New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-27
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
SPEECH OF Mn. WALKER OF Wis.

such States shall Sererdlly convey he
same 10 actual occupants only, in limited
quantities, for cost Of surrey, transfer,
and title munimentS, merely; made IN
the Senate of the United States, on he
I4h and 18Th Of January 1851,
Mr. WALKER said Mr. President, it will not
be denied by any one that the Senator from
Michigan MIR Felch) has entertained as with
an able argument on bis side OF the subject
under consideration. But his side, as ! expected
it would be, is the financial or money side only;
and he has shown us but one side of that but has
done this with much ability. My side Of the
question is that which lies deep in the principles
of political economy and the rights Of the citizen
not, however, disregarding financial or pecuniary;
considerations, but holding these bat secondary
to the other. In presenting these, shall present
the view neglected by the Senator. He shall
also hear an answer to everything he has said, In
the remarks propose to submit; bat as to any
special answer reply, it will be but incidental
in passing My main object at this time Is to
advocate the rights Of labor as connected with
the measure under discussion. / must therefore
crave the Senator'S pardon and forbearance when
take leave of his speech. able as 1t Il OF its
kind, with the observation that 1t was such con-
servatism as his which 30 long perpetuated the
practice of imprisonment for debt, and still per-
petuates in too many localities the right oil the
creditor to tear the bed from the feeble mother
and the cradle from the still more feeble and de-
fenseess infant 1t is the rust upon the shield Of
a by. gone age; it must give place to the motto
upon the shield of the present" oSwARDl
ONWARD
The doctrine and theory Of all civilized Govern
ments have been, that the absolate or positive
rights of the people should be deemed OF Fr"
and paramount importance and the first to be
defended and protected The difficulty has always
been, however, that this principle was known in
doctrine and theory only, but never carried out IN
practice Nor, sir, will it ever be so carried out
until rulers and statesmen discover and acknowi-
edge another truth that from these absolute or
positiye riehts-by which mean life and personal
freedom-there result also certain doSofte or pos
tire rants and ReceSSttses-alike In all men
whether afluent or destitute, ana wnlcn cannot
be ressted-such as OF t0od ctohtng ana sheHer.
TBese wants and necessities should receive tue
6yst care and attention OF Government; whiie
such desires merely as are OF retdttre or tnc''
dental kindly which / mean such as concern
and pertain to trade, commerce, wealth ana
luxury-should receive but a secondary consider
alton The first cannot be neglected and man
enjoy bis posifire rights but the second may, and
his Measures only suffer. But every political his
torian and economist knows that the case has
been directly reversed In practlce-taa! mans
absolute wants and necessities have been COM
paratiyely neglected, while the relative, Incl
dental wants and desires of great classes have
been met and provided for by the best energies
of Government Hence we find under the British
particularly in Great Britain and Ireland
that while thousands upon thousands have
starved, or gone without necessary food, cothes'
shelter. and education-wea lth and luxury, trade.
commerce and manufacture, have been promoted,
protected, and fostered by all the machinery oil
summary eviction and clearance; distress Tor
rent; primogenture and strict.entail game laws,
church rates and tithes; uncomfortable banks,
with more uncomfortable national debts the
most expensive navy of the world, with burden
some taxation and onerous dutes-and THESE,
too upon the very bread Of life until recently
The same crushed condition Of the people, so
far as regards their positive necessities, VIII De
found under all the Governments OF Europe and.
contemn the idea as you will. the fact exists-thet
the great cause of this u.s. the disregard shown TO
these necessities ofkhe people, an ciassIegtsfdt'on'
and The encouragement nsren 6y doreTnmeHto
LAND MoNoPOLY AND AGGREGATIoN But why
this implied consure upon England and Europe,
when, turning our eyes to our own country, we
find so little less TO complain Of Here, as In
Britain, are thousands, and will be millions IN
want and destitute misery. Here, as there, the
mere incidental wants and desires OF wealth,
luxury class, commerce, aud manufacture are last
engrossing the fostering care and protection OF
Government to the entire exclusion and disregard
ofthe resistess wants of human nature In pur-
suit of this policy you have already created ma
val establishment, the expense OF which Tor this
wear is estimated at NINE AND HALF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS Your customs establishment has
cost hundred millions BlOfc and the administra-
ton of your customs COSTS in addition, tho mai
lions annually Your army list and war estao-
lshment cost ten and half D,lttaons more, and In
creasng as time and years roll on how mucn
you have expended and will expend for the pro.
lection Of commerce on the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts for harbors Notifications, sea.walls, break
waters, buoys, beacOns, light houses, dry'docks,
and coast surveys, God only knows. But wheR
you come tow estern axes and rivers to the region
of agriculture and labor-where the producer Is
interested in facilities for shipping his products,
and in receiving with facility, safety, and cheap
ness imported articles and home manufactures Tor
consumption, there you would have 1t nnconsfnn'
tonaI to expend dollar for the protection OF com
merce You have established institutions LOT
the education Of your military and naval officers
at Government expense; while you have but grudS-
ipelv doed out the sixteenth section for the edu-
cation of the laboring multitudes. Millions upon
millions of the public domain have been expend-
ed chiefly for the benefit Of capital and corpora
tions-in the construction Of Railroads and Ca
mails but not one acre has ever been appropriated
to promote the direct interests Of agriculture or
the mechanic arts.
Your class legislation and fsvoritism are OF the
same tendency and character here as IN England
and Europe, but far less excusabiei tor mere yoa
no Sss the doctrine Of equality You appropriate
sa6 600 70 one army or naval officer for his inven.
ton of an apparatus with which to elevate and
point your cannon, and hundreds OF thousands
more to enable another to experiment with MS
invention ola submerged wheel for your war stea-
mers. But on the other hand, two poor Bat in'
eenious Observation-Disclosures and B lanchsrd-have
been literally robbed and plundered OF the TWO
most useful and beautiful inventions OF the day
You appropriate $50, 900 TO one professor 20 On
able" him 70 experiment with and Perect nis