The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-02-18
Fsom the washinst,a Republic, of the 9eth Jaw.
RAILROADS m TIM WEoT-AUXIIL1AAY
GRANTS OF PUBLIC LAND.

s,ate m aid Of the construction Of projected
.,;,ro.d.. and amendments have h"cn intro. |
iucrd which can hardly fail To produ - c'llnter-
Il discussions on questions involving the general
disposition Of the public lands in the great and
growing West.
The people Of Iowa believe that the interests
Il their state require the construction Of two
great lines Of ra,lway-one from Dubuque to
Ke"kuk, running through tier Of S,tled and
improved counties ana c'n"ec'.
inp the principal mineral region with what mus:
always be the chief river. port OF the State; the
other from Davenport to Council Bluffs, 'raver-
sing for the most part succession vt fertile
praires. opening for settlement region other.
wise all but unavailable, and establishing
route Of travel between an advantageous point
on the Mississippi, and tn. recognised starting
,,oint for Oregon and California. Both are OF
vital importance to Iowa, and in less d"gree.
though not less certainly, to the whole Union
Confident in thu possession Of rich and varied
resources, and in the justice Of claims I" c"nsid-
Grafton by the General Government, the State
has made application for assistance in the form
s'ost available: and, in pursuance ofihat appl-
cation, the bill now before The Senate proposes
n ccde to the State alternate sections OF
unsettled land along the contemplated roads
to the extent Of six miles on either side.
Of the measure or all the Interior views Of its
friends, we cannot but think that the principle
il rests upon is essentially sound, whether con-
sidered as portion Of our national econ my, or
rs adapted to the local requirements Of newly
settled district We approve of it as means
Of efIectiny gigantic improvements which
would otherwise b. impossible, and hope h'feat-
ter to see it applied to every State circums anc-
I'd as Iowa is, and presenting equal claims to
Legislative assistance 1t is as applicable to the
construction Of canal at SAINT Ste Marie, for
the behoof Of Michigan, as to the building OF
railroads for the benefit of Iowa; and we are
unable TO discover in what light the plans pro-
iected for the advancement Of Michigan or Iowa
can be regarded as prejudicial to other sections:
Of the Union.
The wrong imputed to the Iowa scheme is
that it appropriatrs to the State what belongs
to the nation that it docs injustice by diverting
from general application. for the relief Of par
,icular localities, large tracts of the public do
main held by the General Government in trust
tor the whole community. II it were shown
that the grants sought were designed to aggran-
die individuals or companies Of spectators,
the objection would be valid and conclusive
But the State, n whole, makes the applIca-
lion, and compliance with it, while c"nferrin.
obvious advantages on the present holoers ofland
along the lines, will not the less benefit all other
o: its citizens.
Simply as a measure Of justice, It seems to us
that the residents Of q State which but yester-
day formed the hunting ground ut Indians, have
q title 10 some regard IN consideration OF the
services which they have indirectly rendered TO
the country. Admit that the first settlers Of a
territory are such from regard TO their own
welfare and not from any motives Of patriotism,
ho ind hat
the hazards and hardshps incident to pioarer 5
life, they create for themselves right TO friend
ly consideration on the part u the Government
resources they have developed. They virtually
convert immense regions OF waste into mark
etable commodity, and by their enterprise And
industry give value 10 what were else worth
less, because unavailable. Every road they
make adds 70 the exchangeable value Of the
| Government land as well as their own; every
bridge they construct increases facilities for the
settlement Of yet unreclai,ned lands; every
school. house they raise hastens the sale land.
owned by the federal power and yet roads and
bridges and school-houses, and the multitude
Of ct ecteras pertaining to growing settlements
are made and maintained out OF taxes levied on
| the settlers soil, while the vast public domain
adjoining, although sharing the advantages con
ferred by these things, is exempted from all liza
bility connected with them. The public do
main reaps full share of the benefits accruine
| from private taxation and industry, without be-
ing subjected to one iota Of cost. OF itsel
this is great wrong. ltis wrong to the in
dividuals paying taxes for the advancement o
what only partially concerns them, and 10 tn,
community because Of the subsidiary evils 4
which it gives birth.
! In equity, the public domain is liable to tn
amount Of its just proportion Of the cost Of al
improvements from which it derives profit
Congress, having decreed that j, shall be FIRE
from taxation, is, we contend, bound to provid
an equivalent in some other way; and we loo
upon the grants petitioned for by Iowa as ne
Their more nor less than an instalment of til
debt due nv the Government to ITS western Ct
tizens. An idea Of the extent Of this debt ma
be formed from the calculations Of Mr.. Sum
n@r, introduced into his speech in the Senai
yesterday. He estimates the total amount
$72, PSI, OO0,a very small proportion Of whic
has been paid in the shape Of internal improve
: ments. The calculation is based upon tn
moderate superstition that the tax on the land {
nonresident proprietors in the States embrace
is cent per acre, which is unquestionably o
the safe side Of the mark.
Upon the payment Of the proposed insta
ment Of this debt depends the ability Of low
to construct the leading thor ougl,fares pr"jec
ed iu Mr.. Jones bill. We have not at han
any estimate OF the cost Of either of Them b.
notwithstanding the favorable grades presente
by the prairies, il may be safely put down
much beyond the means Of the present inhab
, tants If the State. They are conscious OF III
vial importance Of the roads to their futur
well. being, and enough has transpired to sho,
their readiness 10 afford all the aid in the
power. Still they are unequal to the perform
ance of the undertaking, and hence they "a
back upon the Government as the power
party most interested in their prosperity, an
bound by the strongest ties 10 render the neeC
full assistance. 1t 10 not alleged that any obi
cation exists on the part Of the Government ,
expend national resources tor the advancemer
Of local objects it is not commended that III
Government may and should tax New York
Louisiana to enrich Iowa but it is maintaine
that the Government, being deeply indebted
Iowa, in common with al other States in whic
the unsold public domain is located, ought to
something towards discharging that indebted
ness without further delay. The plea tn;
grants Of land may foster recklessness, or Civ
rise to an unhealthy spirit Of speculation, is nc
available in this instance. The projects requil
ing aid were promulgated long ago; the nee
that exists for them, their practicabihty. an
their ultimate advantages, have all been discuss
ed; they are now admitted to BE- necessary b
every man acquainted with the State and wi
the general characteristics OF the West an
the grants may therefore be pronounced at ono
partial payment Of long standing debt, an
an easy method Of creating a prosperity i
which the whole country will participate.
That the country will share the prosporrt
resulting from the carrying out Of these undr
takings is fac. VIII CHI etftctually disposes
the objections urged by the representatives.
certain of the older States, who see in the pla
nothing more than means Of defrauding tho.
States Of some Of their proportion of the publ
domain. As a member Of the Confederac
each State has Of course substantial intere.
in the unsold d'main Of any other State
Territory not snch an interest as that to whic
Mr.. Underwood in his amendment, lays no clairr
but an interest through the treasury Of the N;
tional Government. The worth Of tina, in,e
est depends upon the extent Of the sales OF TIL
public lands, and whatever destroys or limit
} their saleable value to that extent Injuries tn
interest of the old States. Now it is ad,nie
that 4 large part Of Iowa-judging from III
map, and from what We know If the countr,
We should say nearly onc-half-lnust long r.
main uncal.ahle and fhoroforo v,l,,,ot,,.