Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

who is we'll known for a consistent opponent
of almost all schemes looking to the use of the
public domain for any other purpose than as
a means of putting money into the United
states Treasury, seems to hare at length been
aroused to the necessity fog coming to some
liked plan for the future management of the
public lands which shall prevent them from
being the great incentive to corruption in the
Government Of the United States. To this
end We presume it to be, yesterday he
brought forward bill to cede to the different
public-lands States, such of the public domain
az lay in the limits of each, under certain
conditions. He proposes this bin as substi-
tute for the land graduation bill of Mr. Cobb,
of Alabama, the consideration Of which as a
special order, is fixed for some day in the early
part Of May. Under this bill Speaker Boyd
proposes to cede the public lands above men
toned to the States in which they may lie,
respectively, transferring with them, all the
books, surveys, maps and other paraphernalia
bearing upon them, which, being in the gov
ernment's possession, may be necessary for
their future intelligent management in the
hands of the several States His bill also re-
quires that each State shall provide for the sur
vey of such of the public lands thus coded to
them, as may not have been surveyed by the
General Government up to the time of the ces.
sion, for their sale, and for the due extin.
guishnent of all existing Indian titles to any
such lands, by the States to which they may be
donated; and for the relief of the United
States from any possible future charge on any
account whatever in connection with such
lands.
He next proposes that the States shall nav
into the United States, quarterly, per cent.
of the gross amount of their sales of the lands
so donated to them; and that all of the exist.
ing land laws which will be, in any manner
applicable to the proper management of tie
public domain under the proposed change OF
proprietorehip, shall remain In force, including
the presumption laws. His bill also provides
for the graduation of their price, after remain.
ing unsold more than ten years. Those which
are not sold at the expiration of ten years afte,
the cession, to be subject to entry at ST 90 pc,
acre; if not sold five years thereafter, at q
cents; if not sold in twenty years after the
cession, (having been thus in market for TWEEN
~ years. at 30 cents; if not sold in twenty
five years thereafter, at % cents. Another sec
ton of this bill provides that the lands so dona
ted to any State shall revert to the General
Government on the failure of the said State To
comply with any one of her obligations undo,
this law. Still another section authorizes thu
States to tax such lands laying within their re-
spective limits; and another stops the payment
of the five per cent. fund-that is, of the i've
per cent on the proceeds Of the sales of public
lands in the limits of the different States, which
the General Government now pays over t.
them, as such sales may be made.
If we remember correctly, proposition t.
much the same end was brought toward som,
fourteen years ago by Judge h. M. Young
| when that gentleman represented Illinois il
the Senate of the United States.
The Demonstration in the House ON the
Black Warrior Case-occurring Yesterday
has been the subject of much interesting con.
versation in political circles around US. Tha
is, the showing made by Mr.. Bayly, of Vir
ginia, the chairman of the Committee OF
Foreign Affairs. His remarks satisfied all
that the committee are preparing to submit
to the House bill providing the means o.
securing reparation from Spain in the mos,
prompt manner, in case that Government NAV
be disposed to follow in this case her usua
policy Of procrastination in affairs with us
The onslaught OF Mr.. Giddings upon tht
message was expected, inasmuch as he wa.
hardly ever known to fail to take advantags
Of such an occasion His effort, however, wa.
not equal to his capacity as popular orator
than whom, at times there have been few NOR,
adroit orators in the House of late years Hi
pOint-that President Pierce had interfered t,
! dictate to the House in matter in which hi
| advice was uncalled-fOr and altogether out O
place-was by no means sustained. Mr.
| Bayly, in five minutes, dispelled the mass o
bubbles at the duties and position of tn.
Executive of the United States, which the ven
| cradle memb er frem Ohio thus essayed to raise
Inc Approaching Contest in Pennsylva
mat Is Conceived at this point, that tn
Wings are likely l.. get their opponents i,
| Pennsylvania on the hip; Tho managing me,
of the Democrats there having succeeded i.
preventing their followers from committing
g the party to the policy of the sale of tn
States public works, with which the opposition
have shrewdly identified themselves. Tn
truth is, the management of the public work
of that State has been we'll nigh as corrupt a
that of the New York canals, the politician
regarding their revenues, contracts in connec
ton with them, &c, as legitimate plumber a
all times, and under all circumstances. TIL
State treasury has been robbed by them in al
conceivable ways IN their management To s
great an extent have they car led this system
as not only to defeat all revenue or clear prof
from these 30 expensive works, but also to de
mOralize all branches of the politics of tn
State. The masses Of both parties are ev,
IDENTIFY most anxious to sell the State roads an,
canals, in the hope that they may thus get ri
of this shocking source of general demoraliza
ton.
The Democratic politicians, or too many q
them, yet stand out against this popular policy
and bid fair shortly to be properly paid 70
their sinister opposition to the plan of maxim,
serious efforts to redeem their management o
their State affairs from the imputation of dis
! honesty and ineficiency.