The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-12

about giving away The land without an object 10 DC ae
complshed on the part OF tue government under IT.
have said that il would be great advantage 10 those
who may settle The land. ! say so yet But they may
own thousands and tens OF thousands OF acres OF land
elsewhere If they please and still may go there and take
advantage OF the privilege of settling the land. and have
all the advantage they will obtain by L. The govern
men takes care however 10 reserve TO itself the primer
pal benefits that to result from their settlement IL
reserves itself the extra value which will be given to
its own land and that land is TO aid in the construction OF
the railroad
| Take the whole of that land now, and suppose you
offer II al public sale Take strip OF seveny-two miles
wide, and sell the whole OF IT, what would sell for
viii venture TO say that you could not sell Tor len cents
an acre Now, fence in one. half OF II as an improved
farm, and then offer the residue, and out OF 1t you will
raise money to construct railroad That the PROPOSE
ton. There is scarcely feature IN similar TO THAI con.
tanned in the homestead bill; and s astonishing that
gentlemen have elaborated the subject OF the home
stead bill. The amendment proposes, IN place of appo
priang money out OF the treasury 10 derive benefit to
The government through spublic lands making them the
has end and aim II you please, II has specua-
tive aim and end in view That is what my proposition is
Now, sir, what is the other proposition The other
is not to take measures to improve the public domain
and increase its value TO make road. but to authorize
survey and TO receive bids Tor the construction of the
road, evidently anticipating this result: that the govern.
men would appropriate out OF its treasury it's dollars to
make the road II we can settle the country and in
the value OF the lands, SO that they will constitute
fund, is it not better plan 1t seems 10 that il 49,
and cannot Tor my life il the homestead bill be the
bugbear which gentlemen TO think it is, that
should be raised here TO rghten senators from their
proprey and their support OF my proposition Suppose
you discard this proposition, what will be the RESULT
will tell you what | think you will do. You may dis.
card j, now and discard i the next session, and the
next session after that and you will at last il
for, mark my words, the people going JUS
iy The appropriation OF hundred two hundred mil
lions Of dollars directly out OF the treasury to make
tectcd territory BY my proposition you will dstrb
Ute your labor; you will distribute your supply; you
will distribute your manufactures and YOU can get
1 ne nf NAB M
bridges, establishing mails, and building villages In
all these various and piled forms, you increase the
value OF the lands reserved. and obtain pnncely fund
for the construction OF the road and yet sir, the propo
snon is sneered al. You may do so, gentlemen, but |
shall stand by it. | shall say nothing upon it. shall
vote for cheerfuly 1t is nothing more nor less with
slight modification, than the bill which introduced three
years ago for the construction OF the Pacific raroadI
believe The first that introduced into Congress
Tor that object think can claim TO be of the ear
iest If not the very first, friends of the object and this
was the basis upon which then proposed to construct
the road II that had been done then. should have
been three years ahead OF where now, and before
this the road would have been surveyed and located the
lands surveyed and great portion of them settled and
the alierna,es reserved to ourselves by this time, would
have been worth from three TO five dollars per acre,
king fund sufficient to complete the road. But if these
good effects not Produced suggested by the
ator from Arkansas. Mr. BoRLASDl we do not lose the
land. We have the land IL we make the road and
at greaier value You could sell the reserved aernaes
for than you now sell the whole Ii you should
even hereafter abandon the proposition you will have
larger sum reserved than you now have for the whole
And what have you been doing regard to railroads Ii
is not new. You have heretofore granted alternate sec
lions OF land tor the construction OF railroads and we
have had tpIoclamed here, the first authority, that
upon the practice OF granting onehalf aud eservng the
other, you have sold the reserved half at average oil
seven cents per than you would have got for
the whole OF under the present arbitrary plan OF selling
at 81 25 per acre.
And let make another remark II the purchases that
were made along the line Of the Illinois Central railroad
had been carried in full, you would have got up
wards OF two hundred per cent than otherwise
Why is that so When the lands offered the pur-
chasers forward, and the average sale was SO 80
per but when they did this, they all got together
combined and resolved that each should have his land
NJ So SO per acre. They united into combination the
bid them all OF, with the exception OF few tracts a,
81 so per acre. Now, gentlemen. discard this PROPOSE.
ton but when you have done H. you have discarded the
only plan, and allow say 10 my friend from Viz.
gina. the only constitutional plan, that has ever been
and probably will be, proposed io the construction
OF a railroad TO the, Pacific.
Il Mr.. HALE. II this is not very long amendment,
should like 10 have il read have not heard it read
but il is very long will not insist upon IT.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Itis rather long.
i Mr.. HALE. remember once being in the Secretary'a
office endeayoring 10 find remark OF a distinguished
senator not member OF this body. on given sub
ecL You sir, happened TO be there and suggested
that II would be fruitless search for the subject upon
which the speech was made, or the name of the man
who made il, would give sort oi clue, for The remark
might have been made upon entirely foreign subject
or inserted episode in somebody else's speech
hoaght that might be owing the eccenirciy OF the
orator; but confess my experience to-day confirms me
IN the opinion that II was not not in the Sen.
ate chamber when the amendment read but have
listened attentvely TO the speech made by the disn.
guished senator from Georgia Mr. CHARLTON and thai
OF the jealous ad vocae OF the homestead bill from Iowa
MIR. DODGE and confess that asonshed beyond
measure when the senator from Wisconsin got up and
told that the homestead bill not before the SEN
ate, anything like it, | thought from the discussion
which had taken place by these gentlemen who are moi
lin the habit OF throwing themselves reckessy and care.
lessly before the Senate. and who speak in measured
words with great proprey and pettnency, that the sub
Ieo was before the Senate. thought in listening "a
them that had clue 10 what before the Sen.
ate but II what the senator from Wisconsin says is true
| was altogether mistaken. The homestead bill, and
nothing like IT, is before the Senate for its consideration
bad intended TO answer two questions which the
senator from Georgia proposed but really do not wish
TO trespass upon the time of the Senate But, Mr. Pres
dent, my time here is very short and is that OF The
senator from Georgia. tBaughterJ | therefore do moi
feel much disposition TO put Oft 10 later day the oppor.
uniy OF addressing the Senate Tor fear that would be
al late day that should not be in a condition 10 adj.
of giving lands to andess Involved IN the mea.
which is before the Senate, have word or two ia
say upon and will assume for the present that
is something OF that sort before the Senate or else
know that my very proper friend from Georgia would moi
have INDUCED in the remarks which he did
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will inform
the senator thai there is not word in the amendment
about giving lands to the landess [Laughterl
| Mr. HALE. | think there must be something hidden
OF that Sort If it is not expressed because know thai
those gentlemen would not have alluded unless the
was good reason for IT, confess staggered IN this
conviction by the suggestion OF the Chair. II | thought
that suggestion intimaon that speech from me
would not be opporune at this time, should certainly
submit