The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-14

sir II seems TO 10 be act of puerlity to undertake
here BEFORE this intelligent committee which have
the honor of addressing TO enter into any explanation OF
the causes which operated to increase the sales Of the pub
lie anes "a 1885, or those which tended 70 diminish them
IN lsoA Why sir every sehooboy who has read his first
book IN history ought 10 know, every tyro Ia politics
should know, that had extraordinary state of
things ~ 1886 The State banks had suddenly flooded the
country With their issues increasing the paper circulation
/ 70 more than Sl40o00,000. In addition 10 this about
S20oooa0oo had been borrowed in Europe by the States
engaged carrying on internal improveTe nts; money be-
plentiful blackberres in June prices of every
description of property nordnatey high wide
spread reckless spirit OF speculation peaded the whole
country and millions OF OF the public lands
taken up by speculators swelling sales to amount al
together unprecedented before and which, ii is TO be hoped
will be reached again
Toaccount for the falling off during the fiscal year 1882
when the sales amounted to only los34e5 aeres 1873
being the average Of the five years preceding that when the
alternate system went into opeationI need only say that
the lands located with bountyand warrants and other
certificates in that year amounted to 1877 acres; and
any one who Is not a scurvy politician (and do not
specMe Why the seles should have aiien off 7es s2s
aeles ae average when the enormous quantity Of
oloi ~ pcres were taken up with military lans warrants
Here let call the attention Of my friend TO the incon
istences of his statements in regard to the sales of the al
tcrnate sections He first states that the railroad system
went INTO operation in July 1852 it did in the of
the Illinois act and yet subsequently, when attempting
show that the sales had increased under that system
he says that the system had been in full operation
three years prior to the lst January, 1853 Now am
that my colleague fell into this not desgnedly,
but from having unfortunately adopted without proper
examination the loose made by the gentleman
from New York, Mr. BENNETT will show by better
thorty than that quoted by my friend that the results Of
this system have been very different from what he says In
his last report the Secretary ofthe Interior says:
The principle of granting alternate sections and selling
reserved at double the ordinary price, has been found
by experience to be most saluary BY Of the i'm
made with such grants large tracts of land that
had long ain waste have been brought into market and found
ready sale the surrounding country has been poped and
the has been augmented by the increased consump
tion OF breign merchandise The government has
made such donation without being fully repaid.
During the half year ending 3lst December 1850, the
quantity d lands sold and located Tin Illinois, the district
raversed BY the central road) 342 487 The al
sections reserved to the United States brought
into market in july August and September 1852 and du
ring that and the succeeding quarter the sales and To-
cations amounted to ,274,522 showing increase
the corresponding half next preceding the location
of the road Of 932, ,o34 acres.
The quantity sold at Augusta district Mississippi in Sep
tember 1919 only 4 acres and in the same month in
the years ls5O5l and 52 much less and yet FIVE day.
September last after the route of the road had been estab
shed 49, $50 acres seld In Columbus district
daysn September last 22 5O4 disposed of
whereas the whole month OF September ls49 the
tty sold was only 2,35S acres"
might quote further show that the sales in the rail-
road districts in Missouri from the 5th July the 3Oh
September 1853 amounted to 100000 than
were sold in the corresponding quarters in 1850 and
52 So also along the route of the Saut Ste Marie canal
the sales in the second and third quarters Of 1852
ed To only 40669 and in the corresponding quarters
of 1853 they increased s9073 The Commissioner
of the General Land Office in his last report says
The great increase land for the
year. mentioned in part of this report has
Cured those States where railroads have been projected
grants made for them, where such works
temptation by the proposed construction of the Sauit Ste
Marie canal.
These statements suppose viii be conclusive on this
point nssmuch they based upon the actual sales
of the last fiscal year. compared with those of previous
years; and they hold good, not in single locality but
throughout wherever this policy has been applied BY
examination il will be found that gll favorable
have been attained during the fiscal year the
sales having amounted TO Sl099s20 in the first half and
81 63 in the third quarter against 354502 in the
fourth quarter of the last fiscal year. showing steady and
rapid increase aud it is reasonable TO expect that this in
win be s greater when the bountyland warrants
shall have been exhausted do not mean however 10
say that this system liable abuse but If restrained
within proper limits and exercised with judgment and dis
creton il would doubt be attended with highly bene-
fetal results TO the land States without detrmen to the
common interest
As this grant the Illinois Central railroad TO be
the Objectionable in the estimation of my col
league and that which than all Others
cessy for the change in land policy which he advo
Gates, IL may be well 10 pause here moment TO inquire
who mainly responsible for this act Why, sir will IL
be believed that the very gentleman who has sgnalized
himself he advocate for division of the public lands
account Of these very grants among others together with
nearly every gentleman in Congress who in favor of his
project voted this grant2 In the Senate the
gentlemen who then represented the State Of North Caro-
lima Messrs Badger and Mangum only voted for the
BILL but they were so anxious to secure It's passage that
they voted against the amendment offered by Mr. Dayton
providing that the proceeds of the sales OF the sections
served to the United States should be distributed among
the States according 10 the principles OF The act OF Sth sep
tember ls4l In the House IL voted for by Mr. Stan
ly and ii sanctioned and approved by that model
whig President popular with whg friends in North
Carolina Mr. Fillmore Then too, after the bin 10 grant
lands Florida had been killed in the House during the
last Congress Messrs Dockery Outlaw Sanly Morehead
and Caldwell the entire whg delegation from North Caro-
lima, voted for a reconsideration.
There is view of this question TO which have Incl
dentally alluded TO which, IL the committee will indulge
me will again advert very briehy-hat Is connected
with the tariff My colleague quotes and adopts prin-
ciple as laid down by Mr. McDufie and take occasion
here 70 congratulate my friend upon his having acquired
such sound and catholic views upon the tariff question;
"Hiaa generally admitted principle Of commercial law
that the Of imports is regulated by the amount of
EXPORTS and since Ia raised from duties upon
Imports follows If IL be shown that twothrds Of the
domestic exports of this the products OF labor
that the proposition IL sustancdha two thirds Of the
tire from imports Is paid BY the labor of slaves
Upon this principle he bases his declaration that North
Carolina pays twice much into the general
treasury northern State Of equal representation upon
this floor. Now, always thought that toersbly
straighout this question: but my friend has shot lit
Tie ahead Of believe that according TO the present
system taxation falls very heavily and unequay upon the
planting States but prepared to say that the i'm
equality Ia great my colleague makes il who to
have fully adopted what has been called the fortybae
theory But shall now adopt his premises No one,
feel assured viii deny that If the money derived from the
sales Of the public lands be distributed among the States IL
win give rise TO the necessity OF imposing additional
amount Of taxation supply the deficit thus created and
in supplying this deficit colleague says OF the
burden ofaxaon would fall upon North Carolina and the
other southern States and yet he would persuade the people
of North Carolina that this policy would be to their adj
vantage. But this il not ALL / have already shown how
the southern States would be the losers necessarily in this