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

States-amounts to nothing at all and has no bearing
whatever upon the real question at issue As however he
has made calculation TO show how much North Carolina
has paid as her proportion by which he arrives at the
clusion that she has been taxed 10 the Of
ol6, without having been compensated therefor
which Of course is altogether erroneous viii show
from the record that North Carolina in with all
the other States has received more than she has paid on
account of the public lands According the report OF
the Secretary Of the Interior there has been paid into the
treasury up TO the Both June S53 from the sales OF the
the public lands over and above their total cost S532s9
465. North Carolina has thereby been benefited by
empton from taxation at least in the proportion of her
representation this floor being clear gain to her Of
! Sl,8l4,S24.
In this connexon let me correct very common error
which preyailsthat is that the general government de-
rived great pecunary advantage from the cession made
| by North Carolina do not mean TO underrate the mag
nanmity Of that act No. sir North Carolina with pa
triosm that entities her TO everlasting honor offered up
upon the altar of union her whole domain, consiu
ting the State Of Tennessee Actuaed by noble desire
TO elevate the public credit promote harmony and cement
the bonds Of union among the States offered up free
al government realized any pecunary advantage from
the cesson as will appear from statement have here
i obtained from the Land Office.
But while my colleague admits that the policy which
advocate would be wise and proper could it be carried out
he urges that the lands have been and in all probability
will continue to be- squandered the new States,
while the old States will get nothing and in proof of this
declaration, he says that hundred and twentynine
millions of Of the public lands have been gue actu
ally given to the States and yet the old States have
ceUed nothing either in the way of lands proceeds ari-
sing from the sales thereof he undertakes to show by
the table which propose to examine. Why, sir am ut
ery amazed that friend should have been so thought
less and nconsderae to make any such assertion In
another part of his speech he states that the of $l3s
100000 derived from the sales Of the public lands had al
ready gone into the treasury of the United States and my
colleague must know that it has been appropriated for the
common expenses of the government and in payment OF the
national debt and that North Gdrona and the other
on States have therefore been benefited by il precisely
according to their usual proportions in the general charge
and expenditure shall not undertake TO deny that the
policy of has been to deal generously
with the land States and has uniformly made them liberal
grants in consideration of their stpulang not to tax the
lands belonging to the United States and Of their releasing
the government from other obligations which usually
imposed upon andhodes and in order moreover to pro-
the settlement of the country and thereby increase the
sales of the public lands and it may be- and doubt is
the case that this policy correct in ITSELF has sometimes
been overstaned But let examine the statement given
by my colleague Here it is Now how does he make out
these donations of hundred and twenty nine millions
acres The first item that of grants for school pur
poses in the land States is too late apprehend to OBJ
cct to grants to proper extent for these obecs they
have been made from the first and every State that
has into the Union has received lands for these pur
poses granted by Congress not free gifts to the States
and Territories, but of attracting settlers and
enhancing the value Of the public lands generally; they
have been voted for by all parties, and SO far as have
had time examine the journals they have passed without
division The may be said of the grants for
seats of government and public buildings amounting
254 acres granted to Louisiana and other States
As to the swamp lands, they acknowledged, all
sides to be useless TO the general governments they could
not be disposed Of at any price shall not go the
ground ably occupied time since both by the gen
teman from Virginia [Mr BAYIY and the gentleman from
Ohio Mr.. Disney, who showed very conclusiyey that
there other course; they considered nus-
by the citizens of the States in which they y which
from Louisiana Mr. PrRKs] stated that those in that
State had been drained since the grant made at
pense of s. per And hardly think my colleague
any else would have voted appropriation equal
to that for the purpose Of draining hem in order 10
render them salable have examined the journals only
in reference Of these bills that granting s960ol6
to Arkansas and find that neither Mr. BADGER
Mr. Mangum thought these lands worth calling the ayes
and noes The bill passed the Senate without divs-
ion while in the House it voted for by Messrs Out
| law Stanly, and CIlNGsAs.
The table contained in the speech Of my colleague shows
also that grants have been made for military services
amounting TO 24S4l979 and that these grants have
been made thirteen States and yet nothing be
further from the truth My friend has fallen into the
Of supposng that these grants have been made to these
particular States when in fact they nothing than
the bounty lands which and grateful nation has
bestowed upon the brave and patriotic OF America
who pered their lives upon many bloody field and bore
ao to victory the and stripes of their country and
among the rest the bold sons of our own Carolina who
already received account of their services to their
country nearly 100000 of these very grants which
i my colleague think made to the States
My colleague says that several millions Of Of the
public lands have been granted for internal improvements
In the States and asks why is unwise and uncon-
stitutional make grants for improvements in North
Carolina when IL Is wise and constitutional 10 make grants
for similar improvements in Illinois will tell my coli
league Il is because the general government owns
lands In North Carolina and does large bodies of
lands in Illinois and because by granting lands in alter
sectiouS 10 IN the OF
that State through the lands the lands
ed by the government enhanced in value and such
had been many years in market without finding purcha-
4 thereby rendered saabe To illustrate suppose
that the general government owned the lands along the
proposed route Of the western extension Of the North Caro-
lima Central railroad could Congress grant alternate
sections Of those lands either TO North Carolina
company who would undertake TO complete the work. TO
aid in its construction And docs not my colleague be-
evs and does not every in North Carolina know that
the reserved sections would be much enhanced in value
that the government would lose nothing by the grant
Surely argument is necessary convince my country
| men Of so plain proposition. 81
But says my friend experience proves that there !. no
| force in this argument and be tells there were
granted to Illinois Mississippi and Alabama for the
Illinois Central railroad 315l,7ll Of the public
lands that the reserved sections brought into market
/ in July 1882; and yet up 10 the 30h September 1883
only 2s40s0 had been sold double price, and the
amount received over the ordinary price only $685. 100
TO repay the government or the grant made 70 those States
Now would ask my colleague In all kindness for have
he knows other than kind feelings towards him II
this is fair mode of arguing this question Why, sir,
I any unacquained with the facts woud infer from
reading this part of his speech that this a the gov
crnment would receye and yet one knows better
than friend that these lands have only been nnrke,
since July 1882 he has himself 20 stated and that the
balance of the reserved sections for six miles from the road
both sides through It's whole length wherever
through the public lands still remain TO be sold Mt 50 so
per and they being bought mp that price
am informed fast the land agents do the
uesssuch being the press upon Of the officers that
they have been compelled to close their doors from time
time order bring the up But says nv col
league the act only requires these reserved sections be
offered at the double price before they sold the ord
raes actually alicisinp tho words e offered