The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-03
srnnon or nov. min. DAWSON.
or GEORGIA.,


On The bill gra.ting lands 10 Iot0a ia aid of certain
yailroads ~ hal State delivered IN he Senate Of The
Uaiisd States March |, 1852.
Mr.. DAWSON. Mr. President, will detan the
Senate with very short speech on this subject The
Arguments have been pretty nearly exhausted and there
is but little left Tor me TO say upon the question and
propose TO say il now
Before enter upon the main subject OF the bill. beg
ease 70 reply 70 lew Arguments made by the senator
from Missouri Mr. GEYERl in reply 10 some suggestions
made 10 the Senate weeks since He replied 10
hree arg umenls which presented, and il seemed 10 him
manner as 10 show that they deserved but very little
weight
The first was, that had charged that The protective in
ieress In tins body had combined with the States
order 10 dispose OF the public lands in such manner as
10 diminish the amount OF revenue which was 10 come
INTO The treasury. That was not my allegation, sir |
SAID hs and said II truly and properly That il to
The interest OF those politicians who favored protection
Tor proecions sake TO dispose OF all haavenue arising
from the public lands in order to diminish the quantity
oil money that might come into the treasury, and thereby
justify an increase IN the tariff and that all men, of all
classes, whether politicians otherwise are disposed to
DC controlled py those rules and considerations which
through their senators this floor desired appropria
lion OF the public lands Tor internal improvements in
Their respective States Tor the purpose of advancing the
prosperity OF those States; and although they in
principle opposed TO the tariff, yet they would combine
win the protective interests in dsposlng OF the public
lands upon this principletha under bills approprialng
public lands for internal improvements in their States,
they received greater reward than they would have by
prohibiting the tariff OF preventing its Increase was
right in the principle There was no charge Inconsistent
with the honor or dignity of the Senate but il was a
statement founded in truth, and known to be so.
The next was tina, said that any gentleman would
transfer himself TO the valley Of the Mississippi be would
discover that all the railroads that there being built
were found TO be encouraged, and intended be exc
culed by the appropriations OF the public lands from the
general government; and my reference TO the speech
made by the senator from Virginia, Mr.. HUNTER ]
when he announced that there eight applca
tons now before this body for appropriations of the pub
liz, dc h.ilI
with the great Mississippi river Now, defy the hon
orabe senator 10 point me 10 single bill upon that table
asking for appropriations Of the public lands which is not
the foundation upon which they expect build super
s,ruct these roads There act of incorporation but
in one single State, which will presently show and
hence i was that said, throw yourself into the valley
OF The Mississippi, and there you would find from eight
70 Ten applications for railroads founded upon the public
lands There is no imwoprley in that II is just and
true assertion, and cannot be denied
The next this that observed that ii was a do
nation OF four and half millions OF dola9 TO Iowa
and the senator replied "Nr President. it is not do
nation to the Stale OF Iowa Ii you, being cotton plan
ter, have hundred bales of cotton in Mobile which is
worth eight cents pound and go 10 you and say will
give you sixteen cents pound for one half of ii il you
Certainly you would lose nothing. But mark Suppose
you have the capacity The power appropri-
ate that money in the way that the individual has
who applies TO you to purchase it: when he expects TO
make eight GEMS more upon the pouad, could not you
appropriate the benefits he expects derive from the pur-
chase TO yourself Suppose the United States for the
the construction OF this railroad and appropriate money
of the treasury, of the value oil these lands and
cause II 10 be built would not that public property be APP
pfeciaed in value equally by the railroad when it be-
longed to the United States and would moi The aecu-
mulaed value OF The other lands come the United
Stalesi Certainly And, mark you, substitute an
Individual with the powers that possess do the
act, and give TO him all the relative advantages de-
rived from it, These advantages inure TO the benefit
OF Illinois or Iowa. and when she gels them, how is it
Where does she get them from From The general gov
ernmen, solely and exclusively. And hence it is that
say ii the United States have the power appropriate
these lands 10 tile Stale Iowa construct these roads,
II is better that we should appropriate that money 10
the roads 10 be constructed and improve the value OF
the whole OF the adjacent lands, and nothe alternate
tons Then dispose OF II and reimburse the government
Let the money arising from the enhanced value Of the
and go into The treasury; and when we shall have repaid
the amount oil appropriations which the construction OF
this railroad causes let the balance be paid into the
national treasury for national purposes and let the cit
of the Unlted States TO whom these public lands be
long, have the right TO pass over that railroad without
taxation. Sir, was not the Cumberland road built upon
this plan Did we not appropriate money to build it in
order TO improve the value oil lands in the western
States And when the Improvement took place, what
became OF the land Why, sir, the senator well knew
that the declaration made carried out in principle,
red out IN argument was true-tba IL is nothing but a
donation at last to the respective S@tes who receive the
land
But passing from that Mr. President, as desire TO be
brief this occasion, we come 10 the public lands.
There but few principles connected with them.
How did obtain these public lands and Tor what pur
posel Prior 10 the adoption oil constitution, Nlr-
ginia by compact, sold the the Uni
ted States refer TO II merely 10 show the relations
sling between the States and the general government
arising out Of that compact Now, what was the COM
pact 1t was that Virginia coded these lands upon Ger;
tain terms, limitations, restrictions, and condtons and
when they all complied with, what then 10 be
done The United States TO hold all the lands Tor
the payment OF the debt oil the revolutionary con.
forming 10 certain conditions and spuations oil that
compact aud alter that done the balance were 10 in
ure 10 the benefit OF all the States Virginia included
Now what was the construction put upon that contract
by the honest and worthy who made They de-
cded that the land belonged, in kind 10 all OF the
States of the Unon and the law which was read by The
senator from Kentucky, Mr.. UNDERwooD,l showing that
these lands granted IN l7S5 10 KIND proves that con-
srucon be coniemporaneous with the contract Hence
aege that that construction oil the compact between
Virginia and the United States settled The character OF
this particular compact What, them became OF the re-
laon between the State OF Virginia. with all the other
States, and The general government! Now, this com.
pact Which decided that the balance OF public lands, al.
Ter the paymen OF the public debt, should nure TO the
benefit OF all the States Virginia included, made the gem
eal government great landed proprietor, but IN equity
holder of these lands, IN trust Tor the beneht OF The
States Now, in 1S02, when the compact was made be-
tween Georgia and the general government the same ml-
taton in nearly the words as IN the Virginia com
pact was usedhat the balance OF the property, alter
the compliance with certain conditions should nuIe 10
The whole number OF States, Georgia included. The
United States, then, becomes again landed proprietor
the benefit OF the States under that compact.
/ When we acquired Louisiana new principle arose IN
our policy All The lands prior 10 that period had been
obtained from the States by contracts between The states
and the general government In 1909 when we made
The treaty with France by which we obtained the lands
in louisiana il was very much doubted, indeed, whether
the government OF the United States had the power 10
acquire territory in that way. That point was however,
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