The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-03-11
IErom the Boston Transcript.

am GRANTS TO THE LAND STATES
IL recent notice Of Mr.. Summers re.
.,,rLs on this subject, the Advertiser said
..Nei,her the new States, nor the people,
wera subject 10 any charge tor the care o.
~ nnbIic 4andy-lhey subjected them Il
w ~ hnrdens--,hey afforded tho Cn,ec
S..,cs no income until sold--and they
we're perma nen,ly in market at very
moderate price, 10 all persons disposed I
hocome residents or purchasers, who %
.,ch purchases would contribute to the
.ro.,crty ofthe neighboring community
The ground taken is bul partially correct.
Tie West is subjected 10 great burdens t.
.dyance the value Of the govcrnmen
lands. Arc no, the heavy taxes that are
aid for improyem Of roads, building
t,;dccs, sc, eqIally as advantageous to
,ha ands Of tho government as TO those
owned bv private individuals? Thousands
or.c,es Of lands are sold yearly that new
:, would have found purchaser had II
~, been for these very improvements in
,he way Of roads, bridges, &c, which the
h.,Jy piot,eer and settler have been taxed
:" o,v for, i
And is tho fac, that the lands afford the
Iroiled States no income, reason VIII,
these lands should be exempt from taxa.
lion? lfso, why would not The same rule
nnnlv 10 every non residen, holder oilands!
nav after the West has spent her thou
snnds of dollars, giving by her improve
meDts . market 10 government For thou
sands OF acres OF wild lands, at Sl,25 per
acre. that we're not, but for road facilities,
worth three cents per acre, the West Is told
thai she is not s'suhjec, TO any charge for
che care Of the public lands. and 10 no bur
dens: and iha, she has no claims upon the
government for the least consideration. y
When she asks, not that The government
should grant one single doilar-not tia!
they should grant one single acre OF land
thai will no, put into The Treasury Of the
United States ten dollars for every one
Granted for the object under consideration.
And how? Nine tenlhs Of the grant ask
% Tor the Davenport, aud Council Bsafi
R1ilroad csnno, be sold by government Tor
the next twenty years, unless this propos
ed railroad is built. The gran, asked Tor
il FOR alternate sections Of land on either
.ide Of the road. The proposition is that
the Stn,e shall not be allowed 10 sell this
land AT less than $3.50 per acre; the GOV
eminent TO sell the remaining lands along
the line nj The same rate. 4 market =
thu. al once created for ~ these lands, and
more money paid into the Treasury IN hive
wears than would by any possibility be pald
ia twenty in the absence II this grant
1t is no, alone the advantage oil the sales OF
the In nd for six miles on each side OF the
road tina, the government reaps, bnt u Is
the sales for twenty miles on either side
the entire track.
The West has spen, her money freely In
r,ads. bridges, &c, TO advance the interest
Of amerumen, IN the sale oi public lands;
and she now asks as an act OF justice tia,
eoveromeu, would simply do what ANY pr.
sale individual, owning The same tract 81
land, would be perfectly willing e 20 to'
the promotion Of his own interests: name
,y. urap, alternate sections OF land Tor the
purpose of aiding in binding nm iron high
way that is certain 10 be QUO o! the con
Meeting links 81 the iron bad that is yet t.
li.k Us with the Pacific.