The daily union., 1852-02-13

chooses his location, and pays nothing for his land In
tson an aet 81 NohgfessgWes large donations OF land
from 500 10 $40 acTeso every early settler aud even
oilers without cost, TO all who will emigaie there prior
to December 1888, 100 of land or if married
double that quantity. California has attractions that have
made mat State the wonder OF the world The golden
harvest has alued emigration there with force never
known before As yet the government has freely thrown
open the whole expanse OF her gold bearing territories 10
every man who would become a settler and the history
OF the world affords parallel TO the apdiy of the in
crease oil populaton-"a nation born in day" In
Minnesota and IN Oregon larger quantities OF land
served io public purposes than in the land States, and
much greater Inducements Tor immigration afforded.
Would II not be astonishing il the ACQUISITION of these
new regions OF agricultural and mineral wealth, with
Tree liberty TO occupy and possess without cost and prof
iers OF perfect titles TO large tracts of land TO the settler,
did not turn the tide oil emigration The new field OF
enterprise opened on the Pacifc-a field where com
merce and the various industrial pursuits offer tempta
tons and rewards equalled only by those OF her mines
presents more than the aluremenls Of iairy-land
AS might be expected. these inducements turn away
the tide OF immigration from the twelve land States
They already feeling its effect The increased num-
Der OF Immigrants do not swell the sale and settlement
otthe land in those States in anything like the ratio
OF the increase OF that immigration. Their citizens
are joining The emgrants by thousands The old States
are also pouring their population into the great tide
which flows towards The new Territories and the Pacific
The great inducements there drawing away the
thousands who otherwise would become citizens OF these
States
grant provided Tor in the bill Why, if do not mis-
understand it, they propose to withhold all aid for the
settlement and sale of lands in these States, and TO do
nothing bring those lands into ket 10 the
advantages which render them accessible, and settle
ment upon them desrabe-to discharge the federal gov
eminent henceforth OF all care over the interest Of the
settlers upon them and of all obligation to the States
in which they lle
II this same policy proposed to be adopted were
pursued in the region OF country, there would be
less cause OF complaint; but while this is otherwise
there, the settlement of the States must be retarded
know the wonderful increase Of late years of the tide
OF immigration. ] know that the annual sales Of the
public lands in the twelve land States may not be actu
ally diminished by all this But what without these at
fractions elsewhere, would be the state Of the This
great and increasing volume of immigration from foreign
ands and from Older parts OF our own country, would
flow in continuous current and rapidly h up The va,
cant territory OF the land States They would then
have no occasion to solicit aid.
We do not complain of this great lberality to settlers
and emgranis in new Territories and States, but we do
say that while government is thus offering inducements
aud advantages there, the older OF the States should
not be forgotten The ordinary OF TO the
public lands in the States should not be withheld II to
these destinations elsewhere the government adopt the
policy OF withholding here all the facilities required for
sale and for settlement of their lands most serious i'm
pedimen will be placed in the way OF the prosperity OF
the States.
The settlement of all these countries commences
the water along the borders OF the rivers and
the lakes Then come territorial roads, and population
hocks along their line into the interior And that popu
aon advances Just in proportion as avenues Tor inter
communication made. And when the owner OF i'm
mense tracts OF wilderness country ceases to bear his
share of the expense and TO add his aid 10 that OF the
settler in his neghborhood in advancing such facilities.
the inducements elsewhere will turn the tide OF emgIa-
ton into another channel.
1t SEEMS to be supposed that great liberay beraliy
amounting almost TO pIodgaiy-has been exercised
towards the land States the grants to and expendi
tures heretofore made in them by the general govern
ment
Having regard to the immense extent Of the public
domain, The great interests connected with II, and the
object for which ceded cannot this profuse
lberality OF which gentlemen speak. Individuals some
times talk this subject though they were ashamed
OF the former llberaly of the governmental though
they regarded IL an exravagant expenditure and
wsliabe squanderiDg OF property, which should bring
blush on the cheek OF those to whom It's administration
was committed. cannot concur IN this view OF the mat
ter; and wish Tor moment TO call attention TO the
extent OF those grants.
The grants Tor school purposes have been liberal and
shall not stop in this part OF my remarks TO discuss any
question IN relation TO them
The grant of swamp lands referred TO the other
day by my friend from Kentucky, [Mr UNDERWOOD; j
but do not think II justly exposed to the anmadversons
which he was inclined TO pass upon II. Since have
been member oil the Committee on Public Lands appli.
cations have been presented from countless and from
towns, IN different portions ot the country, urging the
government TO enter into system of drainage, and TO
claim lands OF this character within their lmIs-lands
alleged not only 10 be unpToductye 10 the United States
and unsaeabe bat TO the country about them 10
be unhealthy and 10 obstract the settlement OF the
vcinage. Thequeson al once presented itself to the com
mtee, whether the federal government could undertake,
in designated townships scattered over this wide domain
provide and carry into effect system OF drainage Tor
their wet lands. Can that authority properly, and with
due regard TO economy, appoint and employ agents Tor
that purpose! Can general system OF recaiming these
for that purpose be successfully carried out by gov
enment H. under such system, every OF land thus
reclaimed should be made worth s. instead of 81 rs, It's
present price, would be profitable TO the government TO
undertake the system Does not every know that
the agency required TO execute such work would cost
more than the lands would bring, at IS per
Ii also known that these tracts OF swamp lands pre-
vented the settlement OF the country and therefore the
inhabitants desired the government TO do what ndi-
vidua would do IL he owned the lands In the present
state the lands worthless TO the government and TO
attempt TO reclaim them would cost than their sale
would restore TO the treasury The committee reported
against such applications and the Senate sustained the
report. Ii thought both policy on the part oil the
government and justice TO the States in which they lie
to make the cession and under these circumstances the
i bill passed.
Il In making out statement OF grants OF lands TO the
States for purposes OF internal improvements, believe
should not differ very much from the statistics presented
by the senator from Kentucky wish, however, for the
purpose of making few comparisons, to refer to the
grants and expenditures for that purpose and TO call the
attention of ibe Senate 10 some Of the figures The guam
ty of land granted for purposes 10
the land States including the alternate sections recently
granted for the illinois and Mobile railroad, is 500 1896
acres The bill now before proposes TO make grant
of land for the construction Of railroad the State
OF Iowa We can, perhaps, realize more fully the ex-
tent and value OF these grants by exhibiting the results
on the supposton that the total amount is expended IN
Improvements OF that character.
should here observe that the great grant spoken oil by
the senator from Kentucky Of 10000 acres to each State
in ls4l and included in my estimate, was not new
grant OF that quantity to each OF those States was an
attempt TO equalize the grants to the States With the
exception OF Indiana and Illinois, il embraces all the
lands previously granted TO tbem so that instead OF re-
500 600 acres each under the act OF 1S41 they