor
many years from the State OF Louslana-probably not
nail oil the expenses. The State manage the lands al
much less expense than the United States There is no
hea OF surveying the lands which totally worthless
ahd he State can more easily than the United States
ascertain what lands useless This IS grant IN
Nseh The State feels great interest," and one which is
sI, lus' and equitable The principle involved in the
OIL The same as that OF the bill passed IN ls49, which
NasappToved by MIR. Polk, as consistent democrat as
any man There can be no doubt to the constitution
amy OF IT. believe the United States will be benefited
making this grant, while it will be advantageous TO
,yuisahs II is entirely in harmony with the general
.uoeet OF the distribution of the lands The very able
l.pof' oil the Committee Public Lands at the last
soh respecting the final disposition of all the public
os winch had been long in the Market and from which
w good lands had been taken out recommends that after
'ene' OF years the lands should be ceded 10 the States
a aa' committee, finding this bill perfectly in accordance
% .ns' general principle, reported favoraby upon IT,
snoagenl sent out to examine the lands, and who Is
W ne spot recommends il IN report which he has sent
we Land Othce. So that from every consideration
ns % me that the grant ought to be made II there s
any doubt at all upon the subject, II would seem TO
~ nne,het Louisiana would accept the grant. really
nA, a, therefore, that the cessiop ought 10 be made.
N, u, SEWARD Mr.. President the organization OF
ana american republic is political anomaly Ancient
~, mooern States rudeIy constituted within narrow
% a nave aggandized themselves by colonies and con-
Nhle passing through various revolutions OF gov
,seh'' on the world has never before seen State
s,sp perfect organization in its very beginning, and
@ @nnou, conquests. without colonies, and without un-
| ,hoHnR any change of cpnstitution