The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-03-24
SpE ECH.
HoN.i. FELCH,OP MICHIGAN.
lEraE SENATE orrHEu.s KEs. 81, 1852.

nN.i. FELCH, OF MICHIGl
lErHE SENATE oTTaEus KEB.3D, les:
The Bali 8ranting Land to the State ofIo
In aid Of eenstructin1 certain RaiIroa,
The Senate karing xsder consideration &c A
creating the right Of scay and MAKING n y,
Of land to fke State IF lo,ca IN aid of the
strsetioa Of eerta,n Railroads IN said State
Mr.. FELCH said
Mr. PREsIoENr -
1t not unfrequently happe
that in discussing before tn. Senate he merits
measures, the debate takes much wider ran
than the suhject-matter would seem to reou
ANA desire ON the present occasion to call ba
the attention of the Senate to the simple Or
Posiuon contained in the bill fore u.s. Il pr
poses to grant to the State of Iowa strip
the public land within that State, six miles
width, and lying along the route Of two ra,lroa,
winch are to be located under the authority
the State. The land is to be taken in atterna!
sections, and applied to the construction of tn
railroads passing through them; and the ser
mons retained by the Government are not to b
sold at less than double the prices at which tn
same are now offered to purchasers. 1t is con
tended by the opponents of this measure tina
under this provision the Government mnst snf
fer loss without any corresponding bene6, =
But If the principle contained in this nronos;
tion sh,uld be carried practically into effect. Il
Is manifest that no loss could accrue tn the
Government The amount Of money received
Tor tne alternate sections retained bv the Gov.
eminent, the price of which is made double the
usual minimum, would be exactly the same as
that demand at present prices for the whole. |
am not inclined here 10 say anything to under.
rate the advantage which the States would de.
nve from grants otthis description nor shall 1
deny that they may be made highly beneficial
to their hes. interests. My opinion upon the
subject is, that the United States promotes the
pubic interest by making the grants; and that
atne state receiving them at the same time is
benefited by them. If we refer to the expert
fence we have had, as the result of prantipc al
ternate sections Of land for works of this charac
ter, where the sections have been increased in
prce, we need zot fear that this prlnciple will
NOS De carried out From a statement have
received from the General Land Office. it an
pears that grants of this description have been
made to the amount of 259,423 acres. The
rates OF the reserved alternate sections, at the
enhanced price, have rouylt into the Treasury.
within a small fraction, the amount Tor which
the whole would have sold if no such grants
had been made. 1t has been objected, that al.
though we receive the same amount in conse
quence OF increasing the price of the reserved
sections, we in fact take the amount of the in
creased price from the purchaser without p;v-
ing him q consideration. The idea does not /
commend itself to my Judgment By the con. |
stractom ofthe road through the public domain |
the actual value Of the lands in the immediate |
vicinity is increased, and that which before
could Ind no purchaser even at ten shilIings an |
acre, will readily sell at twenty shillings an
acre. The increase of price is founded on no
arbitrary principle, but il is upon the enhanced
value given to the property. better bargain
m1y De made BY purchasing at twenty slilngs
an acre, when railroad or canal is constru cied
through, in the immediate vicinity OF the
premises than by paying the present minimum
price of ten shilling an acre. The enhanced
value Is the consideration gwen for the enhanc-
ed price; and can see no force in the obec-
ton DO these grants on that ground /,
The interest of the United States, and the
interest ct the States in which the lands are To-
Gated and the grants made, 60 hand in hand
The increased value Of property, and the impe- /,
tus gwen by public improvements Of this char
actes 10 business and prosperity. are enjoyed
alike hy both.
1t the bill before us becomes a law the State
OF Iowa must construct the roads therein men
toned; without this; no land passes under its
provisions. If this be done, the public obtain
the benefit of the communication thus opened
across the country But many seem to think /,
that the provisions contained in this, and othc
bills OF the same character, bestow upon the
State an amount Of means sufficient to build the ,
roads described in them. 1t is thus re earded as
gift OF railroads to favored States, while 9TH ,
ers are not supplied with them /,
But does the bill propose to make such roads ? !
Docs it provide for grant to the State sufficient
10 construct thems BY means 1t proposes !,
TO grant six sections to every mile along the line
If the road which shall be constructed. This :
amounts to 3,Sl0 acres of uncultvated land, | !.
.qnl, at the Government price of 81 Is per acre.
. - 800 for every mile Of road This amount is
ar from sufficient to construct the road The !.
lverage cast of railroads in this country is not far
rom $50, 900 per mile. In order to secure the r
of the work, an additional sum Of ;
e20,SO must be expended on every mile :
Without this expenditure of some FIVE or six !
ines the amount granted by the bill, the roads
cannot be constructed. The aid given to the .
State by these grants furnishes small portion !,
'nly OF the amount necessary to accomplish the !;
proposed work. ,
Senators speak as though the States were to /.
receive for their own use valuble donations in !
these grants, which were to enrich the State :
treasury, and relieve the people from taxation :
No State in the western country, by such a
grant. or even by the addition of $25, 900 per =
mile made. from the Public. Treasury, could ex- !:
Pect to secure profitable income from the !.
load. The great advantage to be derived from | !.
'uch improvements is to be found in the n.
creased Facility for communication, and not in
he amount to be received from them into the =
treasury OF the State. Some States have adont
ID system Of railroad inter-communication. 2
md have expended large sums of money in =
pc construction of their works. have never "
earnee that State. in any single instance, has ).
eeesed = direct income from such investment :
tnsoss tired the experiment, and abandone; i
ne enon vas made in my own State 20 a great
Z exteafs and, believe, with Ecarer annroacb y
: saccess than in any othe. A railroad. more :
nen hundred miles in length. was owned
~ eperated BY the Safe for several wears .
'ae vas found % yielcd no profit, and was !. !
40 scx company.
IAefe b 4 difficulty in the management of =
sairoads ~ the authority Of State, which will
anays prevent their becoming source of d. =
- seve.ue T. the Treasury. They are not,
.o.evefs % De regarded AZ Of less importance
2 Me Geeat interests of community, whose !.
lnane0 requires, and whose prosperity de- ;,
.endss ~ = great degree, on facilities Of this !,
:earactet The advantages yielded by them to :
he public are such that every State deemed it !.
N object to encourage their construction by =
capitalists and others, where ever they can re-
:cive support throughout it limits. II
Obje ction has also been made that s.,.h a, !:
nay pass into the hands Of = c~.,,...a Th.. !:
rant ]. . The State, and IT,. n,r,;ca,ar manner
: appiying the Precee a. 70 he work .nsc;t;ed ;
!. ..sa.@" . -..e Legislature, without whose I
c".s ! oompsny could control the land II ,
sosethe Legislature should find it expedientl !!
10 apply Il through the agency of a company, |
would i be the subject of just complalnt.-
Would i be . gratnity 70 a company, yielding
rno 4 A,,u ot Nd nd Eor s% |
in granting q charter to company, the Leg
islature should furnish any part of the means
BY which the road was to be constructed, they
would take care porportionally to lessen the
amount of tolls TO be paid, and thus secure the
public in the enjoYments Of the full benefit OF
the grant.
Now letus see. what are the advanfa ges which
the United States Government retain to. them
selves by vittUse Of the conditions annexed to
the Proposed grant, The FIRST is the transpor
tatian over Tie road, free from toll or charge, of
al We propessy and troops Of The United States.