The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-04-01

~ 'ohuS Woulu uc ehhhuctu, ne WAS In
favor ofcontributing largely, and in so do
ing he abandoned no principle. AS far as
he could Judge Of the localities, the canal
would be Of vast Importance, The lands
intermediate between the termini would
be greatly increased in value. As to the
railroad, be could not express any opinion,
but was desirous to see it completed, and
for that purpose was willing to grant the
desired appropriation, on condition only
that the Government should have the
use Of 1t, when required for the conveyance
Of stores and troops"
1t appears that explanation did not
satisfy Mr.. Niles, and he express cd the
conviction that there was no difference ut
all between voting for the Cumberland
road aud for giving alternate sections of
the public lands, Mr., Calhoun replies;
MIR. G. remarked, in reply, that if the
gentleman could not see a distinction
between the case of the Cumberland road
a work undertaken 10y the General
GoVernmcnt-and the Sc in which the
Government, in its proprictory contributes
to works undertaken by States or indi-
viduols, he (Mr. CO. could only express his
regret. To him the difference was as
great as that between night and day.
In the one case there was an exercise of
the right ofsovcreignty, in the other simply
that Of ownership"
i'll should conclude, Mr.. Speaker, to
write out the remarks which am submit
ting. | will prehaps incorporate some other
authorities. At present, will not trouble
the House by reading any more authorities
with reference to that point. The dcscrip-
ton of internal improvements OF jccted to,
"a understand, by the Republican or
Democratic party, is that where the
Government appropriates mony out of the
Public Treasury for the purpose of building
roads or constructing canals in certain
localities.
In the first place, it is said,. and said
believe, truly, that Congress has no
right to levy money upon the people of the
United States; for the purpose of con>truc-
ting such works. That power is not
granted by the Constitution. Concedinr
even that the Government po scssed the
power, on" Of the strong objections, and
to my mind an insuperable Objection
against the exercise Of it, would bc tina;
you levy money indiscriminatrIv-all
over the country, upon all Of the citizens,
and IN constructing siicse works Of internal
improvement, you benefit sections only.
The advantage would BE- local merely.
Certain portions ofthe country wou!l I've
favored, and others would not; and i,
therefore, best to leave the construction of
these works with the States, who will
take care Of their own interests in tn. pre-
misses. Their citizens will be taxed for the
construction Of those works, and they will
receive the benefit accruiug by the taxation
tor that purpose. But does this case
come within that principal think one
gentleman, at the opening of this debate.
intimated that this bill was liable to all
of the objections which had been urged
against the Government cmbarking in
works Of internal improvemcnt.-Thcrc
is no analogy, sir, at all
This bill proposes 10 donate one half
Of the public lands within six miles on
either side Of the railroad to aid in the
construction Of that work. Does this
reduce The revenue accruing from the sale
Of the public lands into the Treasury of
the United States Not a farthing and
whyf Because the bill provides that
when you give away alternate sections,
that those reserved to the Government
shall be doubled in value; and thus those
which you are now trying to sell ut 81
25, lands which would remain, probable,
in market for twenty, thirty, or forty years
ut that price, are raised in value 81 SO.
with the confident assurance founded upon
universal experience, that those lands will
sell more rapidly at that enhanced price,
than they do now at 81 25 per acre. II
this was prop 's tion imply to give the
alternate sections without those remaining
being increased in value-if, in other
words, in reducing the revenue OF the
Treasury ofthe United States from the
sale Of the public lands-then admit the
objection Of my friend from Tennessee
(Mr. Jones) wouhl be valid one.-But
that objection does not exist 10 this bill.
It's n phantom fitting only before the
imagination Of my friend. That which has
given rise, l suppose, to it is the fact that
he sees no provision in this Till to extend
lands to the old States.
think have demonstrated that nothing
Is abstracted from the Treasury by the
grants for the construction of these works,
and that all the resources out Of which
and from which the funds are TO come
into the Treasury, are not reduced. II
this Is so. how can it be charged that it
Is involving the Government Of the United
States in system Of internal improve
ments, which has been warred against by
Ira Republican or Democratic party
throughout all time. My friend from
Tennessee, (Mr. Jones) also in the same
speech intimated that it was clearly anti
Democrat as well as unconstitutional.
What are the facts, Almost every single
one Of the present heads or what are called
leaders Of the Democratic party have sup