The daily union., 1854-02-14


Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, when
you present TO me proposition for appropda
lions OF land Tor this or that road, without my having
any knowledge OF what direction The will take
such road Id my friend from Iowa or any other
gentleman Will bring me proposition that under
sand, by which will be regulated and the gem
eral interests OF the country subserved may be recos
ciled to IT. because is useless oppose these APP
pIopfauoDs, and know that of them must pass
Therefore. when proposition made OF this sort,
wish TO understand whether it directs this way
or that way. and what would be The effect OF the
muncaon TO be opened upon the general interests OF
commerce. And have | not right to ask that question
Is it not reasonable and propeIl Mark you, dislin
guish between giving lands States and giving them for
this or that object wish 10 know, when give lands,
thai the object Is one that my Judgment approves not
that approved by the udsmen of the member who n
troduces the measure. l wish, when | vote for auy
measure, TO g.ve my vote under the sanction Of my ud
meh upon the responsibility OF senator upon this oot
do not undertake, repeat, TO say that this is no,
proper road am very tar from saying may not be Tie
best road All 4 have 10 say is thai have not sui-
cient intelligence upon the subject, nor can acquire any
from any map Or pan or any expose made TO the Senate
Of the United States.
| Am not understood nowi And say to the senator
from Iowa what cannot be conadicled but what be
abundany verified, that only have bills passed this
body giving alternate sections adjacent TO the road within
distance of Is miles, but giving lands in any pa Of
| the State through which the road ran,
Mr.. DODGE, OF Iowa What bill can the senator
name I i a
Nj BUTLER can name the bill giving to the Stale
OF Michigan for the construction Of The Sault ST. Mars
canalihe principle Is the same as il had been rail-
road--a certain quantity Of land TO be selected from any
part OF The State. | am not mistaken in that
Mr.. DODGE. No, at all
Mr.. CASS. What the honorable senator is now re-
ferTng TO- instead OF being araroad canal of about
a mile or mile and quarter length, opening up
great communication along the northern frontier TO i'm
mense possessions of the United States Lake Supe-
rior.
MIR Blu Tier. | am moi SAYING that that was no, a
proper measure. nor am | saying anything about lis
length IL is canal. to be sure; bu what difference does
that make wish to verify the statement which made
n he iini.
talons and restrictions contained IN this bill That is
all wish TO put myself recus Ia You granted
lands 10 Michigan tor the construction OF canal and
you did not conhne the selection a certain strip, but
the State the right locate them in any part OF her
territory In that measure you carried out the same
principle that Is contained in these railroad bills
/ Now, am not going 10 enter upon this old subject
am not going TO say that such communication might
not be proper, but wish to put myself right before The
country in relation to all these bills They have gone
step by step until, IT you to precedent you OBJ
sn lands IRON any part OF The State TO carry the i'm
proyement intended Then, ! repeat that stand per-
tectly correct in assertioD not only that you
take ands fifteen miles from the road but from any part
OF The State, Tor The purpose OF carrying out improve
ment And with this proposition leaye the subject.
Mr.. RUSk. think the honorable senator from Geor-
lga Mr. DAwsoNl aud from South Carolina [Mr Bur-
LEK do this subject OF granting lands railroads great
injustice. My opinion is, that the day will when
IL will be found who first brought this system before
Congress, and tba, the author OF will be entitled the
gratitude OF this nation. In The arguments which the
senators Ia, down they assume the value of the United
States lands that granted by these several bills al
dollar aud quarter an acre The Central railroad OF II.
Inois hss bssa cited upon all occasions when lecture
has been given about the quantity OF land given
States for railroads Now, sir, that raiIroad
over lands tina. have been in market fifteen twenty
years.
Mr JAMES More than that
MIR. RUSk. Toe senator says more than that; and
ye, they have not found purchasers.
| Mr.. JONES, OF Iowa. Yes; thirty or forty years.
| Mr. RUSH. Thirty or forty years, and purch aser
could not be found al any prices You could not have
found individuals who would have agreed 10 take large
oi that and and paid the assessed upon ii
BY the State OF Illinois for Il, Well, the State OF illinois
came forward very commercially, and asked tina, grant
OF alternate sections extending fifteen miles each side
might be given for the construction OF this Central rail-
road. remember the discussion upon that BILL Al was
said 10 be visionary project just such observations
made upon II as we have heard this morning. But
what do see Why, sir, the road s under con-
tract, and large portion OF il finished. The alter.
nate sections oil land fixed in The bill at the mini
mum price OF dollar and a quarter acre. The in
trlnsie value OF the land lte moth Ing but row
that the road Is nesy completed the lands rapidly
rising in value. that in less than year from this ume
when the work is completed they will command aready
sale.
| Well what else have you done You have induced
the settlement OF an industrious population, which will
produce and consume largely, aud add to the general
wealth o the nation. ou have opened great thorough
fare which, 10 my Judgment IL Il ia continued on fur
ther, will have effect TO quiet these sectional peju
dces and stop this isnacism that we every IN
while get alatmed at than all the speeches that can he
made in either branch OF Congress because you will
make the people each end OF the great horoughfare
tce hht they are dependent upon each oher You Will
bring them 10 with another and they viii see
tbs, BY Their mutual industry exchanges, aud trade with
another they increasing in wealth aud comfort
Then, SIR you may preach iana,cism in vain for inter-
est wall be the all. controlling motive.
Now, sr, let us determine, proting by the example
OF this Illinois road, 10 support this bill and all Others OF
similar character What can you sell your lands for
when there facilities for getting The products 10
market' The lands intrnscsy are OF the highest value
in many instances SO far "a Louisiana is concerned,
believe they not valuable but there are great
prr-
posed railroads ha, would prove very valuable with The
means of getting 10 market W h their products.
Gentlenen talk about iancul roads. Now, sir, grants
made upon condition OF constructing the road IL they
build road, they ge, no land Therefore is that men
not going engage in railroad projects upon mere
fancy route They get no lands unless they build the
road and apt TO ask Tor grants OF land for
to the United States for the road will Of course never be
built
Well when tie road is constructed il enhances the
value of the reserved sections And this applies not
alone to the snds lying Immediately adjacent. Lands
living within fifteen. twenty and even thirty miles OF The
great horoughfsre enhanced, because means are al
Grdcd for bringing their products 10 market Sr, ibe
principle bad been extended still further and you had
granted alternate sections Tor twenty and even thirty |
miles would have been whiting TO adopt H. The United
States would have found il profitable because would
have increased the value OF the alternate sections belong
ing 10 the government
Some gentlemen seem 10 argue II Congressis actual
ly taking the money OF the government and helping 10
build these railroads in the new Siaes. No spch thing
The lands are a very inconsderable item. Tie outlay /
of capal industry and enterprise IL The great thing
The land itself affords but very e credit TO The indvid
uals who EN- bark IN the enterprise.
Than you building your country adding The Il