The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-25
From the Cleveland True Democrat
OFFICIAL ACTS OF SENATOR CHAsE.-N0. g.

L
refer to some in which they were interested in
common with the citizens of all the States in
the Union, and especially those of the Western
States And, first we will speak of the i'm
| provement Of harbOrs and rivers. Ia his views
of the powers of the General Government, Mr.
Chase is strict constructiOnist; but in looking
into the Constitution of the United States, he
finds the power to regulate commerce with
foreign nations and among the several States,
conferred upon Congress This power neccs
sarily includes that of making safe harb0rs and
| improving the navigation of rivers, and such
has been the construction put upon this clause
| from the early history Of the Government. The
only difficulty has been that politicians living
| on the borders of salt water have been unable
comprehend that there could be such thing
as commerce carried on upon fresh water they
| therefore have denied the power of Congress
to improve fresh water hsrbors and rivers.
Western men, acquainted with the vast COM
MERGE upon our lakes and rivers, are unable to
appreciate this distinction. They do not find the
words fresh water or salt water, in the COnsti-
tuition Mr.. Chases mind is not of the narrow
cast, to be swayed by any such frivolous dis
>tinctons. He believes Congress has the same
power to improve the harbOrs and rivers of the
West, that it has those of the Atlantic slope
and he believes it the duty OF Congress to make
liberal appropriations for this purpose. With
these views he has steadily, ably, and persever-
ingly advocated every bill making suitable APP
preparations for harbor and river improvements
Early in his Senatorial career such bill spe-
cially reported for this purpose, after protract-
| ed and factious opposition, was postponed to a
certain hour II was near the close of the SEES
| sion, and Mr.. Chase knew it could never be
taken up again. Being ready for this emer-
| gency, by having carefully prepared bill
avoiding the constitutional objections of some
| Senator'S but retaining every important amend
ment, he offered it as an amendment to the
| Civil and Diplomatic bill The amendment
was defeated, and it is remarkable that many
| professedly warm friends of the measure voted
against it. The remarks made by Mr. Chase
| on this occasion were clear and impressive He
struggled manfuly against the foes of these
appropriations and those friends, who, for some
reason difficult to be understood, desired to find
an excuse for voting against them at this time
Mr.. Clay had retired, but on coming in in the
morning he expressed his appreciation of what
Mr.. Chase had done, and said that he had in
tended to do the same thing had he been able
to remain.
One of the most important questions cOntin-
ually arising in Congress, is how to dispose of
the public lands. In times past, spectators
innumerable have been enriched by them at
the expense of the laboring classes, and to the
great detriment of the country. Few calami-
ties can befall neighborhood more serious
than to have the wild land taken up y by men
living abroad, who never intend to cultivate it,
and hold it merely for the purpose of obtaining
the increased price ut which it will sell when
the roads are constructed and school houses
built, orchards grown, and large improvements
. made on adjoining farms by the poor labOrers
| who live upon them. None can appreciate the
disadvantages from this foreign ownership Of
uncultivated lands, but those who have lived
in new country and learned them by expe-
rence. The nation, too, is great sufferer, for
tho lands thus held, yield nothing to add to its
wealth, when, were they in the hands of actual
settlers, they would produce their annual crops
and swell the national wealth to the amount of
their value The General Government no long.
or needs the income of these lands for revenue
r and there has long been spreading disposition
, to give them away On the one hand are those
who desire to bestow them, free of cost, in lin.
tied quantities. to actual settlers. These are
, tho friends of what is called the Homestead
, bill On the other hand are those who advo.
cate the giving them away in large quantities
to States and corporations, for the purpose OF
. building railroads and other internal improve.
D ments In one case, the lands actually given
to company are estimated by the company
. itself sufficient TO build four hundred miles OF
, road, and leave between six and seven millions
of dollars surplus In this case the National
Government has built four hundred miles OF
railroad, and given it, together with six or sew
on millions of dollars, to few rich capitalists,
many of whom roll in wealth and luxury, and
lokLo r.. - ~ -
r would be il the Government had done this for
then the money would come out of the general
revenue, but now the poor laborers who buy
this land have to pay for it an increased price,
over and above the Government price sufficient
to build this road. Any one can see the inus.
tice of thus dsposing of these lands and that
thus managed they will prove mere corrup.
ton fund. Members of Congress are not infal-
kbe. There is danger of their being bought
by these companies They could we'll afford to
pay thousands of dollars for votes for these on.
preparations. This could be managed by sell.
ing them, or their friends stock in the roads
Mt low prices, or parts of the lands thus grant
ed. IL is more than suspected, that many votes
1 Tor the Compromise measures were obtained
. by means OF the enormous grant above referred
0 TO. We are happy to see that Mr., Chase has
( set his face rs flint against all such appro-
priatons. He il firm and unwavering friend
of the Homestead bill. On this subject, he de-
clared in the Senate, Gthat he should always
: be ready to contribute his humble aid to every
t proper measure to secure land to the landless,
and an inviolable home for every family" In
, pursuance of this declaration, he has at all
times labored IN secure by Congress the adop-
ton of such measure. Especially at the last
session, he urged the Senate again and again
to take up and pass the Homestead bill. but a
few enemies and false friends prevented it's be-
ing done And it never will be done until those
$ Interested in having an invioabe home for
themselves and their children, and are opposed
: to giving away their own lands to rich corpor-
atoms, and to these lands being used as a gamb-
, ling fund TO corrupt their representatives in
, Congress, arouse themselves and call these
, Representatives to strict account for their
dongs in this matter, And what the people
, do, should be done quickly, before the best of
these lands iall into the clutches of these cor
{ porat'ons official gamblers and SPECTATORS.
we VIII mention one other great measure
: now occupying the public mind, and Of great
. interest not only to all the people of this ma
non but to those OF the world at large, in which
Mr.. Chase has taken, not only an active. but
@ leading part, We refer to the Pacific Rail.
!. road. There can be no doubt but the interests
OF tho nation require that such road, from
0 some point on the Mississippi to the Pacific
J ocean, should speedily be made and there can
10 A. little doubt that it will soon be construct
, ed several projects for building il have been
before Congress and the country, but most Of
them based on private speculation, calculated
to build up an immense monopoly dangerous
in its nature, and made rich by grants from
, the Government The Democracy Of Mr..
o Chase will not permit him TO sanction any such
Q project.
The point upon the Mississippi from which
this road shall start Is, as might be expected