The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-24
speech Of lIon. n. M I. Hunter, Of Virginia.
RAILROADS IN IOWA.
Tx T9E SENATE. February II. 1880.

In THE SENATE, February II, 1859.
The Senate having under consideration
bill granting the right OF way and making
grant Of land to the State of Iowa, in aid 0
the construction Of certain railroads in sal
State
Mr.. HUNTER said
Mr.. PRESIDENT: When this bill was frs
called up, and when as supposed, il was abou
to be acted upon, submitted a few remarks il
relation to IT, not that | thought of arrestin.
its passage, not with the design OF presenting
an argument on the questions which 1t involved
but merely for the purpose of defining my owl
position. II seems to me- that must have beer
unfortunate in those remarks; for they hav,
drawn down upon me criticisms not only from
various, but from very opposite quarters, and
have been assailed for them, not only by the
friends, but by the foes of the measure. Sir,
said--addressing myself to my Democratic
friends--that we had taken ground against a
general system of internal improvements; and
/ put it to them to say, il there was not danger
in thus adopting what would seem to be par
tial system Of internal improvements that we
had taken ground against general system OF
the distribution of the public lands, and that
yet we were passing bills of this character,
which would lead to \ partial distribution OF
these lands amongst portion only OF the
States.
To this the Senator from Illinois Mr.. DOUG
LAsl replied; and he sad il was no objection to
an appropriation that It was partial in its charac
ter because all appropriations must benefit some
localities more tran others. say, it il an OBJ
lection to class Of appropriations, IL there be
par,iaity in the system and in the principle
upon which those appropriations are made.
take the very illustration he gives, as an in.
stance of the reason Of the rule which laid
down He said we make navy yards on the
sei.coast, and that, of course, those places
where the navy yards are made are more bene
fitted than Others. That is true, to some eX
tent, but the design Of those navy yards is to
maintain a navy; and thai is general object IN
which the whole nation is Interested. This
navy guards the commerce, not only OF the sea-
coast but Of the whole country; not OF the
East, or of the North, or OF the South alone,
but also the commerce OF the West. These
appropriations are general in their character,
general in their objects, and come therefore
within the legitimate sphere OF our action. But
| admitted, in the course Of my remarks, That
there might perhaps, be an exception to the
rule, with reference to a certain class OF inter-
nal Improvements certain class OF railroads
which pass through the public lands; and that,
in regard to these railroads, the government
stood in a somewhat different relation from that
which it held to railroads which pass through
the older States, where the government owns no
lands It ia no argument in favor of these
RI lroads, THAT they increase the wealth of the
through which they pass, and the capa-
city of the people there for bearing taxation;
because the same argument would apply to
railroads in the older States. But it may be
some argument, when you come to advert to
the fact, that the government is benefited, not
only in the general mode in which it would be
benefited anywhere else by the establishment
Of railroad, but it has peculiar and special
interest, because its property, as a land owner,is
improved in value by the construction of these
improvements.
But | said, that il was admitted that the gen.
eral system is dangerous one; and that we
should practice it only in certain excepted cases
but that these exceptions ought to be guarded
within rigid limits and by certain rules, in order
to prevent abuses. | said, too, that there was
no other rule by which TO guard and define these
exceptions than this: The United States was
to be treated as any other land owner and any
other land owner, when he contributed money,
would expect 10 have some return in the shape
of stock. As an additional precaution, sug-
gested that the grants ought 10 be confined TO
the sections which lie Immediately upon the line
Of the road because, when you once depart
from that rule--when you 90 fifteen miles from
the line Of the road--the next step will be TO
90 thirty miles, and the next will be to appropri-
ate lands any where within the confines Of the
State In order, then, TO prevent our being be-
trayed into general and wasteful system, il we
do practice upon these exceptions, II would seem
that we ought to be guided by some strict and
certain rules; and know of none more certain
and strict than this.
Since made these remarks, which were ut.
tered without much consideration, AMI upon the
spur Of the moment, have considered the ques-
ton more maturely; and think see rule by
which we may accomplish all the purposes OF
Justice, as between the United States and the
new States. They say that the difference be-.
tween these railroads and any others. is this ::
that, by the construction Of these roads, you
give an additional value TO the lands, and there.
fore IL would be hard if the United States should
pay nothing in return for this additional value
impaired TO their property by the work Of the
States. To that reply, that am willing 10
sell 10 the States the lands on the lines of the
railroads, at the government price-at such price
as they would bring IL there were no railroads
And IL there be additional value given by the
construction Of the railroad, am willing the
States should have it, That would be fair. Nav.
sir, might be disposed to 90 somewhat further.
There might be portions of those lands not
worth the full government price. ] should bo
willing then 10 take such n rice as they would
bring ithout the railroads Having done that,
! would leave them 10 the States, 10 derive what
ever additional value they could give TO these
lands by the construction Of their roads. Would
not that be fair! Would not that satisfy all
the just demands Of the States They make
railroads, or they ought 10 make them, only upon
the supposition that they are 10 return them a
fair proit--a profit composed, IL may be, entire.
ly Of the income Of the road or profit, com.
posed not only Of the income Of the road, but
Of the additional value given 10 the lands by the
construction Of the Improvement According
10 the proposition which make, the States would
derive the whole Of this proft--they would de.
rive, not only the income Of the road, but the
additional value which would be given 10 the
lands. say, that IL we were TO practice upon