The southern press., 1852-03-09


500 and odd thousand acres OF land to build this
railroad You will start from the bank of the
Mississippi at Dubuque, and when you get
through your railroad you will be upon the Mis-.
siss Poi again, 90 miles from where you started
Now, the first question which comes up is, does
the condition of the land along this proposed
railroad require this Improvement to render it'
valuable? Not So Every gentleman upon this
floor knows that this is merely demand to get
an appropriation for particular State out of
the public lands of the country, when the cir
cumstances do not justify it. | am told that
this road from Dubuque to Keokuk goes through
one of the finest bodies of land in the whole.
valley Of the Mississippi.
But let us 90 little further. Went to the
map for the purpose Of getting information, and
learned even the population Of the various
counties through which this road passes. This
road is already Incorporated, and is in the hands
Of individuals. The county OF Dubuque, in
which Dubuque is situated, has upwards of TO-,
900 Inhabitants. Three-fourths of the public
lands down from Dubuque TO Keokuk, for five
miles on each side of the road, have already
been taken up, and the portion Of the country
in tho neighborhood of the road is the most
thickly populated, and has the most prosperous
people in the great valley of the West. Now,
where is the balance of the public lands now
asked for in this bill TO come from Upon what
principle is this grant asked II is said that i,
will increase the value Of the lands remaining
to the United States. Now, there is not foot
of land for five miles on each side of that road
which can be obtained for even So SO per acre,
except it be some poor land which nobody would
take but for the timber upon it. Now, where
is the balance of the lands IN this grant to be
ohfaipad1 rHha Nil fhuf in ha nj fha
lands are taken up, or subject to presumption
for five miles on each side of the road, then the
State of Iowa, through her agent, shall have the
right to extend the lines within which she shall
take her land to fifteen miles on each side of the
road. But in that case the alternate sections
that are reserved to the government between
five and fifteen miles from the road are not to
be put up to So so an acre, but are to remain at
81 25 per acre, as they are now. Hence this
land is to be taken from n portion of the coun.
try where the price of the adjoining sections is
not to be increased at ALL That is the provision
of the bill. Yet the country is taught to believe
that we are improving the public property by
the passage of these bills, and throwing money
into the treasury-that our liberality is for self
ish purposes. and the government does not lose
dollar. Now, this is not sustained by the facts
before u.s. IL is unjust to the country, and ii is
time we should arrest this matter, and let some
thing like principle and justice be involved in
the passage of these large appropriations. But
will pass from this point to another.
Now, how is this road to run? Mark it WELL
have the map of Iowa before me, and the road
has been traced upon it. Iowa is a great and
glorious State, and admire the warmth, energy,
and success with which her senators defend her
rights here. She is great and glorious State I;
and unless you check her soon, she will haveall
the land that is within her limits, and in few
years she will say, See our improvements, our
prosperity, the capital we have invested here.
And every dollar of it will have come out of the
treasury Of the United States. These are truths
which gentlemen should understand-which
many do know now, for they cannot be denied.
Now, how does this road run! 1t goes from
city to city, then takes bend more winding,
more circutons than the Mississippi, the great
artery Of our western waters. 1t leaves the
Mississippi at Dubuque, and goes from city to
city, passing down through Iowa City. | be-
lieye they have given It more national name
now
Mr. JONES, of Iowa No, sir; it is called
Iowa City yet.
Mr.. DAWSON, It passes through Iowa
City, and then runs almost parallel with the
great Des Moines river. will show you pres
emily v hat Congress did in 1916 for this great
Des Moines river So the road runs
Now, what injury is thus inflicted upon others!
Have we looked to that T! Hive we, in our wild
and fanciful manner of disposing Of these pub
lie lands, looked to the injury inflicted upon cor
poratiois aud private individuals Where are
the senators from Illinois They know some
thing about this, and would feel for il but that
they have had their arms up to the elbows in
the public treasury. They dare not come out
and advocate the interests Of their own citizens,
because they know that they stand upon soft
ground, remembering thefold pre- verb, "Those
who~l live in glass houses should not throw
stones" Who owns the road from Chicago, in
Illinois, 10 Cairo, upon the Mississippi river
Then there is a road from Rock island TO La.
sale, and the road from Burlington to Peoria.
Who owns all Of those roads which connect with
the Mississippi at points between Dubuque and
Keoknkl
Mr. SHIELDS. As my colleague [Mr. Doue.
LAsl is not here, would beg leave 10 ask the
Senator 10 explain The remark he made, that We
had run our arms into the treasury up TO the
elbows.
Mr.. DAWSON. meant to say up to the
shoulders" Laughter
Mr.. SHIELDS. ] wish the gentleman would
con6ne himself to land, and not speak about
money; for Il might raise a suspicion that my
colleague had hnd something TO do with the
treasury Of The United States.
Mr.. DAWSON. ! am not at all surprised
that the Senator from Illinois Mr.. DOUe LAsl
should have been nominated 10 the Presidency
when he had obtained all this for his people
As regards the terms, land and money, the Sena.
tor knows that equivalents are the same thing
II land is equivalent to money, what is the
difference between saying money or land
But this Is true, that these railroads are now
being constructed, and some Them in operation
in part, and all by private enterprise And yet
we are seeking by our legislation here 20 softer
lows, through our fundamentally, 70 come IN
conflict with the interests # these various con-
panies in Illinois. Aud these private individuals
cannot be heard even through their represent
atiyes; because the State OF Illinois, as will
show you presently, has made one Of The most
mastery operations that has been performed by
any State in this Union, and a. no expense 90
her at all. But this is not all I have disposed
Of The road from Dubuque 10 Keokuk and