The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-02-11

large OF the public treasury, uuihit, anu WI" ~
now, suppose, acting in discharge OF that sh
u'y-is now attempting to throw obstacles IN Fri
he way, and to postpone the action of the Sen tic
lie upon this bill. This bill contains very little tn
Iteration or amendment upon ether bills that bt
ave already passed this body. | believe this re
cry bill passed the Senate at the last session. I.
Then. why deliberate, Why move to postpone Ia
his matter when the principal contained IN u G.
las already been discussed year after year i'r OF
he last ten years: understand the senator u
rom Virginia Mr. iunteIl as making the mo- Il
ion to postpone, that the Senate may hare Il
N opportunity of ,ohing into this bill and the b
principles contained in il. There is nothing |
lew III it, This very bill, with most, il not all, V
IT the principles contained in it, has been DIS Il
cnssed time and time again. d. trust that the e
Senate Will act promptly, upon this matter !
1t is important, If yea in.ehd 10 make ms .
gran. OF land al ais-ar donation, as some gen .
tle,ncn call it that il BE-, done speedily, because,
as the senator from Iowa Mr.. 'nesJ has su--
gcstcd, these land warrants falling into the {
hands o.. spectators, they will, as matter 81
course, scare. out these public lands that wal! be
the most valuable, and upon which the greatest
speculaions can be made. They have already
gone high up upon the proposed railroad routes
in the States. Such has bren the cnse II
the State of Missouri. We have two routes
proposed in the Safe of Missouri one from
the city Of St. l. uis to the western boundary
line OF ,he State, upon the south SIDE OF the
Missouri river, and the other from the town OF
Hannibal to The town Of st Jose ph, on the north
side OF that river; and / understand that 8 w.,
900 more has be,n received this last year tor |
the lands upon the line of the northern ralio |
than has been received for any previous year
be fore. Now, these land warrants being made
| assignah!c, thousands of them will fall into the
hands Of spectators, and The first lands that
will be located under them will be the lands
upon the Ines IF these different railroads III the
new States 1t is, then, Important that these
bills sh ud be passed promptly, and these alter
nate sections be granted TO these railroads, and
be taken out of the clutches Of HE spectators
| know, upon examination, and have learned
from the COMMISSIONER of the General Land
Office. tina 81 0,000 more money has been re-
ceived in the land office on the north side OF
the Missouri river within Il year than has been
received for any previous yeai for the last
ten years.
l trust that If the Senate intends to pass
these biAS, they Will act upon this one now,
and pass it before adjourn to day.
Mr.. DAVIS. understand the senator from
Iowa Mr.. Dodge, to say that this was emo
del bil,' and the senator from NJ ssouri Mr
Atchson.l repeated that observation. lhis Is
to be bill then, which in all matters OF this
sort is to be our guide. Now, think this Is one
} very good reason why it should be nude exact
ly right before it is passed.
! Now, rise for the purpose Of putting the
, inquiry to some honorable gentlemen who 10
| able to inform me--the chairman OF the Com
T mittee on Public Lands, or some one else
e whether heard the bill read Alright, when
heard that in laying out the road, they Were au-
, thorz ID to lay 1t out 100 feet each side Of the
: track making the road 20o feet in wild Ii
e Mr. JONES, of Iowa. This is correct.
MIR. DAVIS. The gentlemen from Iowa
y Mr.. Jones answers that is the case. Now, lei
r us look Little at Tie effect, OF that, and see
d what will come of it. Now, all experience has
IS shown that 80 feet is all that is necessary, ex
u cept when there is some deep cut or steep em
( banknent This bill gives 200 feet, and there
will then be 100 feet and mere that is not need
is ed for purposes OF the road. For all purpose;
N of track-even of double track-S) feet II
IS deemed with Us to be all that is necessary
"a Then in front Of the land granted to the State
n and in front of the land owned by the Unitet
n States, there will be a strip in the prlvat
ownership of this railroad company if the Stat
y lets out the road, or owned by the State if SIN
l. makes the road hers IT, If The State makes tin
e, road she Will have this strip of land in front o
r the land owned by the United S 'a.es disposabl
OF for other purposes than that Of the road. fifth
OF State dsposes of lis right to make this road t
Or company, as believe the state of Illinois ha
r, done, Then the company VIII own land in from
lie Of the land belonging to the State, and also i
u, :rcnt cf the land Iohgng t. the United States
to Is no: that the:result? 1t seems so to M" Now
OF | think the amount of land for the Of the roa
he sh 1uld be limited at least to mach is necessa
ry for public travel, and you should not 30 beyon
$ mat unless you mean to get yourselves into thi
n. kind of difficulty which | have endea'
OF ored to point out. The 900 feet is NJ
to nece ssary. There may be some places wher
ed that amount would be necessary, but they woul
M occur but occasionally. | think you Will othe
on wise get yourselves into embarrassment.
