Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-03-04

ished at the small amount TO be entered
on the debtor side, in The great account
between the States and the National
Government. This consists of grants for
internal improvements, in the whole
reaching TO only SO, 0,474,473 acres, which,
at 9 ,25 an acre, will be 0,593, ,O9I.-
If this sum be deducted from The estilnat-
ed value OF the immunity from taxation
already enjoyed by the United States,
we shall still have upDartis of $50. 0.00O,-r
900 surrendered by the land States to
the nation; or, If we call the annual tax
two cents an acre, more than double this
sum. ,s
In these estimates have grouped to-
geiher all the land States. But, taking
separate States, we shall find the same
proportiona,e result. For instance. there
is Ohio. with l6. .77O,98f acres proclaim
ed Tor sale down TO January /, lS49.--
Adopting the basis already employed,
and assuming that ihese lanas continued
in the possession of the Unite,. States af-
ter being surveyed and proclaimed an av-
erage period of twenty-five years, and
that the land tax was one cent an acre,
we have S4,l92.725 as the value of the
immunity from taxation already enjoved
by the United States in Ohio. From
this may be deducted the value of ,lSl,-
l34 acres, being grants to this State for
internal improvements, ais rs per acre,
equal to 81 ,476,367, leaving upwards oil
two mI,lions-nearly three millions--of
dollars yielded by this State TO the Ma
ton.
Take another S,ate--Missouri. Ii
appears that, down to January, ls49,
80, 1855, 500 acres had been proclaimed
for sale in this State. Assuming again
The basis already employed, aud we have
50, ,90S, 900 as the value of the immunity
from taxalions already enjoyed by the
United States in Missouri. From this
may be deducted the value of 100000
acres, granted TO this State for internal
Improvements, which, at 81 ,25 an acre,
will amount to $625,00O, leaving up
wards OF nine millions of dollars thus
yielded by this State to the Nation.
| might in this way proceed with all
the land States individually; but enough
has been done TO repel the charges a.
gainst them, and to elucidate their pc
cuiiar equity in the premises. On the
one side, they have received little-very
lirle-irom the nation; while, on the
other side, the nation, by every consic-
Grafton of equity, is largely indebted TO
IL, ,l,l of
luies fund to which The land States NAV
properly resort for assistance in their
works of internal improvement, and Con-
gress will show an indifference to the
REASONABLE lie demands by these States,
should j, fail to deal with them, muniii-
cenuy--in some sort, according to the
simple measure ofadvantage which the
Nation has already SO largely enjoyed at
their hands.
Against these clear and well supported
merits OF the land States, the old States
can present small claims 10 consideration.
They have waived no right of taxation
over lands within their acknowledged
jurisdiction; they have yielded up no
costly franchise. II remains, then. that.
with candor and justice, they should re-
cognise the superior-l viii not say ex-
of the States within
whose borcers and under the protection
of whose laws the national domain is
found.
Thus much for what have to say in
favor Of this bill, on the ground of Justice
to the States IN which the lands lie. If
this argument did not seem sufficiently
conclusive to render any further dis
cussion srpernuous, al least from me,
might 60 forward, and show that the true
interests OF The whole couniry-of every
State in the Union. as of Iowa ITSELF
are happily coincident with this claim of
justice.
Il will readily occur to all, that the
whole country will gain by the increased
value of the lands still retained and ben
Gifted by the proposed road. But this
advantage, though not unimportant. is
trivia! by the side Of the grander gain
commercially, politically, socially, and
will necessarily accrue
from the opening of a new communica-
tion, by which the territory beyond the
Mississippi will be brought into conncc.
iion with the Atlantic seaboard, and by
which the distant post Of Council Bluffs
will become asnburb of Washington
II would be difficult. 10 exaggera,c the in.
fuence of roads-as means ofciviliza,ion.
This, a,leasss@s.le said: Where roads
are not, civilization cannot be; and civil.
cation advances asroads are extended
By these. religion and knowledge are
ditfused; intercourse of all kinds is pro-
NOTED; the producer, the manufacturer,
aud the customer, are all brought nearer
together, commerce is quickened; mar
ke,s are opened; property, wherever tou-
ched by these lines, is changed, as by "a
magic rod, into new values; and the great
current of travel, like that stream Of
classic fable, or one of the rivers Of our
own California, hurries in channel Of
golden sand. The roads, together with
the laws, OF ancient Rome, are now bet.
ter remembered than her victories. The
FlarniniaD and Appian ways-once trodI
by returning procunsuis and tributary
remain as benefcent repre-
senlatives of her departed grandeur. Uh.
L. sk n. a