The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-03-10
THIRTY-SECOND CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
LANDS TO RAILROADS.
SPEECH OF HON. II. II. SIBLEY
OF MINNESOTA,
In The HOUSE OF REPREsENTAr1yEs.
LANDS TO RAILROADS.


In THE House OF RErREsExTArrvEs,
Fb'nary, 10, 1853.
In favor Of the policy OF grants OF land for railroad
purposes in the West.
The House having resolved itself into the Com
mttee of the Whole, for the consideration Of terrific
rial business
NJ. SIBLEY said:
have made several attempts Mr.. Chairman, du.
ring the last few weeks introduce for proper refer.
encc and examination, ga bill granting the right OF
way and portion of the public lands to the States
OF Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa, and to
the Territory OF Minnesota, to aid in the cons,ruc-
tion ofa railroad from point opposite the city of ~
Orleans, 10 the northern boundary of Minnesota with
= a branch to the Falls of ST. Anihony" Owing to
the arbitrary rules Of this body have as vet been
unsuccessful in my endcavors place that bill in a
position where IT could be reported upon by the Com
mittee on Public Lands and it is with view To dis
cuss the me,tS o the proposition, aud others of q,
k,ndred character that ask the attention Of the
House.
While the new States lying east of the Mississinpi
have received more or less aid from the Gene,a Gov
ernment IN land grants for the construction of rail
roads, the immense reg the of that river
has been conn arativcly neglected.. am aware that
Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa, have sevc,ally been
assisted IN the same manner; but whnn the remote
position o those States from the Atlantic is taken in
10 conscientious well as the fact that these newly
settled regions are necessarily less able tha, older and
more wealthy communities 10 open great lines ofcom-
munlcaIon unaided, il be Conceded that the 90
grants are not commensurate with the reuurene Dts
either OF the people themselves or Of the Government
shaii very briefly advert To the argument so often
and so triumphanty advanced, as well by eastern AS
10y western men, IN support Of the general policy of
Sranng lands tor building railroads and canals hro
the public domain, my principal object is to at
nf H.
distant west are absolutely requisite not only to de.
vehp the wealth OF those vast mineral and arricu-
tnrai regions, but measure of strict economy ON
the part oi the General Government itself taking in
to view the state Of the frontier, which it is the duty
OF that Government to protect and defend
II Is NOT only III the power Of Congress under the
Constitution, but IL is binding that BODY as the
ouso1Ia" "i the public property, to dispose of the
pubic lands IN such as NAV directly or ndi.
recty lnre to the benefit ofthe greatest number of its
citzcas SO FAD As that he ACCOMPLISHED without
injury TO any portion Cf the country Mr.. Calhoun
gave the weight OF his great authority in favor Of
grants o Rand 10y the Gov veinment 10 aid in works of
internal improvement through the public domain in
ihrsc words in debate in The Senate IN ISls
"And doubt whether, in anv case either If a
canal OF railroad through the public lands the Uni.
ted States would not bc gamer. To that extent
am prepared to go. be the road long or short
ii II he long, YOU gain the more; if il be short YOU
gam the less and you contribute in proportion your
/ S'H' Long SINCE II was agreed that
the grant OF alternate sections fan contribution
on the part Of the L. s, considered as a proprietor
and from which the u. 5. would be 4 very great
gainer.'
Again.
"lhe Government, IN nv opinion ought 70 be
ashamed u allow their lands to be enhanced in value
by the exertions and at the of Siate without
contributing IN some degree bring about this re
suit"
Surely, if the strict consuuctionist and eminent
statesman whose opinions | have quoted, deemed il
incumbent upon this Government to aid its citizens in
constructing roads and canals through its public do
man, on the score OF proprietv as we'll as economy
we may reasonably expect those gentlemen who rep
resent the Atlantic States To pause before they COM
mt themselves against iha: policy. And NAV we not
aiso appeal To those Representatives to emulate, to
somo extent at least the liberal sentiments OF Virgin
ia, New York. Connecticut nnd others of the older
States. towards the West in the eaI days of the Re
! public! Then there apprehensions express
cd lest the great valley Of the Mississippi shond ad-
vance too rapidly IN all the elements ot wcauh and
power. With expanded and patriotic views that em-
braced all portions OF the courtly, every concession
that could reasonably DC required enable the sparse
settlements west OF the Aghanes tn woik the high
destlnies OF that rich and fertile region was cheerful
ly granted. Under The benign influences Of 81 liber-
al policy, those intan, settlements have extended
and increased, until more than ten millions Of free
men ROW nhau the land ~ hch three quarters Of cen.
tury snce was wilderness. TX has been cfi for the
elder States in these latter times to discover that the
General Government has heretofore manifested too
liberal sp'It towards the West N1,U the fiat
seems To have gone rth that henceioru ard Congress
must MT aid IN making roads through ITS own donna
unless the Atlantic states receive equivalent for their
votes IN favor OF such measure, the shape of public
ian's nou, # State asks that the proprietor Of
large tracts OF untaXcd land ithn its limits shall con.
tribute hir proportion of expense TO make them ac-
cessble to the settler, it is with the cry Of ''more
land stealing" Not0, ii grant If land is perchanre
obtained, Tor purposes formerly admitted light and
proper in themselves, it must undergo the ord al Of
the most bitter and unrelent,ng opposition from the
Representatives not only Of the ina thirteen but
of other States VII ch have heretofore proGted by
cesSons Of a ike kind.
Have the members from the land States at any time
banded themselves together defeat appropriations
from the public Teasur, for the benefit If the ATTAIN
tic sea-boardl Have they refused for meas
because they had reason 10 believe that the Old
States particularly interested in their SUGGEST
No ono, Mr.. Chairman, can justly charge such
ungenerous proceeding on the part O western Repre-
sen,atiycs. II they oppose the tariff system, which
eastern manufacturers frveutly advocate, s be
cause the democratic sentiment Of the agricultural
States Overwhelmingly iavor OF the doctrines Of
free trade. When they record their against the
system of coast Qualifications, they but act in accord
with the public sentiment of the country, which
has emphaticay pronounced against further great ex-
pendtures for such purposes as Anticipated and ab
measure introduced into Congress, simply because
their own particular constituencies not mmedi.
| ateiy Interested.
This land question bid, fair to create serious diff
cultics between the East aud the West, unless Con
gress shall devise equitable and just method for
its settlement, The etnbar, involved in this
subject should bc in a satisfactory to both
parties sections, bv wise legislation, before they
become, as they certainly will ifnot disposed Of,
aggravated and emb,ttercd in their character. The
| West will be satisfied with grants of the alter
nate sections upon the great thorough hiares through
the public domain to aid in the construction Of rail-
WAYS and other works of internal improve vemcnt.--
Should these BE denied it needs prophetic spirit
to foretc, that in very few years that concession
will not he received a sufficient mdemniiica,ion to
the peopc o the West, for all the tolls and sacrifices
they have endured in reclaimng the wilderness, and
converting it into iuitfu! field, and for protecting
and rendering valuable your lands, without imposing
any tax upon them. They viii then insist upon more
and they uaH hare the po,cT. both branches Of Con-
gress, to make good their Cemands. As matter Of
public policy, therefore, less than Of Justice, this
yexed question of the public lands should lie definitely
disposed of by the enactment Of law by Congress,
embodying the main features of those railroad grants