The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-28

81 the United States, dor nc the present Congress,
have been remarkably liberal with the public lands
&c railroads in the States, TO canals, and slack
water navigation. Under the brilliant idea that by
giving away, along the line of such improvements,
one half the public lands, in strip Of twelve miles
wide, they increase tie price OF the remaining hal
10 double their original value, the most extensive
grants are made among the mere incidental busi-
ness Of the morning hour. The latest specimen Of
ths sort Of senatorial lberality is in The BILL just
passed by the Senate, providing the right Of way
and grant Of the public lands TO aid in the con-
sruction Of railroad from Jackson, Miss 10 Ma.
disonvile, lie and also for similar grant TO a
railroad from the Ohio river, opposite Louisville,
Ky., TO ST. Louis, Missouri. The grant in each
case is the alternate sections Of strip OF land
,welve miles wide, the whole length OF the road;
for where the lands along the line are taken up,
other lands are to be selected in lieu thereof The
grants proposed by this bill will be equal some
four millions Of acres Of land-equvalent to draft
upon the treasury Of FIVE millions Of dollars-after
brief discussion Of an hour This BILL however,
u but small affair. We perceive there is another
bill before the Senate for equalzing the grants Of
public lands TO the States in which they he, under
which some twenty millions Of acres-eQuivalent to
tweniy-5v millions Of dollaTs-are TO be distributed
among the States. But even this bin il a small
potato compared with The scheme Of Mr. Walker,
which proposes 10 grant the whole OF the public
lands 10 the States in which they lie. 70 be by
them distributed in free farms Of one hundred and
sixty acres, to actual settlers. Among all these
different schemes, including The $4,000, 900 of
acres required TO meet military land warrants Il IL
manifest that within few years the government
will be relieved o. he burden Of its public domain
The question then crises, are not the old States
entitled to a share in the general scrambled In
Gen. Jackssns time the surplus proceeds from the
public lands were distributed among all the States
New York got her proportion, Of which she Is still
enjoy ng the benefit We take il, that il Il IL cen.
siitulonal to distribute the money il is only upon
hsirspltnR abstraction that the power distribute
the lands among all the States can be denied.
They are the properly Of all the states New York
V shareholder in the public domain in Illinois,
and 10 all he other States in which they lie, a.
well as those states themselves. While, there.
fore, Congress y voting away millions Of acres TO
railroads and cenals n the West, why is il that we
cannot have few iboUss Ss 10 aid the Hudson river
81 Enc railroads, o. for The enlargement, Of the Erie
canal, or for The removal o. tie Overslapyb :, Al.
bsny, or for the relief q Broadway
The treasury - lssp Money will be yyae,e1
Texas indemnities and French spolia,ions (Which
are expected to psss) will add some fifteen millions
20 the public debt. The public lands might IT,
made useful in relieving the treasury 30, The
scrsrnble hss fairly begun. Old soldiers, old sst.
tiers, new settlers, railroads and canals in H.
West--to say nothing Of free farms 10 everybody
threaten 10 absorb every acre Of the public lands
within few years 10 come. hundred million,
Of aerca were probably voted away At the last ses