The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-18
IN Senator and Represents tive, viz:
29,25O,OOO

The Senator says that this enormous amount
of land warrants, after msstang it at fifty eight
instead of twenty. nine millions acres, will be
thrown into the market, and lead to ruinous spe-
| Gu ations, such were attempted in 1886. The
Senator knows. and the public ought to know, that
this bill soHl not Mro,o a single into the
| ket-nof an acre! These warrants only be To-
| Gated onlands surveyed and for sale, and subject
| to entry by individual purchasers. The States are
prohibited from locating any of the land. The
effect is, that the several States. to the amounts
specified, will receive the proceeds Of these lands
| instead of the General Government. There is just
| much danger of speculation now as there will
| be after this bill has passed. True. the specula
| tous in 1886 were ruinous, but they ruined the
| SPECTATORS. Similar operations have rarely been
| ate IN ptcd since. There is too much public land
| for speculation and monopoly; capitalists might
| monopolize a limited number Of farms, or village
lots. but not 400 600 900 acres Of public lands
The there 10 for sale the less danger of spe
| culation.
Under this bill man could speculate in the
| public lands. Purchasers of these warrants must
locate their land lose the interest of their CAPT.
tai; and when located it is subject to State taxa
ton, and must be sold eat up by taxes, and it.
can only be sold at the price for which other lands
arc sold.
! The Senator complains that this bill docs not de-
signate the roads to which the land granted to
| them ia to be applied. Ii seems to each State
| can do this much better than Congress, where not
one member in twenty could vote understandingly.
Bot this is a matter Of indifference to If tho
members from the land States do so, and pre-
fer to designate their votes there can be objec.
| ion on our part. 1t would no, change the amount
granted to any State, touch the principle of the
measure for which we contend, namely, the right
! of all the States to the public lands
| The charge that this bill is the work OF men hos.
tile to the wants and interests of the Westis not
we'll founded. We in favor of their roads aud
improvements, but do not go 30 far as to give them
oil this public property, to the exclusion Of the
other States, which might be benefited by some
portion of the public lands, il not equal one with
them. The principle of this bill il, that the public
lands the common property of all the States,
and that all have right to some share in the benc
hts to DO derived from this common property.
The Senator closes W tn the sweeping assertion
that "the pillagcrs OF the treasury aud public
lands" "have already sent their emissaries into
Iowa" Who intended by the pillagers?
So far the public lands concerned, it must
certainly refer to western men. They have pill
Jagged nearly much has been ssold-nearly
80 900 900 of ncres-and OF late years, under this
systrn, more has been given to them than has
been soid. And now they claim a presumption
RICH, all that lie lefta right which efIectually
excludes the other States from any share. If this
bill has any fault, it IL lberality to them. So
| long as grants are made to them, the Senator
makes objection; we hear nothing then Of dan
ger Of speculation, monopoly, and corruption. But
| give a single acre for like purposes to the old
States, and then il is most "nquitous;' then the
evils manifest, and monstrous, too, that m ust
result from it. II WIN enrich spectators. corrupt
| n Il.
Then these pure and self constituted guardians Of
the public morals cry out against punder legsla-
ton - and propose to arrest it by taking all the
.splunder" to themselves fearing the injuries it
would inilict upon the country If any part were u
| fall into the hands Of men less virtuous more
easily corrupted. Pure patriotism and pure self
ishness never were blended in more delightful har-
mony
| The honorable Senator, upon reflection, think,
will regret the publication of the personal part Of
| his letter. With go much Of II as relates to Mr..
| Bangs, have nothing to do. l understand he Is
| abundaptly competent to take care of himself.
But lift ia tended to be charged that he was sent
by the friends Of this bill to Iowa. that they have
sent emissaries in favor of this measure to Iowa
or any other place, then cay that the accusation
| lie utterly unfounded ond without shadow of
truth to support 1t, and call upon the Senator for
| the proof upon which such a charge lie made. IT
| gentlemen residing in Iowa, or in any Western
State, falling 10 GIT their special bills passed,
choose to favor a general bin in order to obtain
their roads, they have, suppose, the same rghtto
do 60 that the Senator has to opposc III and that
too without being s,igmatized as "emissaries,"
and without involving others in the charge Of
having employed and sent them out ne such.
As to the authorship Of this bill, I can truly say
that drew IL every letter and word; nay, that it