The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-05

the nation, situated within HE jurisdiction of a,esn
Now sir, have already endeayored 10 proye thai The
PUBIC lands were heil as instruments and to
compsh national objects and therefore stand upon the
same foundation with for6caiions and navy yards
gave The Senate the other day of private property
purchased under execution sale by the government
which would thereafter be subject TO State taxation
have already pressed the proper distinctions between
property held Tor national objects and that acquired 10
other and inferior purposes.
The speech adveris 10 the prerogatives of the British
Crown transmitted from ieudal days. and then says:
But =, malk the change BY the statute of SO and 4o
George H. chaP SS the lands and enements purchased
by the Crown OF the pryy purse or other moneys NOT
appropriated to any public service, which came
King from his ancestors OF private personsn other WORDS
lauds and in the Of private properly
subjected TO taxation even while they belong 10
This is proper aud just, and fully approve IL But
dissent from the conclusion which the senator Jumps
from thus statute changing feuda perogaiive BY this
change, The monarch Is considered officer of govern
meat and his private estates made subject TO taxation,
Just as the private estate OF President of the
bers OF this Senate may be taxed.
but does this statute OF 3Dth and 10th OF George the
Third subject the wild and unappropraed lands oil Cana
da and Labrador, OF Van Demans Land and Australia,
held by the British monarch for national purposes, 10
taxation There is no analogy between the private
property Of an English King and public lands; and
am asonlshed that the gentleman should refer the
legislation Of England by which the private property of
the monarch is subjected 10 taxation, in the belief that
argument might be founded upon in favor OF the right
OF the new States TO tax our national domain. There is
analogy the whatever Sir all the authorities
cited IN the gentemans speech show that wherever
property is held by the government for great national
purposes It is as much exempt from taxation by State
thorty as our forts and arsenals.
| Mr.. SUMNER. | do no, question that principle
at all.
Mr.: UNDERWOOD. Then, sir the principle not being
questioned, the inquiry is whether public domain
held for great national purposes private property
say that It is not held as private property. The govern
men makes no such of the land usually and prop
ery pertains to private property The government does
Rot clear fence IT, and cultivate plant orchards
and build houses upon il nor make il produce subsst
ence Tor man or beast In the hands of the
our public lands add nothing 10 the comforts OF human
life 1t is only when it becomes the property OF the cit-
zen that it improved and used advance the happiness
and comfort OF men, The government contem-
plates making the of il which individuals do, and
holds Tor no such purpose The objects for which the
government holds it must. therefore, be different from
those OF private persons What objects the govern
ment have but such as general and national and diff
ferent from the local and individual objects of private
citizens!
But Sir, am doae with the principles and argument
OF the speech support of the "equrfy of taxation by
/ the Slaes have endeavored to show that there is
foundation for such taxation from considerations
Whether have succeeded not is for the Senate 10
decide But suppose admit the basis of the senator's
argument to be correct then another question still re-
mains; and that is, his calculations correct by which
he brings US In debt some 6,Ooo000 He says il not
a legal but an equitable claim. Nov, sir, am so or
sanized, and think my constituents are so organized
that II there is any well founded equitable claim against
them they are willing TO pay it, although the claimant
may De unable to enforce II as legal right This equita
BILE claim, amounting to than $48 900 O00 in behalf
OF The new States, is brought forward Justify the
grant OF some $4,000 0o0 900 600 acres 10 the new
states Tor the railroads IN contemplation and doubt it
VIII De hereafter relied on to support the grant of mil
lions upon millions OF acres until the whole $40 00O
600 snail have been PAID and all the States.
like Illinois, acknowledge themselves fully satisfied
Wen, SIR, think We should pay debts to the new
before we TO the old States 1t therefore,
matter OF some consequence. il the right of taxation be
conceded 10 examine the calculations of the senator
from Massachusetts,, and the data on which they are
founded, 10 see that all things correct before pay
the oiii have made the investigation al my lodgings,
| Ia pGn hate The
To do hun full justice, will state what his speech
contains He lakes 2S9, ,96l sJ4 acres as the quantity of
land which has been proclaimed for sale by the officers OF
tue government lie then says that Of this land
has been proclaimed for sale for more than fifty wears
lie supposes that these lands have been in the un
sold for twenty five years the AVERAGE and that they
have been allowed the immunity from State taxation du.
ring these twenty years Now sir there never was
gness-woTk wider from the mark, the tables show
Here they are: and from them appears that OF IA
offered Tor sale the State OF Ohio the Oldest of
the land States sold before they had
been ~ market ten years; 3,7l37Ol more sold be-
fore fifteen years expired and 24S 1876 were
sold before twenty expired, 50 that the record
proves that more than two thirds OF The land offered for
sale was disposed OF in much less time than twenty years
Al The end OF thirty years only $50 acres remained
unsod. This information is obtained from a report made
by H. M Young, Commissioner, in November, ls4s. Ii
also appears IRON the report that very large por
on o the lands not offered for sale until after the
year 1920, and some OF them were not offered until 1885
know personally that 10 1913 large portion of this
State was wilderness.
Deducting the military reservation between the Scio,o
and Little Miami rivers the sixteenth section reserved for
schools aud the grants 10 the Sae to which extent the
lands were not proclaimed for sale by this government
and appears that nearly all the lands the State OF Ohio
became private property in less than twenty five wears
alter they were brought into market The condition of
the lands IN this State is favorable the hypothesis
OF the senator than those in any other new Stale And
yet, when the report OF the commissioner is examined il
Is found that only small portion OF our public lands
have remained unsod long enough TO have been taxed
tUenty-hv years as the properly o this government.
In Indiana only 5,39y,4D5 acres offered for sale
prior 1926 and OF this only 203 s2s acres remained
unsod at the end OF thirty years from the time the first
acre was offered In ILLINOIS, no land offered for sale
until 1916. In Missouri the first offered for sale was in
1918. In Alabama IN 1902 In Mississippi, in 1902 In
Louisiana, in 1918 In Michigan, in 1918 In Ar
kansas, in 1891 In Wisconsin, IN 1891 In Florida,
in 1925 Iowa is so juvenile that she has no place in
Commissioner Ioungs tables. Thus, IL we but take the
trouble look at the dates when our lands were st
proclaimed Tor sale in the different States and Territories
shall find that the idea that they were in market suf-
hciently long to have allowed the States 10 tax them
twenty i've years on the average, s very wild guess.
From the dates have given down TO this time, new dis
triets OF country have been brought into market Ii
would require very tedious calculation give the pre-
c,se average time that the whole Of public lands pro-
claimed for sale have been in market The knowledge
when obtained, would not be worth the trouble of
getting IL The dates have given prove that the
age assumed by the senator is not approximation to-
wards accuracy
Mr.. SUMMER / will remark TO the senator that my
calculations were founded in the main upon the second
table which he has before him, which represents in
tabular FORM the sales during the period OF thirty years
II that table my calculation errs but il that table
stands, my calculation stands.
Mr.. UNDERWOOD. The second table stands and
q tha calculation ,,d