Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-03-26
The Pubic Lands.

Mr.. Orr of South Carolina, in a speech which he
recently delivered in the House of Representatives,
proved conclusively that the system of granting al
ternate sections of the public lands for the construc
ton of Railroads, Canals, or other works through
such lands, had met the hearty approval of Mr. Cal
houn, who certainly could not be accused of desire
to grant undue powers to the General Government.
Mr. Cahoun's vote, while member of the Senate,
is recorded in favor of more than project of the
kind tisno an exercise of any territorial jurisdiction,
but proprietary right and ii is contended that, as
q property owner, the United States is much bound
to bear hand in the construction of works tending
to enhance the value of that property, any private
land owner would be. In of the first instances
the whole transactions were bona fde. Alternate
sections actually granted and the reserved
tons rapidly brought into market at largely
increased price. But now, the thing is different
The various proposed railroads through Iowa, Hi
nois, Missouri, Arkansas. etc, are, most of them,
intended to be run through the most populous
parts of the respective States where the pub
lie lands have either all been sold or are COW
cred by presumption rights, and where it will
be necessary, in order to get at the alternate
sections, to go out from the proposed lines perhaps
twenty miles more, q distance at which the re-
served sections will derive little if any, increase OF
value from the improvement SO that atterIy these
grants of land have become simply donations to the
States, without any corresponding advantage to the
property of the Union.
The knowledge of this last mentioned fact, toge-
Their with the extreme greedineSs of the western men
in pushing the matter and demanding immense
grants for purposes which evidently do not appeal
directly to the United States a property holder
has awakened the jealousy of the older States, by
whose exertions and at whose cost the public domain
was acquired and, since the determination is avow
ed by the States to have, by hook or by crook al
the lands within their territorial limits, various pro
jects have been brought forward for the eession O
these lands on fair terms. Perhaps that of Mr.
Hunter, of Virginia, is about the most feasible;
sale of the lands to the States in which they 10
Gated, according to graduated scale of prlces-say
81 25 per acre for such lands have not been more
than ten years in the market, and so on down t.
twenty-five cents per acre. The States could theI
do with the lands they might please. This woult
be fair, but its success is very doubtful The new
States feel their power-they think they can get tn
lands for nothing-and they prefer the grab game
1t does not look quite honest in them but corporation
lave no SOUL and large bodies of men do things tina
would shame an individual.
One of the most plausible complaints by the ncN
States is that the possession of large bodies of Ian
by the general government acts as an incubus upo
Them since they not subject to their urisdictio
nor taxation, and that while private individuals an
the States are straining every for the accom-
plishment of great object, the property of tn
o. States, which will share equally in the anticipate
benefits lies like an enert mass, and cannot be mad
to bear hand. They therefore come into Congress
and claim as a matter of right, that Uncle Sam, as
landowner should come forward in liberal mar
ner and give part of his estate for the improvement
of the rest Were it in the hands of private indiv
duals then would, and Uncle Sam should not be b.
hind hand.
We will resume the subject.