Washington sentinel., 1854-05-27
mashingtun gentinel,
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN LETCHER,
OF VIRGINIA,

Oeltcered tn me H0uSe OF flepfeScfituticcS, may
ls, 1854, on Public Lands, Duties on Rail
road iron, and Custom Houses.
The House being in Committee of the Whole
on the state of the Union
Mr.. LETCHER said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: / had no particular desire
to address the committee tonight; but as the
gentleman from Missouri, [Mr. LIsDLEy, has
seen fit to renew the attacks which have been
so frequently made, in this House of late, upon
the State from which came, and as he has in
dulged In very free comments upon what he is
pleased to characterize as Virginia abstrac-
tions," and upon the conduct of her represent
atives in resisting land schemes, / have felt
called upon to say something in defence OF the
State which / have the honor, in part, to re-
present upon this floor, and in vindication Of
the action of her representatives upon this
subject.
Sir, the representatives from Virginia have
been repeatedly charged with illiberality, in
their opposition to land schemes, which have
been brought before this House, for the benefit
not only of the west, but of other sections of the
country. The representatives from Virginia.
believe, that Congress has no power to ap-
propriate directly or indirectly, the proceeds Of
the sales of the public lands, to the purpose of
internal improvement" They consider that
the lands were ceded to the general govern
ment for the purpose of being sold, and that the
proceeds arising from their sales, should go
into the treasury for the purpose of meeting
the common expenses of the several States OF
this Union, in the general costs and charges.
And, whenever these propositions Come up, In
accordance with the principles which our State
has ever professed, and upon which her repre-
sentatives have ever acted, they will be foundin
opposition to them.
However unpleasant it may be to place them
selves In opposition to the friends of such
schemes, the representatives from Virginia will
hereafter be found precisely where they have
heretofore been found. They will always be
found zealously, warmly advocating the doc
trine that the public lands can be legitimately
appropriated to no object for which Congress
might not legally appropriate money directly
from the treasury. "The lands are as much
the property of the Union as the money in the
treasury. The cessions and purchases of them
were as much for the benefit of ALL as the col
lection of the money. The Constitution, as
well as common sense, seems to be TO recog-
,nize no difference; and ifthe money can only
be appropriated to specified objects, it follows
that the land can only be so appropriated"
Virginia has been consistent upon this subject,
Her representatives now are advocating the
doctrines which their predecessors have uni.
formly advocated on this floor and elsewhere
As the representatives ofthe gallant old State
OF Virginia, State that has always been true
to the principles of the democratic party, we
do not come here to beg favors at the hands OF
the federal government. We do not come here
asking that alternate sections of the public
lands shall be given to US, or that a distribution
of their proceeds shall be decreed to aid us il
the construction of railroads or other works OF
internal Improvement; but we come here de-
manding that the government shall do what il
obligated itself to do when the deeds Of cession
were made, when she became the common trus-
tee, and bound herself to execute those deeds
of cesson, fairly, and Justly, and honestly, in
accordance with their spirit and letter.
In the present condition of public affairs al
home and abroad, wisdom and sound policy, il
seems to me, would dictate the duty and pro
priety of outstanding the public lands. The
signs the times indicate general war abroad,
and it is not improbable that we may become
involved in it, and if such should be the result,
our commerce must be affected in greater or
less degree. The revenue arising from imports
must be diminished, and we shall then be com
PEELED to look to the public lands, or some
other source, for the means of supplying the
deficiency. The veto of the insane bill comes
most opportunely, and furnishes evidence to
the country to justify the conclusion that the
President will not permit the public lands to
be squandered in future, as they have been for
some years past.
But, sir, the gentlemen who are seeking these
grants are not content to take alternate sec
tons of the public lands. In addition to the
advantage which these alternate sections give
them, in the construction of their various rail
roads, they are now asking that we shall go
further, and shall remit all duty on railroad
6 tkn.. c. ~
subjects on which designed to say something,
and to which will now address portion oi
my remarks, before proceeding to another mat
ter which design to examine more at length
1t has become very fashionable in these last
days of improvement, to hire agents and organ
ize committees, to be charged with the par
ticular business of boring Congress, and engi-
neering railroad and other schemes through
this House. Laughter. The grants of al
ternate sections of land to aid in constructing
their railroads, seem to have had no other effect
than to excite desire for further favors. They
have, see, under the direction of o gentleman
who bears the euphonious name of Azdriah
Boody, laughter land who, understand, was
elected member of this Congress, but having
a better speculation in hand, resigned, organ
lied committee to engineer through Congress
a bill for the remission or suspension of duties
OU IdlTOdu IOu. ScHtiSihaHf ~ oCShis, 10
largely interested in the Wabash Valley road
is contractor to the amount of some S6,O00,.
600 or ssOOO,O0O, as learn from the news
papers; and as he has to construct large por-
ton of this road, and has to procure the iron
necessary to lay the track, Mr.. Azariah Boody
has come to the wise conclusion, that if he can
succeed in getting the duty on railroad iron re-
mitted, it will be that much more in his pocket
when the job is DONE Laughter. Hence it
is that Mr. Azariah Boody renewed laughterl
and numerous railroad friends with whom he
is associated in the great State Of New York
and elsewhere, have recently held meeting to
devise the ways and means necessary to accom-
plish their objects. Their plan of operations
is set forth in this resolution, which win inform
the people of the mode by which legislation in
Congress is sought to be controlled.
aRssolpyd. That this company will cooperate
with the committee appointed by the meeting ot
railroad companies, held in the city Of New York
on the 25th day Of February, 1854, consisting Of
Samuel F. vinton, Noah S. Wilson, John Stryker.
Ash,n " ;r, ,La aT