The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-15

from sixty to seventy bushels Of corn. Give
! the cotton planter or the farmer facilities for
market, and is he not better able to pay 81 SO
per acre than he would = Is for land which
was forty or fifty mites from market and where
his corn would not be worth more tI,an five or
ten cents bushel, and the cost of lransportino
cotton or tobacco or -four from one half to ono
cent per pounds
The committee have assumed, in framing tbi.
bill, that, general rule, the lands lying
within six miles on both sdes of railroad will
certainly increase in value 100 per cent think
] can bring some testimony here which might
satisfythe gentleman from Georgia. VI. TooMBsl
that the construction Of railroads increase the
price OF lands, and that greatly. | desire To
state (and il | do not state the fact correctly
hope the gentleman will correct me,) that il, the
Cherokee country, region that twelve years
ago had no facilities foe market ut all, their corn
was not worth more than ton or twelve cents per
bushel; and but little cotton wa, raised in con.
sequence OF the enormous cost Of transporting
1t by land carriage to market. That country
now teens with an Industrious and thriving
population, and the former forests have been
converted into beautiful, productive, and profit.
able farms. The State Of Georgia constructed
a road there; and in conversation with mn in.
telligent gentleman from that country, a day or
| two ago, he said to me, that the lands had in.
creased in value along the line of that road, for
thirty miles on both sides, from 100 to 1000
| per cent. The committee assumed that land
lying along the lines of these roads for six miles
would certainly increase in value 100 per cent.
| In many instances, | have no doubt it will
| greatly exceed 100 per cent AMI in some favor
ito localities reach even 1000 per cent Bnt
| six miles is assumed by the committee as the
distance upon the average on either side, and
| that the increase in value will ut least reach 100
per cent. ! think the settlers in the new States
oughtto be liberally treated by this government,
| for it requires bold and enterprisine man To
give up and renounce all the conyenences and
| Injuries to be met with in the old States-to
take leave Of the home of his childhood, the
friends Of his youth, and the companions of his
maturer years, to plunge into western forest.
All this requires courage and enterprise These
| people deserve generous consideration from the
government, and are especially entitled to re-
ceve 1t, when tho government does not iniurc
itself OF the other States of the confederacy by
extending it. They have but little capital there.
aud that is one reason why these donations
should be made. When persons emigrate to
the West or Southwest, rs general rule, all
| the capital they carry wi them is their indus
try and enterprise. If you give them these
| lands, so as to enable them to purchase iron for
| q
sale of the land, their industry will accomplish
the balance.
| Now, Mr.. Speaker, wish to submit few re-
marks upon some Of the details of this bill. 1t
is provided that where the lands have been taken
up within the six miles by entry, the company
shall be allowed to distance of fifteen miles
for the purpose of making up this qnota. Well,
that feature, am free to acknowledge, did not
meet my appreciation fully, but have waived
| the objection. The government is amply com.
pensated by allowing this extension from six to
fifteen miles. In the first place, it is provided
that the mails shall be carried over these roa Is
not at such prices rs the company and the gov
ernment shall agree W on, but at such price as
Congress shall fx-lesving it abs ,lutely under
the control OF Congress. | sup. use every gen.
tieman on,this floor familiar with the operations
of the Post Office Department, knows the diff
culties that are encountered now by the Post
mas or General in making contracts for car,y-
ing the mails over the railroads of the country.
There is scarcely railroad company in the Uni
ted States that does not avail itself of the CD.
| portunity presented, to eXtort from the govern
ment larger compensation for the Transportation
OF the mails than II is Justly entitled to- But
by this bill you reserve to yourselves the right
to say at what price the mails shall b. carried
That is one great point gained. The distance
from st. Joseph to Hannibal is about two hun.
dred miles, and the cost of transporting heavy
mail, being within the first class over railroad
between those two places would be $500 per
mile. There would be 100000 paid ont by The
government for the transportation of the mails
over that road for one single year That il
more than it is worth; and Congress by adop
ting this policy can apply corrective, and vote
to these railroad companies fair compensation.
Bnt there is another advantage 10 the govern
ment in this bill, which was not included in the
| Mississippi bill or in the first Illinois bill. Ii
ia this: the bill provides that the troops of the
| United States shall be transported over these
roads throughout all time without charge and
also that munitions of war, and property of the
| United States of every descriptions shall be
! transported free of charge.
| Now look at this Missouri road It points in
| the very direction which you are compelled TO
60 in travelling to Utah, New Mexico, Oregon.
and California And again let me ask gentle
men, how long are you to have an Indian from.
| tier between those remote States and Terrific
res on the Pacific and the western border Of
| Missouri 1t will be, perhaps, hundred years
before the red man the forest is exterminated
and during the whole of that time it will be ne
cessary for tho government to keep up troops
and stations upon the frontier to guard against
| the incuroions which these Indians may make
| Now take the transportation Of the mails and
public property over these roads for fifty years
! time, and venture the assertion that it will paw
| you an interest of thirty per cent. upon every
dollars worth of land that you donate to these
companies perhaps an interest of fifty per cent
upon every dollar
| Here let ME say, that all the bills that the
Committee on Public Lands have determined to
report to this House are bills of national char
acter-are bills which, if passed, will be of nfn.
ito service to this government in time of peace,
in the transportation Of the mails and public
property, and in time of war in the transporta
ton of troops and munitions Of war
| Well, sir, there is another clause in this bill
which was in none of the bills previously passed,
and it is one which should commend itself to
the favorable consideration of all tho members
of this House. 1t is this: the donation is made
j MT II tho COR IN -