Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-04-08

WAYS which. to a certain extent, may be considered
local in their character though general IN their IN
duence and not conflicting with the interests OF the
| old States In this way. without any expenditure
of money! the General Government can greatly IN
crease the value of the public domain 10 mas neoe1
made such donation Dittont being rug Tel'as0
The principle Of granting alternate sections, a0
selma those reserced at double the ordinary price,
has been found by experience, to be most Sat~taTy
4 BY reason of the improvements made win sucn
grants large tracts of land that had long lam waste
! have been brought into market and found rcauy
! sale the surrounding country has been peopled
1 the revenue has been augmented by the increased
! consumption of foreign merchandise and the State
| in which the improvements have been thus made,
and not unfequently the adjacent States have been
largely benefited. Without these donations anu
consequent improvements some OF the finest por-
tons of the new States would have continued VIII
derness; lands that had been for fifteen or twenty
years in the market might have remained as much
longer unsod, and thus the prosperity and advance
ment of the whole country greatly retarded The
loss to the Government would have been serious,
without any corresponding benefit The true policy
is to bring the lands into market and by all legt-
mate means, dispose of them speedily as posi-
BILE: justice to those who have been induced to set
tie in the States and Territories and the inter
ests of the government alike demand it. The strong
est political and economical considerations, there
fore, dictate this course"
In debate which took place in the United States
Senate, the 18th inst, when the disposition of the
Ter, of South Carolina, remarked: 81 admit that
these donations and grants of public lands may add
to the wealth of the Government and may bestow.a
benefit upon the particular sections or local portion
of the country through which they rum" Here,
Mr. Butler, though not in favor of the particular
grant under consideration admitted that the system
of granting the public lands in aid of internal i'm
provements. added to tho aoeaIth Of the Government
In other words, that the Government well as the
States in which the lands lie is benefited by the sys
tenn. We refer the reader also, to the speech of
Senator Benjamin, of Louisiana, published above, as
additional authority the question, and authority
which wing friends at any rate ought to respect
The foregoing authorities, therefore, confirm the
view which presented last week. They show
clearly that our present land system, while greatly
beneftting the new States, works injury or loss
to the General Government, and therefore, no inju
nv or loss to the old States What, therefore, be-
comes of all that we have heard about "squander-
ing' the public lands? 1t is very strange kind of
squandcring which increases the public revenue.
We think it is of the kind spoken of in scripture:
There is that scattereth and yet increaseth." AS
strong practical commentary on the system of do
mating alternate sections in aid of railways in
stance the recent grant of that character by the
State of Texas i'll aid of the Pacific Railroad. This
grant was believe, twenty-five sections to the
mile, or than taoice the quantity usually do
mated to the General Government.
Under the irresistible array of facts and argu-
ments which have been brought to bear in support
of the existing policy in regard to the public do
main, what have heard in reply? Mere repin-
ings at the growth and prosperity of the States
The advocates of distribution tell us that the public
lands are being wasted upon the new States. We
show that what they call waste is the most eco
nomical disposition of them. They tell of splendid
railroads, built in the States from the proceeds
Of lands donated in aid of them-of the rapid in
of wealth. and the rapid appreciation of pro-
perty in consequence They dolefully whine over !
the poverty and the backwardness of the old States,
and cry to the General Government for slice of
the public domain to build railroads at home. Sup
-,
North Carolina portion of the public lands would
the latter be able to pay the donor by any cores
bonding benefit? Would she be able to enhance the |
Talue of any reservations the Government might |
make by building railroads near them? Certainly |
not. For the lands would not lie within the jurs-
fiction. A grant to her, therefore, would be sim
Die grdtuity, without any corresponding advantage
% the General Government, and could not be justi-
led upon the grounds of economy. Here is the |
point which wing journals carefully conceal from
heir readers. They endcayor to produce the i'm
preston that grant to of the old States would
De precisely the same in effect grant to land
State, whereas there is a widely marked difference.
As to the complaints about the prosperity of the
lew States which often hear, they are to say
he least in very bad taste. In the name of all that
S noble and generous and liberal, say if the
General Government benefit the new States
Without injury ITSELF let the beneft be conterred
We not how great it may bc--the greater the
'etter. The new States arc part Of our country.
Dur fellow citizens and our kindred inhabt them
ar De II from us 10 cncrlSn that miserable IN
he manager" policy which would neither build their
aroads, nor give them the lands for that purpose
Vhen could do it without any loss to ourselves
is mistake to talk about backwa1 dness of the old
tates. They not blackboard. Look at Georgia,
outh Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Massa-
husetts, even Virginia. Do they bear the marks of
True, our own State hasHbeen liza
lie to this charge, but she is not much so than
arkansas, which is State, and has had the
cnefit of our land policy. Our situation has been
n unfortunate one for commerce, and we have been
low to improve natural advantages. This is
he secret of our backwarGness. This state of
hings, however, is passing away, and we hope ere
ong North Carolina in the front rank of South
IN States, and that too through her inherent
capabilities and energies, and without the aid of
ratuities from the General Government.
Fayetteville Caro-.
BRITISH DOCTRINE CITIZENSHIP In the Vice
hancellor's Court, England Sir John Stewart re-
ertl dnidad That irEarat Las= +. Ns... E<sl