Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-03-11
JOURNAL AND UNION--HANNTBAI4 Mo. MARCH ill., 1850

JOUhN 1
ma 10000 acres the younger sister, Iowa
mas received S25,O7S acres and Wisconsin S59,
40O acres, while the other States Of Missouri
Louisiana, Michigan, and Floridn, have each re-
eeived but 5OO, 900 acres. hope that WesterI
gentlemen will not initiate the example of on,
OF the honorable members from the State O.
Ohio, Mr.. Sweetser, who addressed the com
mittee OF this house at an early period Of th,
session--a gentleman who represents one of III,
older sisters Of the new States--a State which
has received more than a million Of acres, and
which has but little Of the public domain left II
her boundaries; and yet that gentleman appeal,
to the House to do justice to the older States b,
dividing the land equally among all. However
well this may come from gentlemen Of the Older
States, il comes with bad grace from the Rep.
resentative of State which has received NOR,
than double the amount that some Of her young.
er sisters have received-Avhch has received Il
for the purpose Of internal improvement, ant
after these younger States have aided her in
procuring the grant. l am happy to know that
1t is not the spirit of gentlemen of the West
and hope it is not the spirit Of gentlemen from
the East.
l have spoken, Mr.. Speaker, somewhat Of
OF the vastness Of the extent of the Mississippi
Valley. let me come down TO point in which
| feel deeper interest, and speak Of the vastness
OF the extent Of my own State, as one of the
number in that great valley, and of the lit
tie that hae been done fsr har By tbs GaVexD-
ment.
Look at Missouri; she has been for thirty
years a member of this Confederacy, and during
that period has received but 100000 acres Of
land for works Of internal improvement and
yet, what is the amount of land within her lin.
its? More than 43, 900, 600 of acres, of which
there has been sold only about $4,000 900 or
100000 of acres, leaving near 30, 0OO, 900 of
acres unsold within her borders. l ask YOU TO
compare it, gentlemen of New York, with your
own State. Here we have a public domain
within the limits Of our State amounting to more
than 29, coo, 900 Of acres which does not Weld
one cent Of revenue to our State government
an area almost equal TO the whole State of ,,So,,
York, which has but 29, 100000 acres Of land
l ask you, gentlemen Of New York; ask Won,
gentlemen OF Penns;y lvania, how can YOU expect
us, when tnere is less than 10000, 900 of acres
ii land in our State subject to taxation, and more
than 100000 of acres which is not subject
to taxation-an amount greater in area than the
whole Of your State-to make such works as
are projected and commenced, and such as are
needed, through the public DOMAINE You NAV
be prepared to ask me why we do not follow
the example Of New York and Pennsylvania,
and make these works, if needed, out Of our
own resources? / answer the interrogatory
thus: You have no public domain not subject to
taxation, but every acre Of land within your
States, presume, may be made tributary to ev-
cry road projected within your limits. Not so
with Missouri She has but 100000 of
acres sub ect to taxation, while there are 90
900 Of acres which she cannot touch, be-
cause it is the property Of the General Govern
ment. Can you expect Ms, under such disad-
vantageous circumstances, to make roads through
the domain, when we have but 10000, 900 of
acres out of 100000 which yield us any rev.
enue
/ beg gentlemen to remember this further
fact that every State and county road in the
limits of Missouri has been made by the citi-
zens Of our State. They have marked out and
surveyed not only the roads which pass before
their own doors and through their farms. but
those across those vast, untenanted, and unin-
habited prairies of the West, and where the
wilderness intervenes they have cut them,
might say, almost unaided by the General Gov
eminent, from which we have only received,
under the compact between Missouri and the
General Government, three per cent. of the net
proceeds Of the S les of lands, within the limits
of the State of Missouri--three per cent. of the
net proceeds upon the sale Of 10000 900 of
acres. All our roads have been opened.-all
our bridges have been erected, and yet the Gen
eral Government has never contributed any,
thing save the three per cent, which / have
mentioned, and the 100000 acres of land which
were donated few years since.
/ beg, in this connection, to quote from
speech Of one of South Cardinals most gifted
sons, in debate in the Senate of the United
States, which for holiness of eloquence, for
strength of argument, and pungency of satire,
has never been surpassed in the British
Parliament in the days of Fox, Of Pitt, and of
Burke. beg leave to read the extract, in con-
nection with the remarks which am now ma
king:
~ can easily conceive that it may be extreme
ly inconv enient, nay, highly injurious to State
to have immense bodies of lands within her
lin its, locked up from sale or settle
ment, withdrawn from the power of taxation,
and contributing in no respect to her wealth or
ask, does not this state Of things actually
existing in the State of Missouri, present strong
claims Upon the Government for the adoption Of
a liberal policy towards that State? We claim
as an act of justice to US the aid Of this Gov
eminent in constructing these roads over vast
tracts Of the public domain, which are locked
up from sale, and which yield 20 Missouri no
revenue, Without grant from the General
Government, the great proprietor who iS TO be
greatly benefited by the construction Of these
roads, we cannot complete them. We have
not in the interior of our State many large
capitalists, retired gentlemen whose fortunes
are made, and who are anxiously seeking in
vestments, but, sir, we have hardy, enterpri-