Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-07-10
SPEECH OF Mr.. WEIGH,
'oE TIE PpBLIc LANDS.
o,tx az Rrpnt.rsrA ArIyrs JUNE 10 185e

'Houss or RrpRfsxsTATIvEs, Juw l2, 1852.
Mr.. WEIGH addressed the Houssas follows: Mr..
Speaker to President ang the great business Of
the bunesE oe the next Ivaature prediss vii be hs
protsctioO Of the labor of the country by udiciou
Upon these two sjsss, both, in my judgments n para
fpropose il can have the opportnty during the pre-
aGat session, be heal In fewwords upon each upes
Tie one with view to the present acti0n of this House
and upon the other with view the future action of the
people at the baotbox The fate of the public lands
mayepossiby, though hope not, be sealed during the
present session Whether the labor of the country shall
meet with adequate protection at the hands Of future
Congress win depend upon the character of the members
'of,whch the people shall will that it be composed.
shall not be them Mr. Speaker but confess Ife
strong solictude that majority of them may
see upon these two subjects think the welfare Of the
country in great measure depends upon the in
which they shall be settled and adjusted 1t all
probable that throw much light upon either but
conceive it my duty to give my views for what they
worth shall take the present occasion to speak of the
public lands.
That the public lands not much longer to continue
OF revenue to the Government but be dis
posed of upon of the pans brought forward
there but little doubt For the entire dis
position of them there three schemes lst The pre-
sent system Of sales for the purpose Of 3D. To
divide the lands the proceeds OF their sales among
States I'd. TO grant them to actual settlers free of
charge upon the principles of the homestead bill which
lately passed this House. Three several schemes are
also proposed for their partial disposition lst To grant
ID To grant to the old States amount that shall put
them on an equality with the States which have al
ready received grants 3d. To grant them to limited
class OF actual settlers enough absorb
any considerable part of them or diminish the revenue
derived therefrom.
Mr. Speaker, am not going into the reasoning in de-
tail for and against these several onehour
speech would poorly suffice for such purpose What
propose simply to set forth my plan for the dspos
ton Of the public lands show briefly that il avoids
most of the objections brought against Others atans
every good end they expected accomplish and
give the principal which governed me in voting
against the scheme denominated 9 the homestead BILL"
My plan for the disposition of the public lands is this
First would invest in productive form part Of them
IN aid Of the construction of such railroads would in
crease the value OF those remaining the present value
OF the whole Iwould provide for instance that the pro-
ceeds of sales of the public lands certain amount
say not exceeding $780, 000000, they came 10 hand
should be applied to aid in the construction Of certain
named lines Of railroads parts of railroads pro-
gress emplaton forming, with others already
plcted ve Six or more great national thoroughfares
This appropriation would make not by grant distr
button to the States by gift to the roads, but by
loan to the roads, investment in their stocks Let
the loan investment exceed say fourth part
Of the stock actually paid in If oan let it be well
cured by mortgage on the road otherwise and let it
remain without interest low rate of interest until
the road should be completed An officer of the Govern
ment might be named, a commissioner appointed to
make the investment perhaps with discretionary
powers TO the roads to be selected You might also
provide Cor granting alternate sections or their proceeds
TO such roads parts Of roads passed through pub
lie lands These roads could be selected a. to include
nearly every Of the raioads now before
asking alternate sections and be connecting
and completing links, in lines more than one-haf Of
whose entire length is already completed In some in
the lines nearly completed but on each con-
sistng they all must when left to individual and State
enterprise of dsointed Fragments there weak places
and wanting links which, without the aid Of the Govern
ment will endAnger and indefinitely delay the completion
of the entire work comparatively rifng aid TO those
links in many that might be named, would be of
immense benefit to the whole ne and the whole region
Of country it passes through have made calcua
ton and believe that less than 900 would be
sufficient the plan proposed TO aid in the completion
Of six continuous lines from extreme Of the
States California excluded to the other The public
hnds about 81 400 600 900 Of Sixty mil
lions Of acres about netwentieh part Of them would
yield the required amount
Secondly the disposition Of the proceeds Of the remain
ing public lands would leave the future steadily keep
ing in view the principle thatnt disposition Of them should
be made that would diminish their aggregate value
common fund.- unless IL should inure In reasonable
shape to the benefit of all.
Thirdly In connexion with this, would make some
provision for homeseads for the poor but not for the
rich would not be particular about the form of such
provision provided IL confined the legitimate OBJ
ect to wit TO enable those become farmers who are
unable 70 buys and not as e the object Of your home
stead bill" TO induce and hire those become farmers
who, though able, unwilling 70 bay. 1t should look
to competen provision for the unfortunate and dest
tue and not TO increase Of the number of farmers
nctos that might be adopted for eectng this object
prefer the plan Of preemptons Iwoud grant to per-
sons settling upon the public lands who unable
buy land preempon and right Of possession for time
long enough TO enable them make the money from the
Andsay fve or ten years At the end of the period il
the pre-emptor st unable pay, and could satisfy
the officer that he had been industrious and had
vented by sickness other misfortune from raising the
money, i would give him further time, would make
hm patent for the land, part oft whoutpay, If his
misfortune was such to cali for charity In other words
would give every who desired II present home and
tne means Of procuringa title more than this be
asked for the homeless and houseess" am unable to
see WY. you wish to guard against land monopoly
auo, yon please provisions against buying them up in
iaIge quanutes, unless Of high prices
Du' VIZ not 60 into detail. Such is my plan Part
tne puohc lands invested in productive FORM in such
as w be Of general benefit and increase the va
ue the remaining public lands the disposition Of the
remainder 70 be left TO the wisdom of the future and to
cvsry one ~ home, with the Of becoming
viii cheerfuy vote for the bin under consideration
because 50 far as II goes is substantially in execution
OF this plan IL approprates part OF the public lands
twenty mine millions Of acres believe "a The copstv,c
tion Of railroads and for other public nurno.s. hv
objections TO it. think the grant is mot arv, enougb
think the selection Of the roads and the appcat;o of
the fund should be left TO the General Goveruert and
not 70 the States that the public might have
fares, and not local and dsointed Fragments of rosia
think aso that the investment should be made 20 a. 70
bcPrcductiye thereby not diminishing the fund. Bat
half loaf - better than bread The bill in in the
6ht direction and upon the right principle, and shall
cheerfnliy support IL gs4aE 4 Feslg4 NJ n ks
Now, submit, Mr.. Speaker, that my plan, while IL
avoids ncary every ground Of opposition 10 the various