The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-03-24

demand their own prices. The provisions
n this bill securing the obligation to carry
- mail, gives to Congress the right ~ fix the 7
of compensation on the road. A fair remun
"a alton for services would OF course be made,
nothing more 1t is an object to build up 70,
- under provisions Of this character not only
competitors with routes not subject to such CO
dtions, but that an example may be set
70 rates OF compensation, which may tend
\ regulate the matter ON other great routes throua
out the country.
The increased value of the public lands, q
casinned by the construction Of these channe
OF communication through them, attracts Il
"a attention Of purchasers, and increase the sale
A general increase of prosperity to the countr
which cannot be secured without roads OF tn
II kind, is promoted by the grant
1t Mr.. President, shall say nothing here wit
J. regard to any general system of internal i'm
: provement which may be supposed to be con
necied with this matter. The honorable Sena
tor fiom Kentucky MIR. Underwood has takel
occasion to discuss that subject in connectio,
E with this bill. but do not place my support o
the policy ofthese grants on any such grounds
If grants Of this character are sustained upor
principles of justice and duty, growing out of
the peculiar relations IN which the General
| Government stands to the land States, or Of b.
legations incident to their title or out OF the in
| terest OF the United States as connected with
NE public domain, | shall surely not contend
Tor them upon any other principle The honor
able Senator from Kentucky, the other day, in
The able argument which he gave us upon this
SUBJ 'ct-and am disposed to regard 1t as able
an argument as any which will be given-alud-
ed to some objections to the grants of alternate
sections, to which, without following him gen.
orally in his remarks, il may be well to give
passing notice. He contended that the alter
nate sections reserved to the Government are up
on the passage Of such bill, Withdrawn from
sale and that long time must elapse before
they will be brought again into market Time
he asserts, is important. In the early grants Of
this description (I believe there were but two of
them) 1t was not declared in the law what por-
ton OF the alternate sections should be retained
by the United States and what should belong to
The grantee. This would require the land to be
withheld tor short time until the designation
;ould be made. This objection is, however,
'bviated in the bill before US Itexuressly pro-
'ides that the sections bearing eren numbers in
he official returns, are granted to the State, and
he sections with the odd numbers are reserved
0 the United States SO that no commissioner or :
gent is required to make the selection. The
esignaion on the plats at the General Land :
)fice decides e question, and the designated :;
ections granted to the State, at once fall under 8
he charge OF the proper authorities The por- =
on retained by the General Governments not :,
withdrawn from sale, and no change takes place :.
! regard to it., except an increase in price on
lie from ten to twenty shillings an acre. Nor
re there any circumstances connected with the
obstruction of the road which are likely to y
Dsfpone or retard the sales at the enhanced -
ice. On the contrary, these lands will be !,
'ught with more avidity, account of the ~
ivantages added to their locality, than be- p
re. -
But it has been also alledged that the whole
gumcnt, founded on suppostlom that the O,
instruction Of railroads or canals through the Sc
lo,,:c lands will increase hasten their sale, g
without foundation. Now, the Senator from i
entucky states, that for the last two or three a,
ears the quantity OF lands sold has been in r
easing, and he cites the Official returns for
e years I9f0-'49-' so. Admitting such to be
e fact, (and do not controvert i, y it's Gi pi
ct and positive contradiction Of the estimate M
ade by the Secretary of the Treasury at the
IT Congress in which he told us that the -
nds were disposed Of for bounties and other IN
ants, sufficient to anticipate the sale for six is
IN years to come, and that consequently moth
, could be expected from that source into the :.
easury. Admit, then, slight increase in :, :,
amount Of saleA what is his aryument.- "
is that there is no need of any legislation for in
purpose Of increasing these sales; that you be
re fixed the minimum price at 81 % per acre; =.
I at that price they selling fast enough,
that you ought not TO do anything, nor is
ything required, nor indeed can anything eff SD
tual be done, with the view Of increasing 6e
'se sales. Let me ask that Senator to look il
ther into the tables showing the sales of the r.
bic lands, and if strong an argument is in,
lnded on slight increase in the sales Of the w
t three years, let US see what longer series =
tpSiI tnac l. No H.
valuable knowledge only by looking az the
Grafton Of the SYSTEM from its first institution 70
the present time. The sales amounted in gu
ID to less than one and half million of acres :,
ere were also located in that year, under
lnty land warrants, little more that two mil
MS of acres Adding to the cash sales the no
d entered under warrants for bountics at &c
price, we have for the amount WI
posed of, little over $4,O00,O0O. Now let de re
compare these with the sales in former "a
les. In the year 1888 the sales amounted to
r millions Of acres; in 1884, to four millions es'
a half; in 1885 to twelve millions of acres, op
in 1886 to no less than nineteen millions 20
e table of returns show that from 1886, the ue
IS gradually fell, through successive years, an
minimum, and then gradually rose again. th'
mpare the sales of the present time, amount
to some four and half millions, including I'M
RES under warrants, with the cash sales of g''
~, amounting 10 nlneteen millions. 'no
Instead of gradual increase, there is an Al
'rmous falling off in the demand for these OF
d. From general view Of tho sph;ect tbe sci
erence drawn from the experience Of the IN
two or three years would seem not to be JUS IS
ID; on the contrary, it will be most strkingly er
'eloped that the fluctuations in the sales pr
at as they are,depend in very great measure TIC
IN the Legislation Of Congress rel
t is not true that because tie price is fix. me
at 81 % per acre. we can do nothing to in
rease or reard the sales of the lands, or the hot
dement, Of the country The legislative ac-
! Of Congress has always effected very ma 10 10
ally the annual amount of sales--fn 1885 =
1896 state Of things he grown up under =
influence oflegisla,ion, and produced in part the
other agencies, which increased the sales to
e.,ent A spirit of speculation
engineered and sustained A deprecated of
FeIcy was received in the land offices, and :
chases were made far beyond the quantity of 'c
! required for use. The specie circular put we
md to the speculation, and the sales grad the
" diminished. The history of this matter
Tvs most clearly how true ii is that the legis es'
on Of Congress. even that remotely bearing an
The subject, dwdsxs- vii abe sales and
who snpposes that legislation tending TO Gov
n the wilderness to the ingress of settlements s..
business, and to supply the means Of in ire
will have no favorable effect ent
n the object, humbly conceive is in great Lee
,r.
Or. President, in reporting the bills of this
racter from the Committee on Public Lands oui
aght to say that It has been the cndeavor Of
committee to select from the numerous ap
ations which were presented, those whose me
posed routes would secure great public OBJ Gel
s-.oads leading from the navigable waters mi
ne great river to those of another, or from w
lakes to large towns, or important points -!
the thoroughfares Of the country, and pass
through regions Of the puplic domain. And
giving favorable consideration to these OBJ no
Is, It was not opposed that we were depart me
from any we'll settled principle Of the Gov Of