The daily union., 1852-02-13

chaacef mol only as competitions with routes notsnblect
TO such restrictions but that example may be sci as 10
rates OF compensation which may tend 10 regulate the
matter on other great routes throughout the country
The increased value of the public lands occasoned by
the construction oil these channels OF communication
through them attracts The attention OF purchasers and
Increases the sales general increase o. prosperity TO
this kind, IS promoted by the grant
Mr. President shall say nothing here with regard TO
any general system OF internal Improvement which may
be supposed TO be connected with this matter The hon
orable senator from Kentucky [Mr. UNDERwooDl has
taken occasion to discuss that subject In connexon with
this bhi but do not place my support OF the policy OF
these grants on any such grounds Ii grants Of this char
acter are not sustained upon principles Of justice and duty
growing out OF The peculiar relations in which the gen
eral government stands TO the land States, OF oblga
tons incident TO their title, or out OF the interest OF The
United States as connected with the public domain,
shall surely not contend Tor them upon any other prn
cple. The honorable senator from Kentucky, the other
day, IN the able argument which he gave us upon
this sublect-and l am disposed to regard it as able
an argument as any which will be given-alluded to
which, without following him generally in his remarks,
may be well TO give passing notice lie conended
that the alternate sections reserved 10 the government
are, upon the passage OF such BILL Withdrawn from
sale, and that a long time must elapse before they
will be brought again into market Time, he asserts is
important In The early grants OF this description q be
eve there but two of them il was not declared in
the law what portion OF the alternate sections should be
retained by the United Sales and what should belong
the grantee This would require the land to be with
held for short time. until the designation could be made
This objection is, however, obvated in the bill before
II expressly provides that the sections beating eptn nun
bes in the official returns granted 10 the State and
the sections with the odd numbers are reserved 10 the
United States; SO that no commissioner agent is
qured TO make the selection The designation on the
plas at the General Land Office decides the question:
and the designated sections granted to the State
fall under the charge OF The proper authorities The
ton retained by the general government is not Withdrawn
from sale, and no change takes place in regard TO il,
cep an increase in price sale from ten 10 twenty sl
lngs acre. Nor are there any circumstances connect
ed with the construction of the road which likely 10
postpone Teard the sales the enhanced price On
The contrary, these lands will be sought with avid
ty, on account OF the advantages added to their locality
than before.
But it has been also alleged that the whole argument
founded on supposltion that the construction OF rail-
roads or canals through the public lands will increase
hasten Their sale, without foundation Now the sen
ator from Kentucky states that for the last two three
years the quantity OF lands sold has been increasing and
he cites the Official returns for the years lSiS, 'i9, so
Admitting such TO be the 1ac (and do not conroveT
I IS direct and positive contradiction OF the estimate
made by the Secretary OF the Treasury al the last Con-
gress in which he told that the lands disposed
OF for bounies and other grants sufficient TO anticipate
the sale fo sixteen years TO come and that consequently
nothing could be expected from that into The
treasury Admit, then, slight increase in the amount
oI sales, what is his argument It is tba, there is no
need OF any legislation for the purpose OF increasing
these sales; that you have fixed the minimum price at
II 25 per acre. that at that price they selling fast
enough, and that you ought not TO do anything is
anything required, indeed anything eiiecual be
done with the view oil increasing these sales. Let me
ask that senator 10 look further into the tables showing
the sales OF The public lands and ii strong argu
ment is founded on slight increase in the sales Tor The
last three years, let us see what longer series OF years
will teach us We can deduce correct and valuable
knowledge only by looking at the operation OF the
system from its first institution 10 the present time The
sales amounted in 1850 to less than one and half
millions OF acres. There also located in that
year, under bounty land warrants little more than
two millions of acres. Adding TO the cash sales the
lands entered under warrants for bounties at govern
ment price, we have Tor the amount disposed OF a
little over S4,O00,0o0. Now let compare these
with the sales in former times In the year 1888 the
sales amounted TO four millions of acres; in 1884 TO
four millions and hall in 1885 10 twelve millions OF
acres and in 1886 TO no less than nineteen milllons
The table OF returns shows that from 1885, the sales grad
ualy fall through successive years, 10 minimum, and
then gradually rise again. Compare the sales oil the
present time, amounting 10 some four and half mil
lions, including entries under warrants, with the cash
sales of 1885, amounting TO nineteen millions Instead
oil gradual increase there is an enormous falling oil IN
the demand for these lands. From general view OF the
subject the inference drawn from the experience OF the
last three years would not TO be justified
the contrary will be most strikingy developed that
the fluctuations in the sales, great they are, depend
in very great measure upon the legislation OF Con-
gfess Ii is not true that because the price is fixed al
81 25 per acre, do nothing to increase retard
the sales OF the lands the settlement OF the country
The legislative action OF Congress has ways affected
very materially the annual amount OF sales In 1885
and 1886 state of things had grown up under the inhu
ence OF legislation and produced in part by other agen
ces, which increased the sales TO an enormous extent
The spirit of speculation engendered and sustained
deprecated currency was received IN the land Offices and
purchases made lar beyond the quantity OF land re
qured for The specie circular put an end TO the
speculation and the sales gradually diminished. The
history of this matter shows most clearly how true IS
that the legislation OF Congress, even that remotely bear
ing on the subject, always does and always will affect
the sales and he supposes that legislation tending TO
open the wilderness 10 the ingress oil settlement and bus
ness, and TO supply the oil niercommuncauon will
have no favorable effect upon the object, humbly con-
celve is in great error.
Mr. President, in reporting the bills OF this character
from the Committee Public Lands ought TO say that
has been the endeavor OF that committee 10 select from
the numerous applications which presented those
whose proposed routes would great public OBJ
lects-roads leading from the navigable waters oil one
great river TO those OF another from the lakes to large
towns important points the tboroughares oil The
county, and passing through regions OF The public do.
main And in giving favorable consideration 10 these
objects IL not supposed that departing from
any well settled principle OF the government we re-
rarded rather the interest OF the whole country den
titled with that OF the States where these lands su
aed and that both would be promoted by the proposed
grant indeed that il due TO all parties 10 legslae
The subject with spirit of true Ebcrality
The question, Mr. President to which have referred,
however, relates simply the interests Of the general
government They demand TO know "what profit will
he TO the general government 10 make grants oil the
public lands for these purposes " have endeaVoed 10
show that al all events II by possibility be loss
10 the general government But 90 further IN my
opinion the position taken by the senator from Massa
chusels, tMr SUMNER1 the other day, that there is
dy imposed on the general government to adopt an en-
laged view OF this subject, and 10 prosecute system
which shall be liberal only in regard to the settlement
whose limits the public lands located, is perfectly
correct.
II will strike every one that there is a peculiarly IN the
of The 10 the land States.