The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-14
CITY OF WASHINGTON FRIDAY MORNING FEBRUARY IA. 1861

Il
other lands n the vicinity by bringing these into cultva
ton and private possession Now. sir il seems TO me
as pm contributes to thai vs end asscy and u
TILE 10 the lands and to put them into the possession oi
the Saienot as the senator seems to suppose, for the
Saes a = nod them u their present condition aGocea
bring them into private possession That strikes me as
the direct object and only effect Of the bill. ,,
The senator speaks OF holding these lands BY the
States " IN dead hands" and at hs same time deriving
revenue from them The object of the bill is TO raise fund
for particular purpose How can that be done unless
goes into cutivation' No revenue be derived from
wild lands They cannot be leased. In no possible way
you derive revenue but by putting them into private
hands and bringing them into cultivation; making them
yield fund for the general prosperity OF the State. by
enabling the State derive revenue from them by tax
alton.
think the senator is mistaken in supposng that this
bill either requires permits States in which there are no
public Lands 70 locate these ands ihs new States
have read the bill correctly. understand its pro-
visions argh provides that any State that contains no
public land shall select its land within any territory TO
which the Indian title to the land has been sxtngushed
but not within the new States that now contain public
lands But whether that be go or not i does not affect
the main object OF the bill and the principle upon which
It rsss--the great object which have IN view, and
which suppose the representatives OF all those States
that have public lands have in yew-and that is to
divest the United States the general government, OF all
authority and title to these lands, and put them in posses
sion of private Individuals that the State may not only
derive from their taxation, but that the general
prosperity Of the State may be promoted BY increasing the
populaon and the agricultural and other productions OF
the country proceed upon the general principle that
the the United States is divesed of all title in the
public lands the better for the and the better
for the people OF the States And hail the introduction
Of this bill into the Senate and desire it's passage because
i contributes to that very end materially and most de-
cidedy. M
The honorable senator from Wisconsin makes another
objection to this bill which, perhaps, has some founda
on and which propose at proper time TO obvate BY
offering amendment, additional provso 10 the first
section the bill limiting the size Of the tracts in which
these lands will be selected The bill al present is
oh
ection il understand him rightly, seems TO have some
foundation, because think il is bad policy 10 select the
land in large qualities. am in favor OF restriction oil
the size propose at the proper time TO offer this ad-
ditionaI provision amendment TO the first section
Pr0v.ded That the iaads hereby granted shall in
be selected tracts embracing than section
each"
think that will meet the objection, and the only valid
objection that have heard urged against the bill
" MIR. DAVIS OF Mississippi do not propose to enter
into argument founded upon supposed rivalry be-
tween the and the old States, and little, Also 10
review the argument that is offered as 10 whether this
measure would result the benefit OF the States
or not The vote that shall give depends upon far
other considerations than these Nor will answer
the argument OF the senator from Georgia. in which he
eloQuently described the obligations OF humanity and
charity, because do not consider our government as
one founded for that eleemosynary purpose We have
already been far diverted from the original object of this
government and year after year are getting further
from the purposes Tor which was Ordained and esao
OF the States their foreign relations, and umpire
between the States their relations with another
dispense charities to the ndgent, to establish
workhouses Or houses OF the States These
subjects ali left to The sovereign States IN which
they contained, before the federal government was
formed. There they remain now, save so lar as the
usurpation OF the hand of the federal government,
winch stretching the weaker power OF The States,
has changed It,
IT, sir we have the power TO grant charities TO one
class of the community who may be suffering. why not
TO another Ii to the unac, why not to the blind And IT
the blind why the deaf and dumb, and the long
range OF paupers who now safely conhded TO the
communities in which they are iound And i, is
subteruge say that granting foni for that pur
pose, to we have no more right TO grant lands Tor that
purpose than to grant money These lands were surend
cred to the federal government great fund for the
common purposes OF the States and he who refers to
the history OF the original grant OF the land to The gen.
eral government must ceary understand that II was not
for The purpose OF giving TO this government fund
from which they could dispense charities TO the INDECENT
10 be diverted to other purpose than mat OF placing
money in the treasury Grants tRade TO the States for
the purposes OF sale those States have always been
lmled to such the proprietor himself might have
made grant for; IN other words, they should never
States through its treasury Upon some occasions have
voted for such grants but with that rule always before
a limitation. have heard time and again the ar
gument that the old States hal equal right with the
States Who denies II certainly do not Tor one.
This public domain is the properly OF all the States
would rob the old States 10 give to the new States
anything Congress should watch over the public do
man as a great proprietor, and constantly recur TO the
purposes for which that gran, was made and by which
IT became proprietor
This bill is for an object which know appeals TO the
sympathiea OF every senator and may say 10 the feel
ings of every citizen OF the United States The suffering
Of The lunauc and INDECENT insane arrests the attention
and commands the sympahies OF every one Too much
credit cannot be given TO the lady Miss Dix in whose
name this bill is introduced But should remember
that we are here under delegated powers dispense JUS
tce and not 10 answer 10 sympathes IN way that
might do individuals with our own means, but as
agents with limited powers, and bound to execute those
powers strictly according TO the grant These are the
deraops that would induce vote against this
bill and no, the question whether the new States or the
old States to be benehfednot the question whether
any particular State gain lose by the grant.
but whether we are To violate the constitution, which
alone constitutes our right 10 iegislate here.
Mr.. BORLAND. deem IT proper TO say one or two
words in response 10 the positions assumed by the sen
onist OF the constitution that SENATOR any other
And agree with HIM fully TO the general principles
he has lad down with regard TO the powers IN thus
gov ernnen and oar duties IN regard 10 a. But u seems
that, IN laying down the general princpe he has
go1e little further IN lis PRACTICAL xppcauon than the
facts the will warrant IL seems to me that ,he
position he assumed jus, TO the propriety OF
grant would make this within The rule ne
himself laid down. | stated that my obect-the con-
rolling motive with me in voting tor bills Ike this-
was establish on larger foundation and stronger
footing the rights and sovereignty OF the States and re-
command OF the federal power within the limits oil the
States | think with him that this government - one
altogether and exclusively OF limited powers, OF dele
gated powers, and OF no powers not conferred ny the
constitution; and agree with him that me course oil
this government has been ward, and steadily onward
fearfuIly in my estimation towards concentration
and accumulat and consolidation ot power, winch,
unless reslsted will lead 10 tire destruction not only OF
the sovereignty OF the States themselves bot also OF the
existence OF government And The great argument
l..xt a. Ill all -srh Ia tn fpkQ