% throw these suggestions out simply te
p.. tue consideration of gentlemen, if they al
nd t, make bill which is to be our guide herca
~ .er.
o: Mr.. SMITH. My friend, the senator fro
e. Massachu Gets, Mr.. Davis, has entire
NJ, mist ken this provision of the bill. 1t does M
ITS grant the land for $50 feet IN width to the roo
no throughout i,s entire length, but merely gives
oa right of way FIR that-space The land is n
On vcs;ed in the State it is mere right Of way
De the incorpnteal right of way, but not grant
To the Ia nd itself. 1t merely gives the State q
re privilege Of making the road anywhere with
y the breadtl, OF 300 feet for the whole length
IN The road, so that the State may shift the rni
n from time 20 time, as may be deemed necess
~ ry.
80 The right of way enjoyed Will be the mel
!, breadth OF -lhe track, and so much adionit
- la:id as-4t may pe necessary TO occupy tos Ell
81 banXinenti or excavations or ANYTHING of Til
- Sort In this respect believe the bill conform
'o' to the bill passed for the Stale of Illinois,
e. is in conformity with the provisions Of evel
lie b III we passed at the last Congress; and we ha,
" passed several do not know how many.
was then member of the Committee on Pu
lot lie Lands, and I cpucurred with the majority
Il" TIA, Commtt,c In fact, l think the CONS,
.ey tee was unanimous upon this snhject-in +
ne porting all these bills to the Senate. The
'e, fore, Mr.. President appreliend that there
Hu no difficulty in regard to this matter It is
Ter mere grant # right Of way-an incorpore
RS right After what has been the decision Of ii
no Senate on this subject for several years past
,"i certainly at both sessions Of the last Congress
ne and believe at the preceding secession, a
VI ter there had been most Inpnatcal expires
~ ion Of opiaion By large majority of this bod
On in fay Of this pol:cy--l did not supp ,se that
II shnud have occasion t. address the Senate W
on this sIpiect again.
y But | say now, as | have said before, tia
J both as 4 member of the House of Represents
III tives and as member of THIS body, there 7
e no votes that have given with more stsfic;ip
'e than those according to the new STA es CT th
!; Union that sort of operation as assstanc
IL which is comprised in bill Of this charac .er-
y We nave net surrendered one dollar from Il,
treasury for which we have not obtained a
=" equivalent; for by these concessions we lIav
enhanced the value of the reserved land ar
- when give these votes, Mr.. President, be
!. lieve that am not only furtheriny the prosper
10 i'y Of the new States Of this Union, but a,
-, believe thereby con ri5uting to the pro
~ perlty OF The whole country. Every appruprl5
~ ton x this character that is made for the co,
"a struc.!on of bid yes, canals, or railroads, n,
only builds up the West, but also the Els
y iae Atlantic a'es, and tends, moreover, to CT
III .lce the Of the govcrnlre its IT
: My honorable friend from Virginia Mr.. Hunte!
- k!ows very well that the resources Of the 20,
esnnent do not depend upon the amount VI
81 annually collect in III. treasury; they do n.
az depend up II the dollars and GEMS that annual
IL a,w mt, the public Golfers, but they depe,;
> lpoa the alb liiy OF the people to submit to Ia,
a. a i'm. Now. sir, we have time "f prosperit
y aid The taxes laid up m the people If The cou,
~ try are comparatively light. Bat the hol
may me when we sh,i be Involved in war