Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-03-27
sTAUNToN, VIRGINIA. MONDAY, MARCH 81 1854


Well. sir, in carrying out this system !
internal improvements which is gene
raj system, thorough system, so far as Il,
new States are concerned, they accomplis
all their purposes by the use oil these pull
lie lands.
Sir, what are the public lands belongip
to the government but the property Of III
government? What is the money Of tn
government but the property of the gov
eminent, occupying the same relation to
wards it as do the public lands? The ma
tons wealth consists, in part, in the mon
ey IT receives from the sale of the publi
| lands. Then can the government Civ,
away its property in money for the con
struction Of railroads. Ifnot, what RICH
has 1t to give away its Property in thes,
public lands, which bear the same relatio,
to It as .n,ohey itself1 TIE Constitution
noH reads: ''that Congress shall have
power to dispose Of" and SO forth but
according the new reading approved by
these gentlemen, 1t ought TO run "that
Congress shall have power to GIVE Away,
and to make all needsul rules ard regula-
tons respecting the territory and other
property of the United States Tha. is
the result Of it, according to their eonstruc-
ton, wllen reduced to practice. ltmeans
nothing more, and it means nothing less
Now look at all these projected railroads
to which gentlemen are urging Congress
to accord lands to aid IN their construction.
If the railroads are of any advantage to
these States, they ought TO be willing at
least TO pay the price of the lands to the
government, and not establish precedent
here to be plead, as it has been plead by
gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Disney,) that
Congress has done so, aud so heretofore,
and must go on and do 1t hereafter.
But let me return to this Milwaukee
RAILROAD. The gentleman from Ohio tells
Us that the policy of the Committee on
Public Lands is to equalize the grants to
all .hese States, and to give them as much
as has been granted to the State Of Illinois.
Now Illinois received for her Central rail
road 1858. 900 acrea, II my recollection IS
correct.
The State Of Wisconsin has already re-
eeived for internal Improvements 9,49, GOO
and odd acres. One million six thousand
ac,es are embraced in tins bill, as under
stand the gentleman from Ohio. Then
he tells Us that he committee have agreed
upon another bill making donation of
land for road from Madison to Prairie du
Chen, and that. bill embraces $780, 600
acres. That makes 1,900,00 acres, and
with the 949,000 already received, gives
$500, 000.a aud odd acres, so that iftlIs bill
passes. they will have received 100000
acres more than Illinois has received. l
like 10 be aceurats about these things, and
will therefore refer to the book. see
it is set down here that the lands sold in
the State of Wisconsin up to June 3d.: 1853,
amounted to 5,045,24 acres; lands do
mated for schools, universities and so forth,
1.400 726 acres and that the lands dona-
ted for ]. terhal Improvements amounted to
929,736 acres. Now, add to that the
1900, 600 acres embraced IN this bill and
you then have very nearly three millions
acres granted to the State Of Wisconsin.
Well sir, by way Of justilyiug this mode
of disposing Of the lands, the gentleman
tells us that the President Of the, Omitted
States is for It; that the Secretary Of the
interior is for it; that the Commissioned
of the General Land Office is for il; and
that, inasmuch as all these parties are Tor
it, it must be conclusive as to the propiie-
ty of the policy. Now, do not hold to
any such doctrine that because President
OF Secretary entertain particular opinions,
everybody else is 10 hold the same opin-
ions on the same subject. come here
to represent a district that entertains opin-
ions altogether different OF. thu, question:
that maintaiis that Congress has no right,
either directly OF indirectly, to appropriate
the lands or money of the Federal Govern
men: To internal improvements, Here is
the platform as adopted BY the Democratic
State Convention held in Richmond in
March, 1852:
Resoired, That Congress has no power
to appropriate, directly or indirectly, the
proceeds of the sales Of the public lands
OF to grant, directly Of indirectly, the pub
lie lands to the purpose of internal improve.
ment."
stand ON that platform. hold to tina,
doctrine in common with the Democratic
party of my State. believe it to be sound
doctrine; and so believing, do not come
here tc surrender my convictions because a
President of the United States. or Secre.
tary Of The Interior, or anybody else occu,
pying high official position, enter,ains a
different opinion. As to the Secretary oil
the Interior, ! can account for Ills opinion
to some extent. He is a man who has
been living in land State which has
proiited largely by this mode Of disposins
Of the public lands. In his service in Con-
gress he was committed to all these grants
cen ascertain very well how association,
how political interest controls the opinions
of men and these influences may control
his in this matter. BIT, by way Of salts
(, ing the House that this policy is proper
and constitutional, the gentleman from
Ohio says that under the influence Of j
public lands lave been sold, and that they
are now selling with more rapidty thar
public lands have been sold at any tins
heretofore In our history for several Jeas
past. 49,.
Mr.. Disney. In the vicinity of these
roads.
Mr.. LetcI,er. Very well; then in til,
vicinity of these roads. How many land
have been sold | have statement here
of the sales, from 1885 to 1853 Inclusive
to which ask attention:
Lands sold in 1895 Si5,999, Sn4 I
1886 25, l67, 1893 o.
1887 1907 52S O.