The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-08

and from Iowa City 70 Davenport on the Missis.
spp according to the map, and the Aissory of
your State. Is one Of the most beau ifui regions
Of the valley of tho Mississippi. and is all taken
up, and now under cultivation, and is the pride
and boast of that young and glorious State, Iowa.
Then, according to this bill If you cannot get
the land near the road, where are you 10 90 for
it! Why, sir, you are to go off fifteen miles
each side of the road-wthin tract Of country
thirty miles wide-and take other land but the
value of the remainder is not increased: the
price remains the same---$l % per acre. Yet
senators come here and announce that these
grants are made upon the ground that the United
States government does not lose single cent,
but their property 10 rather increased in value.
NOW, II we assert a principle to be true and
stand upon that principle as truth, let US ascer-
tain whether the truth be there or not 1t is
wild and fanciful for US to legislate upon this
plan. But the smiling countenanee Of the Sepa-
tor from Iowa, Mr.. JosEs,l who day after day
pops up here to get this bill through, has got
the sympathies Of the whole Senate-has got
them to believe that he is for doing something
great to increase the value of the public land.
Now, am afraid can account for the Senator's
great anxiety to get this bill through 80 rapidly,
upon no other ground than that he is afraid we
will find out that there are no public lands for
five miles each side of this road and if they take
the land in other places it would not increase
the value of the remainder--that il would not
improve the public land by increasing its price.
Now, let no senator who votes for this bill 90 to
his people and tell them, have given away this
land to increase the value of all the rest. Let
the people be informed as to the fact, and let us
stand upon principle, and do justice to all And
no man upon this floor will ever hear me utter
word in opposition to single measure found
ed in iberaty, and upon Justice, law, and right.
but when you come to pnt your hand into the
treasury for the benefit of a single State, re.
CARELESS of the rest, duty and hoaor will compel
Inc to try to prevent it if | can 1t is not mine,
to dispose of as should feel DESTROYS of doing.
Were it my own, could do az please.
But is this all! My object is to be correctly
Informed, and therefore got this map exam
med the whole matter, and have it all here be-
fore me. | traced out these roads; and what
does it all amount to! After you pass through
Iowa City, towards the Missouri, what do you
do then? You go out in the country, perhaps
one hundred miles, and believe that, to this
day, it has not been surveyed and laid out into
towns. ask the Senator from Iowa [Mr.
JoNEsl il the land there is surveyed yet?
MI. JONES, of Iowa. 1t settled somewhat,
but not altogether surveyed.
MT. DAWOON. mat Is the point wish
to make. You 60 on from Iowa City into the
country that is not settled-part of it unsur-
veyei and not in market. You say that for
the purpose of increasing the value Of the land
you give them right to construct railroad,
without any limitations az to the time within
which they are to do it--none at all. They say,
we want to get the selection and possession Of
the land to-day, and when the country grows
up and is settled then we will build the road
For whose convenience are they calling upon us
now to make this grant? Why, sir, if rail-
road should drop from Heaven, and be placed
between Iowa City and the Missouri river, tho
country through which it passes has not popu-
ation enough to support it, Yet we are called
upon here to vote for this measure and carry it
out, and because | oppose it arm told rather
pleasantly by. my friend from Iowa, Mr.. JorEs,l
you are illiberal-too fond of land No, sir,
that is not it; but it is because am fond of
justice. If the case was one upon which you
could stand and defend it upon principles Of
justice, | would go with you. But you cannot
do that.