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

only useless but mparng greatly the value Oh the otner
been Of value 10 the United States unless i went into
system Of drainage which, it Is apprehended the old
States never would have consented to 90 into The
states IN which they we're donated may in process Of
fine have them drained and thus greatly benefit the
General Government landed proprietor and as tax
gaherer and perhaps otherwise so It Is hoped that
that item may m The e. IN most
were donated gratuity for benehcent or
benevolent purposes was unasked and unsought by the
new States and Territories and when made thus or Tor
internal purposes upon the alternate sec
tonn principle, it done by this Government more
with view to its benefit than to that of the new
States and Territories in order to promote their settle
ment sale, and reduction to cultivation All should
know and all who are inclined to do justice to the new
States will admit that these the controlling consd
erations with this Government and very wisely and pro-
pery So and in perfect consistency not only with
arged and liberal policy but with the srctest reference
to economy as touching its pecuniary interests
But the honorable gentleman from New York Mr. BEN
rErr) says, in an ironica way and quote his words
Wherever lands granted to States and 50 used
as to benefit the other lands it for the benefit Of all
He continues: A who builds by the side Of my vii
lage lot and thereby doubles its price, on this ground
could claim half of it, Now this objection to the alter
nate section principle which assumes that the General
Government is ct least and necessarily UNIDENTIFIED by the
enhanced value Of the reserved and remaining lands
and railroad, goes upon wholly false hypothesis
and like every other argument built upon false premises
must fall to the ground 1t goes upon the idea that the
State first builds the road causes it to be built and
route as reward for having enhanced its value where
as it will be observed that the State asks the alternate
sections to aid her in building road which, without that
aid could not be built i Is case analogous TO .ns
dyidual three vacant lots In town or village,
for which he get r price, the price he asks
BY letting Industrious Mechanic who wishes TO set
up in business in the place. have Of the three lots
on condition Of his building upon it, he will be enabled TO
sell the remaining two readily at the price which he asked
but had failed to get for the oe three lots
vUo,,IJ rnfnO nunou ufn he mr.
rangement? Would he as sensible man, consider that
he had lost any thing worth any less by the opera
ton? Would he not on the contrary as citizen and
interested in the improvement and
pery Of the community be benefited, profed by the
rangement? Would he, fair man. ever any future
occasion, under any circumstances think Of bringing
charge against the mechanic for the nominal price Of the
lot So it is with the trustees of the public
land, bound by oaths to make what we think the
wisest disposition Of it for the benefit of the people, in
whom the beneficiary interest resides IT. by granting al
ternate sections is proposed lines Of these differ
emit railroads. which have been shall be brought before
us, enhance-and unquestionably will by the build
ing of the roadthe aggregate value of the public land
rendering the resduum Of more value than the whole
would be without the public road through it, them
honest legislators and faithful guardians Of the interests
of the whole people, not bound to do just what in
analogous case prudent would do with his
property Such is the correct view of the sustained
by the experience of the country which is worth
than all the ancifu theories and farfeched reasonings
which be devsedwhich is sustained by reason, and
must be approved by the sober judgment and should be
adopted by the patriotic practice Of this House, has
been the in the past legislation Of the country But
there is another objection taken in debate here to the
ssalternate section" system, which l will notice. 1t is
this that the building of the road-rather the making of
these grants thercfor-w draw persons the road
buy lands there and thus tend depopuae the sections
remote from the road and thus diminish the sales of the
lands back from the road There might be force in
this if the building Of the road did not increase the emil
grafton to the new State in which the improvement is
made But every gentleman knows that it invariably has
that effect The aggregate population of the country is
increased and consequently the demand for and cash sales
of the public domain in the State increased The in
crease Of the price of the lands the road however
general thing is by proportion to the increase
of the actual intrinsic value caused by furnishing facilities
Of access market and other circumstances Such is the
hegying effect of the construction Of this magnificent
species of improvement! Seeing them that your land
"fund is not diminished, but manifestly enhanced by
the small grants ask even this the only view
of the case ask you why will you refuse that the
retaining Of which will do you good but the granting
of which to u.s. in present condition with sparse pd
pulaton and resources but partially developed, will
be of ncalcuabe benefit to us? We do not ask you
build these roads for us we merely ask you aid u.s. as
the younger members of political household in doing
that speedily and promptly which, rthom that aid we
would be compelled to do perhaps through long and
dious series Of years We ask you to do it upon such
principles and such terms that you lose any
thing and must by all past experience be greatly bene
ted We ask nothing at your hands matter of chart
ty Tis true, comparatively Of active capt.
tal-poor-but we have becoming PRIDE which should
inspire the bosom of every American freeman We will
not receive these lands-We ask them not mere
tuy win not suffer ourselves to be placed in the at
ttude of pensioners upon the bounty of sister States
or of this Government. We would g gift
Of the public domain, to be solicited and sought by
matter of favor Our fathers and have brayed the
dangers and prvatons Of the wilderness to add
to the bright constellation Of American States The tall
forests have fallen before the of industry the beau
full prares have been in subsection TO the plough
thousands and myads Of happy christian eemen occupy
the lands which but the other day the and the
wild beast roamed We content with merely Civ
ing in consideration of these grants the direct bene
FITS resulting to you by opening road through your lands
and to your lands but we propose, by the bills which
have been reported to this House, to transport the mails
OF the United States at such price Congress may pre-
SCRIBE and troops and military supplies free Of charge
The value of this equivalent the Government has been
already ably commented by my colleagues and others
who have preceded me, and have not time dwell upon
It But cannot forbear from abiding TO view Of it.
Examine the report Of the Secretary Of War; and it viii be
seen that the cost of transportation for that Of the
public service has increased from $780, 05352 in 1S45
S2094, OS5l in 1851 The Of this increase
clearly set forth in that report md in substance
the army is necessarily stationed mainly the remote
frontier the increased Of the military posts
from naygabe rivers and the necessity Of reaching them
by long overland journeys the smaness Of the army in
volvng the necessity of frequent changes Of position
der to protect the frontiers of the and southwest
ern States against the Indians which il has the po
Icy of the old States to transport from their own limits
and settle upon the borders of the States and Terri
tories We propose then equivalent for the lands
proposed to be granted not merely great highways of
commerce constituting links in the great chain destin
ed later TO connect the rock bound the
Atlantic with the golden strand Of the Pacfcbut great