The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-30
IINGToN: FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 80, Iss:


prices Of lands already occupied and improved.
The effect think, would be TO increase prices ia
present owners, by bringing into settlement and
improvement the public lands which would other
wise remain in market for SALE and which now
come into competition with the lands Of present
owners The prices OF lands in the hands Of pres
ent owners are unquestionably kept down by the
large quantity Of the public lands which are sub
unwilling to pay from fve to twenty dollars per
acre for improved lands, when they get them
at the Government price.
The new States have a deep and vital interest in
the passage OF this bill They want settlement.
They want these lands to pass out Of the hands
of the Government into the hands of individuals,
50 as to make them taxable and contribute their
share to the support OF the State governments
The passage Of this bill would increase greatly
the Immigration to the land States, insure the set
Element and improvement of the vacant lands, and
augment the capital of the new States. which they
so much need to enable them to engage in manu-
featuring, the construction of roads, and other
important public enterprises.
The General Government would lose nothing
the settlement and Improvement OF portions OF the
public lands would increase the value Of the con.
tgucus lands remaining unoccupied, and would
add vastly to the aggregate Of agricultural pro-
duction and national pro sperity.
Bot, sir, the highest consideration ia the effect
which it would have to raise to independence and
to elevate large portion OF our tellow-citizens
who gain hard, scanty, and uncertain subsistence
from the earnings of daily labor, or who, in the
dependent relation of tenants, pay onc-third or
one half Of tho proceeds Of their labor to the owners
Of the soil.
cannot forbcar to quote, in favor of the passage
of this bill, the very extract which the gentleman
from New York (NIr. JESxIss) has quoted
against it:
'tDEsTITUrIoN PAILADELPHIA.-The Phia-
dcpha american gives an account of a visit made
few days ago to the novels of many of the poor
and destitute Of that city, who live in small ON
ventilated rooms for which they are compelled to
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number of these unfortunate beings is atout five
Thousand. Many Of them were found with their
hands and feet frozen for want OF fuel to keep them
warm, while others had even disposed Of most of
their scanty clothing 10 buy bread. In one cellar
family were found who had been turned out of
home because they were unable TO pay their rent
In another place poor miserable woman and sew
eral children we're found in ehcd, the children
covered up in a heap OF ashes to keep them warm.
Having no clothing whatever TO cover them, the
mother had been driven TO this resort 10 keep them
from freezing. The clothes had been sold to buy
bread"
Now. sir, the gentleman is most unfortunate in
making this quotation. Ii he had labored for
months, he could not have presented more forci-
bic argument in favor of the bill. Pass this bill,
and strong inducement will be presented to every
one who ID destitute Of the means Of support, and
who has industry, to fly to the public lands; and
instead of five thousand persons in unventiia.ed
rooms. and in state OF destituton, in the city OF
Pbiladelphia, We will in few years have as many
independent landhoders in the Western States in
the full enjoyment of all the blessings of life.
Representatives from the West will bea me out
in the assertion am about to make. There are
thousands Of tenants in the western country with
large families, who are unable to make n dollar
over and above the amount required for the sup
port OF themselves and families, after paying TO
the owners OF the soil one-third of the proceeds
OF their annual labor. How much ameliorated
would their condition be if they bad their soil
to cultivate-homes Of their own and the exclusive
pfrf he I'd IF fk.,r IuiIu
Dor? Secure to the industrious poor man home
of one hundred and sixty acres Of rich aud product
i've land, and you attach him to the country. You
give him and certain interest in the soil. He
rs then n froehoder, proprietor of his own broad
acres His interest is Identified with the Govern
ment and so iety. He pays taxes; he takes an in
terest in schools and churches roads and bridges.
and in the voice Of the ballot box. He feels like
man, and he is then, in the full Of that proud
appellation, an American citizen For these, and
numerous other considerations, i hope this Con
gress will decide, that out of the 400 600 900
sold acres OF the public domain ecery family, every
poor and homeless American citizen, may find
hOne-a home, sir, which he can call his own--his
caste Of strength, where, secure beneath bis hum
BILE roof, and around his own hrcsidc che can wor
ship God beneath his own vine and hg-tree, none
daring 10 modest or make him afraid -
GRANTS OF LANDS TO ILLrScIs
Much has been said in the progress OF this de-
bate about the grants TO Illinois. While the twelve
laud States are denounced by the gentleman from
New York as playing "grab game in the sirug
gle TO see which could get he largest share" and
are denounced az land stsaios, Illinois unfortu
nately is looked upon par erceu,nce the Jiggtst
land thief Of all. Her good fortune in securing lib.
cral grants has causcd her to be regarded with
sort OF maliciousness, which she in novice merits,
and which nre by no means lusth fed 10y the fscs of
the caAc. What was the primo pie upon which Con
gress appropriated alternate sections of the public
lands To AID her in the construction of her Illinois
and Michigan Canal and the Central RailroadY Did
h.. Inf he,
LENT Did Illinois claim them n charity. or for
bor exclusive benehG NJ, sir; very FAR from t.
The granite were made upon higher considerations
than mere benefit to Illinois Of the
general welfare and national prosperity The State
occupied the relation cf trustee or agent to the Ge
neral Government To appropriate The lands To the
construction OF works OF acknowledged national
importance, and in such way as to present induce
ments for the sale and occupancy o her Other Wild
land which had never before existed. These wo< ks
were essential hnks in gr at nation i highway
extending from the ocean TO the gulf, aud affect
ing in high degree the interests Of ono half the
= aztec of the American Union Take the map
of the United States and look at il. From Portland,
in Maine. from New York and all The esstcfn
cities by various routes 70 Lake Eric, across that
lake 70 Detroit thence 10 New Bun,lo, thence
across Lake Michigan to Chicago, thence by tho
canal and 1liinos river, or Cen'ral railroad. To
Cairo, and through the States Of kentucky, Ten.
nessoe, Mississippi, and Alabama. to Mobile.
a distance OF one thousand eight hundred miles
seen such route. Here, cir is the grcatcst high
way Of ancient or modern times The Roman ways
were the pride of the people in the days OF Roman
power; bot they dwindlc into insgnihcancc com
pared with THE mighty track Of the iron horse II
not for Illinois alone but for the nation, that
these grants were made. The State Of Illinois
was the mere crossing place for the States Of the
Union.
But what has the Government lost by her grants
Of land to Iinoisl The lands along tho line OF
the Central railroad bad been in market exposed
to sale at the land offices for twenty five years
aud on account Of their rcmotencss from market
and dcstitution of timber were likely to remain
unsold for bali a century more They came under
the denomination of refuse lands, and belonged TO
that class which at a former session of Congress
were proposed TO bo ceded to the States in which
they were situated, to enable the Government to
dispense with the expensive machinery OF land
offices and other expenses, which cost the Gov.
ernmcnt mere than the revenue derived from their
sale. Sir, II would not take long to convince any
gentleman on this hpor, who would go along the
route of the Central railroad, that the Govern
mcnt, MS great andholder, had adopted the most
chcctual means of irnparting value TO her lands
and bringing them into market, and that, while
doing this directly. she had indirectly given
impulse TO trade, stmulus to production, and
opened new belds to enterprise, affecting in
email degree a'large portion Of the Union. IL
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