The southern press., 1852-03-09

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form as? 2,700 900 acres OF land. My friend
the Senator from Illinois. Mr. SHIELDS, knows
tito be so. do not blame the senators from
that State for it. They only came and presented
the claim; they made no misrepresentation
about il they were asked for 40 inform ,ton or
the subject; they said, aIf you are willing, lei
il pass" and il did pass; and will show you
how il has been carried out, and who received the
benefits from il.
Mr. SHIELDS. Will the honorable gentle
man allow me to ask upon what basis his calcu
lation is made?
Mr. DAWSON tits based upon information
given by your colleague.
Mr.. SHIELDS, The distance was called foul
hundred niles think it is not quite four hun
dred; butt find that the gentleman has included
in his statement the branch to Galena, and the
other branches.
Mr.. DAWSON The branches are all taker
into tire same survey, making in all 600 miles
IL is immaterill about that, whether it is cross
firing or direct firing-it is quite sufficient tc
show that the lands are gone. The Senator
corrects me upon part of the question thai
does not involve any principle. have never
said that you acted wrongly if | had been one
of your constituents should promptly have APP
proved of your course. There is 600 miles il
|
sir what do you suppose, what does the Senate
suppose, what does the country suppose has
become of this 100000 acres Of land, which
are said to be some Of the finest lands in Illinois
and all the land is first rate in that country? II
is most beautiful country. was reading some
remarks upon it only the other day by gentle.
man who says at is the finest portion of the
| globe-the finest country upon which civilized
man ever settled-promsing, healthfn, and fer
tile" There are 100000 acres of the best
| land on the face of this country gone And
where has it me to!
Why, sir, il has been but little more than d
year since we passed this bill authorizing the
appropriation of this amount of public land to
build this railroad. Where are the money and
the land? Illinois, through her Legislature
passed an act authorizing an agent to dispose OF
these public lands to companies who would con.
struct these railroads A company formed in
Boston and New York Through their agent,
Mr.. RANToUL, who madea speech on this subject
recently in the other House which astonished
me, when | read it, coming, as it did, from a rep
resentative of one of the old Statcs,) obtained
these lands, and undertook to build these roads
and lave them completed in ur years from this
date-llnois being entitled as further COM
pensation, to per cent. of the proceeds of
these railroads. There it is sir! These 2,70O,.
900 acres of lands are now in the hands of a
company formed in Boston and New York, who,
in their corporate character, are the sole and ex
elusive owners of these lands.
| Mr.. SHIELDS. Mr.. President there should
be more explanation about this, and will take
occasion to state-lest there should be misap
prehension on the subiect-that this company
only gets control of the lands as fast as they
make the road. They are not the actual and
absolute owners; they only get the proceeds of
the land in proportion to the progress of the
road-and the lands are to return to the State
if they fail.
! Mr.. DAWSON. That is exactly so they
get their payments by instruments, instead Of all
at once. And what contractor ever did paw n
man millions of dollars for labor when only a
] part of the labor was executed! Now, sir, this
act Of contract vests the title centingently or
conditionally in the contractors, and as they fin.
ish the road from point to point the title abso-
! lutey vests in them.
But let me carry out this estimate by which
these roads can be built. They can be built in
that country at cost not exceeding $40 600 a
mile, Including making excavations, embank
ments, and laying down the iron, and for furn.
ishing the road with all the engines and cars
upon it. 1t costs this company, then, for six
hundred and ninety miles Of road $4,000, 900.
And what is now the estimated value of that
| land by the corporators themselves and the gen
tlemen from Illinois, who passed this act by their
own Legislature! Ii is some Of the finest land,
says the Senator, in the whole valley Of the Mis-.
sissippi, ard worth at least ten dollars an acre.
There arc 100000 acres Of land, worth ten
dollars an acre, gone into the hands of this com
plny TO build a railroad which will cost them
] So AZ. 1. LII
$27, 100000. The balance goes into the hands
of this corporation by our legislation here, when
il might have been received by the United States.
and the same work could have been done, while
the profit would have gone into our treasury
| And yet you call this honest legisstion-iust 10
every section Of the country! Why, sir, IL is
an outrage upon the rights Of the States that we
represent here, and one which ought not TO b.
permitted again TO occur
These gentlemen say, All we cannot divide
lands, and let you take lands in the State
Of Illinois or Iowa. And why would you
not do itl Is a State more unkind than
a cOrporationl A corporation Of individuals
may own 100000 ncres Of your land; but
il is contrary TO principle for a State 10
hold lands within another State. I present
| this idea merely 10 show that al these reason
ngs are fanciful. They are unjust 10 ourselves
and 10 the country. They do not become
people pretending TO do what Is right and inst
between the States. NJ the lands belong 10
State, why Is Il not a. well as for them 10 be-
long TO individuals. Could not the governor Of
Georgia have gone 10 Illinois, and, in behalf of
the State, purchased these lands, undertaking
20 execute the contractl Could he rot have
done this in his capacity Of governorl And
then the governor Of Georgia would have held
the lands But where Is there constitutional
provision allowing an individual 10 hold lands
in another State, but prohibiting Stated This
is a reason given merely TO encourage what are
called State-Rghts men, and 10 allure them
into voting against the proposition. There is
the argument illustrated before the country;
and want the country to know H. Take the
100000 acres Of land which have gone into
the hands Of company 10 build a railroad, 500
miles long, which will cost Sc 100000, and the
valuation OF the soil to-day is not less than
$27OOO,O00; and thus YOU put into The pockets
/ Of this coppanv A main Of g1O IOo mn hv mr.