Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-01


served to the United States raised from $ 20 to W
These lands were not surpassed in fertility,
climate, convenience of location by any in the Union
corporation created to take the lands and construct
the canal This canal to be some sixty seventy
miles long The lands gone OF course, but where s
the canal! dixie, now used for mill purposes, mile
and hafn length tells the whole tale Of this munfcent
donation Not discouraged at this disastrous result IN
l846 Congress granted to the Territory like alter
nate sections Of land for the Improvement Of the Fox and
Wisconsin rivers In l848 Congress- that the whole
project in failure not only reduced the price OF
the alternate sections Of the land reserved to the General
Government in both grants Wisconsin back to ST ~
but paid those who had purchased these reserved
sections double that the excess above 81 2S
acre Let the Governor q wisconsin in his annual mes
sage to the Leature Of that State in January last be
heard upon this subject He is the ground, Ag eye
witness to the effects Of this system Of
/ digAity. give hislanguage:
xhe large grants the public lands 70 tho st IN trust the
sos snS g ~ iIa %
The State ongrossng the most valuable portions q the vacant
su Of the immediate market = wen T. the original cost
s nss and
gain the capitalist wen placing them beyond the reach
producers in the State The would BE- they would
s, and @ %oSs do b n % Ss s.
ent price h grant b made for the benefit Of
would be Questionable enfsging special
that belongs g ali 3, g s ss snd ,s
grant should become allowing others
utility and Importance 70 any se
would be absorbed % ~ Ihe nrs sna II
pal provenanis each under the special private
al ns ns & ssa,S o o
consider for their Interest ahgh thee
prevent their occupancy and settlement time,
they m IT to asae'
@ ana ner ine in have the effect place
lands under the control Of nonresident money speu
/ Mr. EASTMAN Does the gentleman from New Yorp
intend to say that the sentiment expressed in the
tract just read from the 4ace Of the Cove
Wisconsin reflects the public ointment Of Wis consin
| this subject? '00n< N
| Mr. JENKINS. These ..r 70 be IN ..nt;n.
Governor FarweI, e. appear 70 Ss 'ne ssn'' nts Of
~. ia the best evidence that we o IN have ~
~ IS Of the people Of that State on his subject
I'M i which have given also fully sup port the opin
! /. of the chief magistrate Of thas otase
thus sir theory and experience up'.te in placing the
stamp Of condemnation upon this syvem it were au-
thorized by the Constitution, or ny the nature of the
trust which the General Government holds in the public
domain the project would nevertheless be inexpedient
It and unworthy Of our suppoyS.
Ithink it may be safely laid down principle that
no railroad should be CONSTRUCTED at public private
unless it should first be obvious that the business
! which would be done upon could not fail to make it
proftabe investment When the population is sufficiently
dense warrant this result capitalists in the vicinity
the proposed improvement perhaps aided by their friends
them BE is hs
N redon with economy IN this manner railroad,
more, from the Mississippi river westward,
= the country It win be constructed by the surnus funds
which the hardy Of the West well knows how
l. to accumulate and to manage The enterprise vii
begin and extend railroad from the shores
! the Pscifc eastward The increasing population and the
e growing wealth and upon both sides Of the
Rock Mountains win extend the works until it shall be
object the larger capitalists supply the deficient link
between the Atlantic and Pacific sea-boards. This STEP
by-stp progress begun and carried by individual
erpnse called for by the real wants. and supported by
the od means of the country is always sound and rel-
able But make these vast donations for the construction
Of an army OF railroads through the wilderness every
where and you will have stronger appeals, and more of
then hereafter for donations the cars than you
now have to make the roads.
Tie present system Of disposing of the public domain
has been steadily pursued upwards Of thirty years and
has worked we'll 1t was adopted after forty years expe
rence Prior to 1920 tried high prices and the credit
system debt Of $22 000, 600 due this Government
which the settlers were unable to pay was the result.
The lands were then reduced to l25 and sold
for ready money There they have Stood breastng the
tack Of several Administrations warding off the assaults
Of interested combinations, private and corporate, and
successfully pleading their against every effort
TO make them common State punder. The system has
never been equalled by any other Government and will
be surpassed for its adaptation the of the
settler and the interest Of the country Here the nation
has vast treasure, which well rely upon in war
and in peace has been guarded sacred trust and
greatly mistake if that guardianship viii be aban
doned deprecate the weak and fallacious notion pro-
mugaed in certain quarters for good purpose that
the States going to rob the nation of the public
domain and that this vast treasure will in way be
all squandered He is prophet Of doubtful integrity
whs prognostcates evil and then by his own act con-
tributes to the fulflment of his prophecy.
We must expect that great treasure viii need
effort in its protection Is it said that the interest Of the
new States viii oyerleap all bounds of justice and vote all
these lands away from the nation Where the
to from Ohio is already old State and Wiscon
SIM Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, and Alabama will
take rank in the class The Of SPECTATORS
during the last Congress- in obtaining several millions Of
for the benefit Of railroad corporations should stand
forth as admonition against such encroachments.
The suggestion that the public lands tend corrupt
legislation is poor apology for giving these lands away
The argument amounts TO this We fear that future
legislators viii become corrupt to squander these
ands therefore let squander them let their
{reputaton, by running ownl As well might such
statesmen take the ground that liberty itself is too great
treasure to be preserved long tits assailed every
side Posteriy will not have integrity enough to guard
it, Sooner or later tmustgo. W. therefore, being safe
guardians Of the public interests, win put end to this
Sir free Governments always have had and always will
have great guard and defend Perhaps the
freer the Government the difficult is the guardian
ship of these treasures. Property liberty, national
honor always to assault and assaants
at hand One papable legislative wrong opens the door
to many more Let us therefore stand up against
these encroachments and the victory of right wrong
viii hereafter be sure.
| If we would benefit the settlers, and keep nher-
open the attainment Of the sober and ndusousin
this md coming generations if we would encourage those
who begin life without property and hold out to them the
strongest possible inducements lay by their earnings
Tho IN