The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-20

!
millions of which the gentleman speaks Oh except
millions Of acres granted by the general govern
men for railroads canals and for intenal improvements OF
| various kinds That is all. There have been noother
grants made by the government
The government then in the land States OF the Union
owned nearly four hundred millions OF acres under and
by stipulation with the new States, by giving them
million OF acres secured exemption OF the IN perpe-
tuy from axaton and then II has granted me enormous
OF millions of acresabout four per cent
Of the whoe~not a bonus the States, not for the
benefit individuals and corporations but for the purpose
of enhancing the OF It's domain 1t has enhanced
the value Of that domain and consequence procured
purchasers for IT, Ii has made the land more valuable ny
these grants and how them this be charged as bonus
to the States leave gentlemen 10 answer Ihey were
grants made for the Improvement OF the public DOMAIN
Tls brings down TO the latter part OF the gentle
argument-ior believe have disposed of all the
rest-and that is in relation 10 grants for railroads
word two upon that matter and leave the subject
He undertakes to that these grants for raroads nave
not increased the sale of the public lands And here WIN
his usual felicity, he has managed TO FIX the matter all
wrong He says for instance that the lands upon the Zen
road in Illinois brought into market in July,
1852 Gentlemen win understand how these grants were
located They were reserved from sale after the grants
made He says they brought into market in july
1852 and in another passage says that the lowest sales
in 1882 enq The oery gear that the lands Of the III
nois Central railrodd brought into married. Now all
know that the financial year closes in June and that the
sales Of july 1852 will appear in the report Of 1853 be
the sales made subsequent to june 1882 and do
| not belong to the fiscal year of 1852.
He stateand here let call your attention to itthat
these lands not brought into market until July, 1852
that is in the financial year 1853 and then ten lines after
wards asserts that in the year 1852 precisely the same
gear the sales the lowest of any year after the lands
were brought into market Well sir the gentleman
right in Of these statements and it could not well be
otherwise of them fatty conradicts the other The
lands first brought into market in July, S52tha is
at the beginning OF the financial 1855 but so far from
the sales having not increased from that time onward rs he
alleges the fact is precisely the other way In 1862 the
sales eight hundred and ninefour thousand seven
hundred and seventy -nne But in the FIRST second
and third quarters only OF 1853 the sales amounted TO
2o22 acresthe money received on the third quar-
1 10 al an1ann pr IN m
amount of sales for 1852 showing that the sales have in
creased nearly threeod since the railroad grants were
made.
Now we have heard objections raised upon this floor
making railroad grants because it increasing to pur
haser the cost of the sections reserved by the
Now, confess there is novelty in the idea that to is
Exceedingly refreshing suppose that people buy lands
as they buy anything else, and consider them dear or
cheap in proportion TO their value as well as to the price
paid for them. suppose tract of land with railroad
running by it is worth than that has such ia
cy for market suppose piece of land with house
upon it is worth than without house upon it
suppose in general terms that piece OF land with any
improvement upon is worth more than entirely
improved; and suppose that lands which have been in
creased TO four times their original value in consequence
of Improvement cheaper double the original price
than they would be the original price without improve
ment There is certainly no difficulty in comprehending
that
My friend from Virginia Mr.. LErcHER spoke quite at
length upon this point upon the Wisconsin railroad BILL
and he really seemed to think that be making
gument upon it He evidently ecated himself upon his
point He undertook to show first that the lands belong
ing to the general government in Illinois not
HANGED in value at all in consequence Of the location OF
railroad through them He says 1t is actually donation
far the general government is concerned He
the government donated lands to the State of Illinois, and
received consideration in return for them that the
strncon of railroad Of no sort of advantage TO the
lands belonging to the in the vicinity of its
location lie the other hand said the lands belonging
to the railroad corporation were enhanced in their value TO
than double their original value but the sections
served by the government in the locality the line
of the some railroad, not benefited in the least
Now, sir, this is species of Irish logic The govern
men donated alternate sections aid in the construction
of railroad in Illinois which enhanced the value of
the lands donated according to his statement to fur
nsh capital enough TO build the road and leave in the
hands OF the builders millions surplus profit ;
while the sections reserved by the general government be
ing under the circumstances affected in precisely the
same manner, not increased in value dollar by it,
Well this was submitted as argument and the gentle
man, as have said, evidently iectated himself upon IT.
But really such things convince mind intellect the
reasoning faculties of those who listen 10 them Is it not
the height Of absurdiy TO suppose Take the of
railroad grant Suppose it entirely through body
of land, all OF which is owned by the government Your
present price is 81 20 per acre You give the alternate
sections to company, or TO the State You sell the bal
at So so per acre viii not the balance Of the sales
50 so be precisely equal TO what you would have got
for the whole at 81 25 per acre Is there any on
the outside OF lnnatc asylum who is not on the wrong
side OF the walls of lunatc asylum who cannot under
stand this Well, sir II portion Of these lands shall
have been disposed Of BY the government the effect win be
pro rata precisely the same.
Now so far the Illinois grant is concerned under
stand that the land has been nearly all disposed Of The
difficulty Is that the land officers there cannot execute the
papers fast enough to satisfy the purchasers The crowds
have been great that they have been compelled to shut
the offices 10 get up with their writing and their papers
In other words the land much cheaper So so per
with the railroad in the vicinity than for 81 rs
pr acre without the railroad that after lay for twenty
thirty years without purchaser the land not being
worth the 81 %, ohcr things being equal II is worth
much than 81 90 per that your officers cannot
execute the papers fast enough to satisfy the wishes and
| desires Of the purchasers.
have figuring here which made In reference 10
this whi wh hat
twice two make four If they deny that there is end
of the argument Under the Illinois grant there with
in the limits Of the six miles million hundred and
nneysx thousand three hundred and hirty-four
outside Of the six miles but within the fifteen miles there
million three hundred and ninety-seyen thousand
five hundred and twenysix acres that Is TO say there
in the whole grant two million FIVE hundred and
nneyhree thousand eight hundred and sixty The
State Of Illinois took two million FIVE hundred and ninety
three thousand by the grant and the government
reserved two million FIVE hundred and ninety thou
sand Independent OF the other lands which the
eminent owned in the vicinity and leave these latter
rey out Of consideration Ar the present discussion
Is concerned Leaving them all out and supposng that
the government owned no lands except those granted TO
the States and those reserved in alternate sections there
would have been five million hundred and eighty
seven thousand hundred and twenty acres which
atS 20 per acre would amount to $6,4s485O The lands
| limited in price 10 81 30 per million
hundred and sxtyine thousand three hundred and thirty
four acres amounting S29e0s35 The lands outside Of
\ the six, and within the fifteen miles at 81 %, would
amount 10 81, 74G907 that Is in the aggregate the gov
receives from the reserved sections
And this with six years interest will amount the whole
fore the grants that is the whole transaction s equiva-
lent 10 sale by the ak credit with