The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-25

The habit Of donating alternate sections Of land for rail-
road purposes was contracted believe in 1885, yet there
was less land sold in twelve years from ls4l 1862 in
elusive than under the old conservative habit in the single
year 1896 When alternate sections Of land donated
II is the reoypcd language Of the bills that the reserved
sections 0l be held at double price which leaves the i'm
preston the public mind that with the difference of the
odd section there is equal number Of sections reserved
and granted and that the half being sold the price
OF the whole, nothing Is lost TO the treasury Such
however, Is not always the fact for private entries are
formally respected and when they fall within the line 10
which the rights Of the donees IN The first instance extend
then authority Is given 10 the donecs 20 s further TO
the right le and take another amount Of land equal
the amount taken by private outos though such private
entries made at the government price Of 81 % per
acre quote from the act 10 apply certain alternate sec
tons Of the public domain towards the completion of works
Of internal improvement in the State OF Michigan the fol-
lowing clause:
And Of the sections and parts sections within
disposed Of or enonmbored that they be applied
IL Is furthermore enacted that quantity Of land equal
% so OF otherwise disposed pi encumbefed shall be select
ed by said agent under The direction of the Secretary OF the
Treasury, from the public lds the ie OF said rail
road on either side thereof"
This fact explains why II is that vho the Illinois Cen
trail railroad received 3757ll acres there reserved
a double price but l67046 acres which is 223osl
less than half the number donated by the government
The reserved sections offered for sale in July 1852
and the 3Oth Of September 1853, there had been
sold in Illinois, at the double price, S2 5O) but 2s4os0
acres.
The practice Of donating alternate sections Of land par
therefore unwise but Is generally injurious the treasury
The recipients of the donated sections thrown into d-
rect competition with the government II is not
able TO suppose that purchaser viii pay 50 80 per
TO the government when he buy lands adjoining
less price from others The public lands are one Of the
Of revenue and reduction Of the of the
country Is thus wrought by excluding its lands from
the market Nor this be denied by the advo-
cate of the theory that the government loses money
because the price Of the reserved sections dosbe with
being precipaied into another dilemma which quite
as fatal to his theory The value Of the reserved sections
is increased II Us If Ut s increased the donces
undersell the government and at heavy profit II II IL
not increased the argument Is pressure for the
funds will cause the donees 10 sell AT any price.
II is my faith that there material difference in the
powers Of Congress such parts of the public domain
lie within States and In Territories Territory continues
to be the property Of all the States long
remains Territory and any improvement within us linn
it's rebounds to the benefit OF its
But when part of the public domain lies within the bound
aries Of State IL Is difficult conceive Of any improve
men Of such territory which viii not result the benefit
OF that particular State and 1t may be- tho exclusion
of all benefit TO the remaining States Such might
occur as State surrounded by Territories, which
has yet happened but is virtually approached by the
geographical position Of California Again the Territories
have power but such given by Congress They
in dependent condition and look Congress for revenue
protection and for law THIS h their only legislature and
should egislae for their good precisely State legs
laure may for the good Of the tateboth being subject
TO the provisions of their respective constitutions
Entertaining these views cannot consistently cast my
vote for donating lands which lie within the limits Of
Stae but when the lands asked for lie within Territories
organized not organized have constitutional
pies and the question then arises the expedency
making such grants ~ are sought