Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-17

QeuY
the good policy and benefccnt effects all parties con-
cerned from these grants he does not oppose them on
their own merit but says in substance these grants
are made injustice will be done to the old States because
they do not get their share" Te this answer the old
States have not chosen have demand PARTITION
OF these lands distribution Of their proceeds Tex
cep during the shortved existence Of the Of Sep
TENDER 4, l64l Those States having majority in this
Dody have chosen to get their share and proportion Of
those lands through the medium of the National
on that ground meet the gentleman, and say him.
cordng to his own position and the history Of the opera
on OF our land system, be admitted that the old
States in justice to themselves as mere question of dol
lars and cents ought to continue this system Of granting
alternate sections for worthy objects and on terms az
just reciprocity to the land States instead Of stopping
short and playing the part Of the dog in the
oy neither using these refuse lands small amounts of which
we ask ior benehcent national purposes and for fair
equivalent nor suffering to do it, But permit me- sir
TO ask those who make incline assent to this obec-
uon or any kindred one, question, and do it in all
candor You say the old States ought to have provisions
made for them out Of these public lands different from
what have been made and that the small grants nv
the States shall not be made till these provisions are
made for the old States Have the old States or anv Of
them heretofore demanded such provisions for them
Of the public domain either in land or the represen
tave Of land Have the old States any of them ever
asked of the sray of this body donations Of land for
praseworhy bene6cen purpose and had their request
denied? perceive by reference to the United States
statutes that Kentucky not many years since asked for
township, three thousand eight hundred and orty acres
of land for the benefit of her lunac asylum and recey
COnnecuCuJ
similar purpose, and got it, If there be any instance of
such request and REFUSAL It has escaped my knowledge
and shall be obliged to the gentleman from New York
some other to advise me Of it, if there be such an in
stance upon the Congressional records of the country
Why, then, do you complain Do you blame the new
States, and bring railing accusations against them be-
cause Congress, Of whom you compose majority, have
not buckled lands upon your backs % NV Bible teaches
Ask and you shall receive GE and you shall find knock
and it shall be opened unite YOU commend the matter
to the especial consideration of the venerable gentleman
from Massachusetts,, Mr. FOWLER, who made us speech
yesterday in which he incidentally spoke Of these pro-
posed grants of alternate sections aid the new States in
building their projected railroads. and expressed him.
self willing to 80 for them certain terms Let the old
states make reasonable demand of this sort for any
object specially affecting them and if the
new States refuse to aid them in getting it. then there
may be ut least decent pretex for refusing to do at
he instance of the States what is admitted to be lust
md benefcent national and expeden in every point of
REV in which it can be regarded
But the honorable gentleman from New York (Mr. 4
BENSETr) seems to that the States dis
posed to play "a grab game" in regard to the public
ands. He says Each Of the States now claim all
he lands within their limits and the grants proposed to
he old States do not interfere with that claim The cool
of this argument is refreshing &C. The neso States
up such claim At least speak advisedly for Mis-
souri,, and think for the rest of the land States
deny the honorable gentlemans position in toto. They
10 not claim all the lands lying within their limits
10 they ask of this House qualified grants Of onetenth
onetwenteth part of the lands that lie within their
limits. The new States actuated by Of JUS
ce They do not seek to deprive the old States of their
share " of the public domain. They respect the Just
lights of and are moved by sense of gratitude and al
Affection towards the glorious Old Thirteen, whs bore
he brunt Of the revolutions whose soil has been press
ID by the footsteps of the heroes of 10 and moisen-
ID by their blood, and beneath whose surface their
red dust reposes. They seek to do them no wrong
They only ask small grants of portions Of the refuse pub
ic domain, which they have aided to win for the Gov
rnment by their dangers, tolls, and prvatons in the
wilderness. They ask these not gratuity but upon
he stctest principles Of equivalents and reciprocity of
benefits. But the honorable gentleman brings up
of official figures to show that there have been
donated for all purposes to fourteen States incud
Tennessee and the four Territories Utah, New Next
%, Oregon, and Minnesota, 81, 900 000 of
and and that the Government has sold only about
OF OOO 600 acres Of its domain only about 100000
more than it has thus donated Now what does all that
,rove What do these donations prove? Some 25
f the quantity it seems donated to the Terrific
eneft Of the people Of the United States including those
# New York. curse to them' as the case may be-
What do these donations of land prove? They were
made for school purposes in order that the school
master" might be in the track of the pioneer FOR
Dads and canals for asyums and perhaps other bene
icent purposes. The residue of the public domain
doubtless enhanced in price thereby the settlement Of
he country great desideratum always with Congress-
IS its whole land system showswas thereby expedited
Every gentleman knows and every husband and father
cells, that strong inducement to emgrate to new
ountry is the knowledge Of the fnct that
e win find there the means of good common school
ducaton. Those were in part furnished in the
States through these donations of land this act of
Voluntary iberality towards the States and Terri
ories Now, submit if it is not fair to presume that
tut for these Donations there would not have been
han twohirds of the amount of sales that there has
,een. SO that the States the old States
hing that And it is, doubt not, precisely
because these liberal donations and grants of land have
,een made by the General Government that it has sold
wen the 101 100000 of which the honorable gen.
leman from New York seems to consider such beg
,ary account of empty boxes" Those S101, 000, 900
md upwards have gone into the Treasury and trust
Jew York has received her full share of it.
Well, sir, while am the subject of Figures" /
viii aude briefly TO some statistical statements Of the
honorable gentleman from New York about the per
ent" in eleven Of the States including Ohio, in
ych he sets down the amount Missouri has received up
December, l847, at $559 0232, and which, he says
exclusive Of the two per cent for roads to and
through the States" Now, Missouri has received only
per cent Of the nett proceeds Of the lands sold
within her limits either directly indirectly; which, it
appears by statement of the Commissioner of the Ge
lcral Land Office, which hold in my hand, amounted,
lp the 31st Of December 1850, to 1874 1873 the
of which that she ought in justice to have
ire this received up to the time, $249, 1885,
The of the 9th of March, 1920, " to authorize the
people of Missouri Territory to form constitution and
State Government and for the admission of such State
nto the Union on equal footing with the original
States and to prohibit slavery in certain Territories
mong other things provided that FIVE per cent of the
,e proceeds Of the sales Of lands lying within the said
Territory State, and which should be sold by Con-
press from and after the first day Of January then next
all expenses incident to the same, should
reserved for making public roadsand canals ofwhch
hreehs should be applied to those objects within the
statc under the direction Of the Legislature thereof
md the other tpols in defraying, under the direction
IF Congress the expenses to be incurred in making