Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-12-17
Bennetes Land Bill and tho Homestead

60 Benefits Land Bill and the Homestead
Bill now before Congress as unfinished bills of
last session. The former bill proposes to give
some fifty millions of acres of the public lands to
the states for the purposes of internal improve
ment; the latter to grant to every man who needs
and will cultivate it, l6O acres of land, under GER
tain restrictions, free of cost. What will be the
fate OF these bills we have no means of even CUES
sing though we see it intimated that their friends
will unite and push them through together. We
earnestly hope that Benefits bill may not pass, and
just as earnestly that the Homestead or something
like it may.
The experience of this state in grants of land
for improvement purposes, has been of such a cha
racter, that we should suppose the unanimous de-
sire would be to be hereafter delivered from all
such generosity. First was the Rock river canal
grant, embracing alternate sections along the route
of proposed canal from Milwaukee to the Rock
River This grant was made, first putting the
whole lands up to 20 shillings an acre, on condi-
ton that the state would sec the work completed
in ten years, or refund the grant its equivalent
in money. There has been nothing but trouble
for the state in connection with the matter. How
gislating about it, we know not but after a great
deal of tribuaton the part of the state and set
tiers, the upshot appears to be, that some person
has a fine water power at Acknowledgement
thousand dollars remain unaccounted for in the
hands of some of the oficers-and the state has
had demand made on her by the General Gov
eminent, for the amount of the grant in money,
and the next question before the people will be
that of paying it.
Then come the Fox riTer grant similar in its
terms to the canal grant, except, we believe lon
ger time is allowed to complete the work. This
has occupied about half the time of all the legsla-
lures since organization a state, costing the
people, no one can guess how much; and has been
a source only of difficulty and perplexity. Demo
cratic caucuses have made Commissioners and Re-
ceivers and Registers, annually, who have used up
most of the available funds, and done little
thing in the way of substantial improvement One
or two hundred thousand dollars of scrip based on
what is left of the grant are authorised to be issu-
ed, or are already issued which scrip an attempt
will be made, (which sooner or later will probably
be successfully to fasten upon the state. The up
shot of this grant will probably be- that the settlers
will pay double price for their lands the fund will
be squandcrcd, the Improvement will not be made
the state will have to complete it or pay back the
amount collected, and probably shoulder the amt
of the debt already incurred, and the improvement
will amount to nothing if it is done.
This is a history of the grants we have already
had; and there is certainly no reason to hope for
any better results in future. Indeed this Bennett
bill has features of trouble about it vastly greater
than any pertaining to the grants we have had
Z Those grants specific and at least confined
the attention of the legislature to the object men,
toned, but this bill proposes to give the land to
the states for such objects of improvement as they
choose. Who can imagine the amount of trouble
to which it would give rise in this state! The le-
gislature would become theatre of strife, logro-
ling, bargaining, and corruption without parallel.
Partially would necessarily be shown-local wars
would be Notwithstanding would be done
the people would foot the bills-and Il few lucky
rascas would away with the lands. Such we
are quite confident would be the final result of this
grant, and therefore we trust it may not be made.
But this is not its worst feature. There are 9th
er objections more important, which apply to these
grants for improvement purposes, whether made
to states or companies, tho chief Of which is, the
monopoly Of lands it creates. The monopoly of
the lands of state in few hands we consider by
all odds the greatest calamity that could bcfall it
"a calamity that no amount of internal improve
mcnt could mitigate. England is overrun with
rail roads vet the mass of her people grow poorer
daily, while the few increase in wealth. and all be-
cause the land-the element of subsistence is mo-
nopolized Illinois has great grant of lands for
her central road which lands she has sold or is
trying to sell to English mionaires. This land
will in time be required for the subsistence of her
people and then they will be the scrfs and slaves
of these English lords, and the lords will have the
rail road with all its advantages and profits. In
tcrnal improvements are valuable to a state only
as they minister to the wants of the masses of the
people, and when they do, they arc rery valuable;
but if they arc built on the principle of land mo-
nopoly, however much they may add to the wealth
of the capitalists who able to monopolize the
lands, the principle can be only unmtigated
curse to the great body of the people. And we
can see no other result than gigantic land monop-
oily in these proposed grants. No railroad will be
built simply because of grant of land; if built at
all it will be because of business immediate or
prospective to justify it, and other conside-
ration ought it TO be, is it required to be, in
deed can it be, built. The result then is that the
company sells the charter on its intrinsic value,
and keeps the lands to its own benefit profit, or
else builds the road on its own merits and keeps
the lands as so much clear gain The lands nei-
ther or will be used directly in the construc-
ton of roads; they will pass into the hands of large
capitalists-thc Rothschilds and Earrings of Europe
and will be used only transfer the expressions
of Europe to our shores
On the other hand, how different the principle
involved in the homestead bill, and how different
will certainly be the results. Suppose for mo-
ment such principle had prevailed when the set
Element Of this territory first commenced. Why
we verify believe that lot owners and ters of the
soil have paid enough to the General Government
and to land and money SPECTATORS to build every
foot of railroad contemplated in the state. Well,
the state is not half settled yet, and therefore we
may vet save to ourselves wealth enough to accom-