The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-20
asmatLs 81 lien. aif. tksss,
In he Tinted States 5eaate, on he Public Lands
h, No Syale of Ohio


Senate this morning. | have never before mad
such request, and hope they will grant it nov
bill granting the unsold residue OF publ
J lands in Ohio, which, at the present time, al
reduced TO only two hundred thousand acre
by the process of sales, which has been goin
on more than sixty years, stands second upo
the calendar. | am obliged to leave my sea
for few DAYS; and unless the bill is taken u
now, it can hardly receive the action OF tn
House at the present SEES sion. But, DESTROYS a
am to take it up, pledge myself that, if
takes over half an hour, will consent to lay
upon the table and submit to the Inconvenience
| therefore move 10 postpone.the previou
orders, with the view of taking up that bill.
Mr.. UPlAM. | hope we shall go throug
with the morning business. Reports from CON
mittees have not yet been called for.
Several SENATORS. Let US take up the bill.
Mr.. MANGUM. | hope we will not take
up have n resolution which wish to intro
duce.
Mr.. DAVIS. And have another.
The PRESIDENT. Neither reports nor reso
lutions have been called for. The motion is Il
postpone all other business, TO take up the bill
named by the Senator from Ohio. ..-
Mr.. MANGUM. hope We will proceed will
the regular order of business " .....a
| MIR. CHASE. | ain sure the honorable Sen
ator from North Carolina could not have heart
the appeal which made
Mr.. MANGUM. | did not.
MIR. CHASE. am obliged, in consequence
OF peculiar circumstances, to leave my seat TO
a few days, and unless this bill is acted upol
now, it cannot receive the action Of the House
1t stands the second on the calendar, and was
introduced at the very commencement of TIT
81 ia. nF
consume more than half an hour, pledge my
self to let it lie on the table, as am unwilling
to interfere with other bills. :"
| The motion to postpone was agreed 10, anG
the Senate proceeded, as in the Committe of the
Whole, to the consideration of the bill to grant te
the State of Ohio the unsold and unappro priated
public land remaining in that State, which was
reported from the committee on public lands
with various amendments. ..."
The amendments proposed by the Committee
Of Public Lands were read. ..a
Mr., CHASE. Hope the amendments Of the
committee will be agreed to.
Mr. DAWSON. wish to ask a question OF
information The reservations Of Indian lands
are put down at fifty five cents per acre. Has
the general government the right of fixing the
price of lands reserved for Indians under treaty
For il it is not in their power to dispose of the
lands at that price, you will have an application
to pay out Of the treasury the amount they
could have obtained for these very lands. -....
MIR. CHASE. The answer to that question
is very short. The matter was very carefully
considered by the Committee on Public Lends.
The government is bound TO account TO the In
dams for the proceeds Of these lands at one
dollar and twenty five cents per acre, less
seventy cents allowed charges. II, then, the
State Of Ohio pays to the United States the
sum of fifty. five cents per acre, the treasury
will receive the whole amount which the gov
eminent is bound to pay to the Indians.
Mr. DAWSON. Then these lands, which
may be worth one dollar and twenty-five cents
per acre, reserved to the Indians, which could
nave been disposed of thrown into the market,
we ara to give eonditionaly to the State OF
OHIO, upon the payment of lifly-fve cents per
acre by that State for the lands, thereby taking
from the lands which are reserved to the Ind.
ans, and giving seventy cents to the acre OF their
value to the State of Ohio. -.....
| Mr.. CHASE. The Senator does not under
stand the point. The lands are not reserved
TO the Indians they belong to the United States
! The United States is bound TO account to the
Indians at the rate of one dollar and twenty.
five cents per acre, reserving seventy cents pei
acre for charges incident to sales of the lands
There will remain, then, fifty five cents per acre
in the event they be sold, which would go ia
the Indians. But, instead OF waiting for n lone
period until they are sold, the State of Ohio /.
at once to pay into the treasury fifty five cents
per acre, 30 that the Indians can get it without
further delay. The lands have been offered for
sale, and are subject to private entry.
| Mr.. HUNTER. | understand this bill pro.
M In syi.y la,l a. -, L..
which have not been sold, TO that State.
should like to know how much land il is pro
posed to give
! Mr.. CHASE If the Senator will allow the
amendments to be acted upon, | will answer
his question very briefly.
Mr.. HUNTER. Very well.
The amendments were agreed To-.
Mr.. CHASE. The bill, now under consider
alton, Mr. President, is one Of considerable i'm.
portance to the people Of Ohio. IL grants Il
the State the unsold residue of the public lands
within her limits, except that portion living
within the Virginia Military District, which can
not be ceded without the consent Of Virginia
The quantity of land granted is not large bu
it is large enough to make the grant desirable
to the State. Nor is the land Of much value
but IT is OF much greater value to the State thar
to the general government. The principal OBJ
Ject OF the measure is TO terminate federal own
ersbip within the limits of the State and
think the time has arrived when all will agree
that so far as Ohio is concerned, the proprie
torship Of the general government should com,
TO an end
] ask the attention Of senators 10 brief state
ment Of facts which will exhibit clearly the mer
its Of the bill
The quantity of land, unsold in Ohio on III,
30lh September last, was only 2I6,O7O acres
The quantity sold by the general government
in Ohio, up to that time, had been l2.6l6 90e
acres. Besides these large sales there had beef
granted to the States Of Connecticut and Vir
ginia, as Inducements TO the cessions made b.
them to the United States, 7,376,76 acres an
to companies and individuals mostly in larp
tracts and for resale, l,4s5564 acres ; and &
satisfy claims for military purposes, 1864, go
acres The aggregate quantity Of lands 70
which the people Of Ohio have had or have We
TO pay the government or its grantees. is, there
lore, 23046.484 acres. There have been re
, served for Indians and salines 40.547 acres
There remain. ne I have statod NIL, ore mi