The daily union., 1854-07-26
CONGR ESSI0N AL.
SPEECH OF HON. LEWIS CAss
OF MICHIGAN,

On the homestead bill delivered III The Senate July lB
1854.
The Senate as in committee of the whole, having under
consideration the homestead BILL
Mr.. CASS said
Mr. PRESIDENT | very unwilling to trespass upon
the time and indulgence of the Senate especially at this
moment when the from Lousana~ has just closed
his eloquent remarks to which have all listened with
much interest shall follow him disadvanageously, as
am well aware but he has directed many Of his remarks
personally myself and has commented freely upon the
views have heretofore presented stating them sometimes
correctly and sometimes incorrectly but always am sure
with desire and design to do justice cannot shrink
from the task Of maintaining my position and of relieving
it from of the charges to which the Senate have just
listened.
am not going again over the constitutional point to
the power Of Congress to dispose of the public lands TO
actual settlers Nor indeed it be necessary in relation
10 the views they struck me of the from Louis
lana except to maintain my own consistency in voting
against the lunatcasylum BILL and in proposing to vote
for the pending one because do not understand though
may misunderstood him. that the honorable senator
denies the power of Congress TO grant lands to actual
settlers nor indeed is ii easy to how it can be
tested by who comedies the right of Congress to
distribute the public lands among the several States for all
purposes whatsoever The latter authority only be
supported upon the ground which has been assumed and
defended by many members here that Congress have UNI
limited power dispose Of the public lands at pleasure
The senator from Louisiana cannot understand the dis
tinction taken between the power Of Congress to
grant the public land for purposes fairly connected with
its settlement and Improvement which necessarily confines
all grants within the limits oI the region occupied by u
and the power to grant it to the States where none OF II
lies and for objects having relation to it. repeat sir
what said before that is not because the grants pro-
posed to be made by the naticasyum bill were destined
to the aid of unfortunate class of beings that objected
to it. The purposes of the application had reference to
my opposition That would have been the whatever
was the object and was based upon the objection have
stated that grants of the public land to be constitutional
be for purposes connected with the settlement and
Improvement of the country and that they cannot be made
either States individuals unless they promote this
end This distinction sir may be just unjust consu
tional or unconstitutional Of that say nothing but
Iouts ha NOT
understand it, submit that the fault is his and not mine
In listening aentyey to the remarks of the honorable
member recall single consideration he has pre-
sented except that connected with the right of Congress
to adopt system of disposition and settlement of the
public lands, and to which ! shall directly advert and
which would have tendency to promote emigration from
the older States cannot recall single consideration
connected with the constitutional view of this question
which did not touch upon in the views presented to the
Senate time since AS l cannot hope to be
cessful now than then in obvating difficulties in
producing conviction shall not make the effort but shall
leave this branch of the subject where left it before.
There is point however, to which will briefly ad-
vert and that is the right of Congress distribute the
public lands among the several States under that clause of
the deeds Of cesson which provides that the lands ceded
shall be considered fund for the benefit Of the
members of the confederation according to their proper
tons in the general charge &c endeayored to show
sir that this clause had reference to the charges
ions of the States Of the confederacy constituting
government and to their several expenditures ind
vdual States that at the time these deeds of cessiop
executed the general government had no power of
the several States which required to make their pro-
porona payment into the federal treasury And these
the general charges which this fund was designed to
meet for the benefit No dreamed in that day
that the of the United States ought provide
and manage funds for the several State governments
Such proposition would have been Indignantly rejected
by the whole country. And such the earlier and uni
form construction put upon this clause Of application
unless therefore this common benefit has two entirely differ
signfcatons either have been all wrong in using
this fund for the benefit Of the general government
have right to it for the benefit of the respective
State governments.
There is one pervadng the remarks of the senator
from louisiana and which has been already repeatedly
presented to the Senate but which, it me- does
great injustice to the whole subjecand that is that
national domain is to be considered question
ofpecuniary value and that its management and settle
to be looked to merely the of bringing
money into the treasury Sir this is too ground
to be occupied in relation to grave subject To
sumo this the basis of action is to du
ties at too low standard The progress and settlement Of
such world present much more momenous questions for
deiberaton do not believe that duty limited to
squeezing the last dollar and cent out of this great fund
The honorable SENATOR although he accepts the of the
proposition that Congress manage this property
prudent proprietor would do, yet to view it with
little favor and others have heaped reproach and ricue
upon it. For myself sir think L expresses very clearly
and truly one of the great branches of duty, that
whatever just and liberal proprietor might do honestly
to improve the value of his property may do to i'm
prove the value of the public lands And | believe that
there very grave considerations moral and political
involved i'll the settlement of country, not to be
weighed IN the scale with silver and gold shall not
ter into this topic 1t cannot be necessary 1t appeals at
once to every American; and the voice of the
country would Indignantly reprove any effort to limit the
action Of Congress in the disposition of the public lands to
the consideration of how much they may be made TO
bring.
But, besides sir there is one point which the senator
from Louisiana ts overlooked in this question of value
lie contends that by granting alternate sections what
mains will be increased in price 1t must be recoected
that time constitutes OF the elements of value If you
hx the price of On article at than il will bring, the
longer the sale delayed the clearer is the proof that the
estimate was too high Your land you fixed az two
dollars per good deal of it has been IN market
and unsod for one-thrd of century and portion of it
sun longer That land is worth six eight dollars
an acre or it not worth fifty cents when first offered
Tor sale There is great deal OF land for sale at 81 25
an acre which will not be sold for long series of years
It's true value therefore far below the price
measure is of advantageous which expedes these
sales instead Of leaving the land for long time unproduc
i've AND that is precisely the effect of these grants
aerhate sections to actual settlers Every acquainted
WIN new country knows that the improvement of tracts
ia0 furnishes additional motives to emigrants to take
up land IN the ncghborhood They add value to all the
neghporng property, and thus facilitate its sale When
10 TINS view joined the considerations which shall
"san aa'eI .hH' THESE grants of land to actual settlers
protect them ut all times aud that the inproyenents bcv
would insure would increase the progress and prosperity
the country and at the time the value of the pubc
cry, we md, IN my opinion ample justification for the
aopuon OF ts measure repeat sir that Congress have
no moral right to sit still and witness All those sacrifices
incident to the settlement q new country and
nothing towards The result They have no RIGHT 10 lar in
'he rear OF the great column of civilization witnessing its
aok and reapng the advantages f it, and pocketnp lis
20 proht without doing anything else. This principle
improving the yalue of the public lands 10y the aid of The
general government commenced early as the amnsa-
oh OF Eeneral Washington when was passed ma
ing grants of land for the construction of road from
wheeling 10 Limestone And from that time to this the