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

goVefnIntnt
piece OF land for dollars cents parts with for ample
consideration from the States matter wherever the gov
ernnent IN any Transaction has parted with any public
land though il has been for consideration has been
in every case with two unimporian exceptions alone
oluded as shall show down pumps the gentleman from
New York and cphers out what il to- and says that
New York ought to have an allowance for that
Why SIR here is his statement OF these school lands in
the Territories;
California 4 7265 900 acres.
Minnesota 6429,00 50
oregon H. 1861 600 q
New Mexico 100000 g
Utah 6,000000 +"
Lands in the widerness-more than half of them utterly
valueesa hardly any Of them surveyed and TO be sold to
the purchasers Of the respective townships but all charged
gifts to the States and Territories. Was
sense more absurd? So he makes in this item alone
in these Territories forty millions OF grants,
as gys Tor school purposes and swes his tables by this
amount Now have endeavored to show, these school
ands donations salessales gifts and if all
these lands In the Territories named fertile and yaua
ble still the donation would be gift But how mex
pressiby absurd becomes the claim when You remember
that these lands yet in the wilderness and that
than half of them utterly destitute Of value for any h
man purpose But these considerations have effect
with the gentleman from New York The gentleman
charges them up gifts and charges hem oo at 81 25
per acre and thinks that New York ought to have gift to
corresponding extent NowI leave it to the sober
of the Houses not this matter ridiculous in the extreme
Is it possible that the gentleman cannot understand how
sale Of land for adequate consideration applied for the
common benefit work injustice to any one Of the
propreors The school lands of the West actually
sold but il is refreshing to witness the grave simplicity
with which the gentleman from New York claims that
the granted lands for the support of schools in
the West why, New York ought to have lands granted to
her for the same purpose The West sir buys her school
ands and If New York. any other State wants school
lands, let them get them in the same way.
Next in order in this delectable paper is the statement
in reference to the grant to the States Of the swamp
lands within their limits. Here the genteman's figures
show these grants to have amounted about thirtyve
million Well sir in this instance his calculations
are singalary enough too low The facts show that really
about fifty million of these lands have been given
away. 1t than the gentleman himself makes
But the gentleman from New YORK charges that these
too were gifts of lands to the States Mr. Speaker,
have not time to occupy the attention Of the House by
reading the able report Of the committee who reported
upon the subject when it first presented to the House.
but let me state in general TERMS of the facts
neced with these swamp lands which operated
for making that grant And 6rst desire to call the at
enon Of the House to the language of the act ITSELF which,
in express terms makes grant Of only such lands as
unm for cueaon" These the terms of the statute
Now sir if there has been any fraud in carrying that
statute it is not the fau of the statute itself for repeat
the statute in express terms limits the grants to lands
unit for eutpation But owe il the Land Office and to
the efficient and able head of that bureau say that
have examined the instructions which he with that
statute and find them to be full and complete. They
show that it his intention TO carry the law in good
faith He has thrown around it every guard and restric
ton which his ingenuity could suggest to its faith
ul execution and to they seemed TO embrace every
guard that could have been suggested He has required
in every case the evidence of personal observation with
reference to the character of the land be ceded He has
required that shall be certified from personal obserya
on that the greater part of each particular tract legal
subdivision is unfit for cultivation and if other lands
been oed has been in violation Of the sctes regula
tons which could have been prescribed.
But sir what is the character of those swamp lands
They overfowed lands; they lands in a state
unfit for cultivation; they lands which value
less for which purchaser had been, and
could have been, found They they not
only yalueless but they nnisoncea positive
ua standing nuisance to the country in which they
located The general government Vas called upon, by
every principle of justice either to contribute to the
mova of nuisance which not only injured the inhabitants
and propreors Of the surrounding lands but they injured
the general government itself of the propretors of
the adjacent lands 1t stated that the local authori-
ties expending for retaining these
lands and for removing this nuisance IL alleged IT
claimed that the general government has right TO
refuse 10 contribute TO the reclamation of these lands and
still continue hopropretor while the local authorities
expending vast for their reclamation These lands
affected the general health Of the country in the vicinity
Their reclamation nure for the immediate benefit
of the general government which refused 10 contribute its
proportion Of the expense
understand from my friend from Louisiana Mr.. PER-
Ks that his State has contributed largely towards the
reclamation Of this kind Of lands within It's limits. The
gentleman informs that about eight dollars per
has been expended in the reclamation.
Such the character such the condition. of the lands
Of which the general government renqushed the title
and this rsnquishment the gentleman from New York
cooy and deliberately charges to the States gratu
ou for which the State OF New York is entitled TO pro-
portonae amount Of lands worth dollar and quarter
per
These lands Of value The general government
did do all that ought have done in regard to them
II did not do what individual proprietor in similar
case may be compelled 10 do. No deny the right
Of the general government TO get rid of the obligation TO
drain those lands by cedng them The general govern
acknowledged its obligation the nuisance
but to its policy of not extending Its general scope
and action by nterposng by taxation the expenditure
Of money individual might be compelled TO do or
the appropriation of money for the reclamation Of these
lands relnqushed the land with the obligation The
duon to the nuisance is stipulated In the The
lands granted the condition that the proceeds o
the reclaimed land TO be applied to the removal OF
the nuisance The general could do less
An individual proprietor of nuisance ntoerable in its
character and injurious 10 the general interest would have
been compelled TO do more. The general government
agreed cede the land consideration for the removal
OF the nuisance II limited the grant down 10 the cond
ton that the proceeds of the land sold should be devoted "a
their reclamation What then did the general government
giocP What did the United States give by the passage
the granting the swamp lands the States in which
they e2 What is there in the transaction TO be charged
up those States and made pretence for punderng the
general Of large portions of the public land by
way of offset n the older States Of the Union
am asked If did for the gift Of public land to
California at the last session that the terms Of
compact imposed by the Congress Of the Union the re
spccve States have BEEN in every oppressive 1t wa
under the general character of these compacts that The
grant alluded TO by the gentleman from New ork
made TO the State of California The grant for public
buildings she was entitled Territory according Il
usage and the grant for the university s upon the same
that were made with every other State admitted int
the Union of the considerations for forbearance
taxation This shall explain hereafter present start
ling fact All the grants made by the general govcrnmen
TO the land States Of the Union California excluded
amount 20 but thirty millions Of The Of th
public domain in those land States Is three hundred
eghty-one millions Of acres which have been in the pos
session Of the general for sixty years and th