Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-01-16

offer great additional inducements for.
employment of capital and labor 7. 'as
that due sense of the res ponsih;li,, rust
ting upon the Legislature, will lead res res
to assist, SO far as is proper, each ana J'is'n
cry enterprise, which is likely to rs. ~.
IN the permanent advancement Of ~
important interests. So far as tha sse
actment of constitutional laws can rs, Gu
the different railroads from taxalion ~
ring their construction, recomn,N ~,
their passage, as one of the means of
enlargement within your power to rs s,i
der. 'ea'
The subject of the Pacific Railroad;
justly exciting public attention ,hronat"
out the entire Union. The pres;dsau''
in his Message, recommends it ia -.
consideration of Congress, as one Of na''
than ordinary interest-and, certain"
it is work of unparalleled maenitnas
and worthy of the best energies of a ORA,
and growing nation. Ard while # i
work of great national interest in wb;os
every section Of our country is deenIr
interested, | cannot but regard it as NV NV
of peculiar importance to the peonle -
the northwest, and especially Of IN,
own State-in view OF its probable locs.
ton ON the northern route-in which
case, we should feel more immedatelv
than other localities, the benefits arisin,a,
from this great thoronghfare.
The power and policy of the General
Government, to make liberal land grant,
in aid of this road, will doubtless b.
much discussed at the present session q
Congress. already their attention has
been particularly called to it by the Sec
rotary of the Interior; in his annual re.
port, wherein, he discusses, with much
ability, both the right and the policy Of
liberal land grants, in aid of public i'm.
provements Of this description. Of hi,
views in this respect, | most fully an
prove, and therefore suggest the pro.
priety of memorializing Congress Upon
the SUB ect in accordances with the same.
Having said this much on the great CUES.
ton OF the Pacific Railway, and the pro.
priety of land grants in aid of It's con.
struction, will call your attention to the
subject of land grants Of similar char.
acter 10 our own State. And whether
II is true policy of the United States to
make snch grants in aid Of internal in.
proveinents, TO the several States Or Dot,
it seems to me that there can be no rea.
sonable doubt as to the policy Of the
State in receiving them. The United
States have lot yet adopted the landabs
policy of giving the lands, in small guam
titles, to actual settlers--a measure that
has been repeatedly and earnestly press.
ed upon their attention-but still contin-
ne to sell the same, and in quantities to
suit the purchaser. While this is the
policy, | confess / can see no good rea.
son why the States may not accept and
prudently expend the avails of such
grants in aid of internal improvements,
necessary to their growth and pFosperi'
ty. The fact thai such donations have
sometimes been mismanaged, furnishes
ne argument whatever, in my opinions
gainst receiving and applying them in
aid of important public works. Such
course would surely be prudent for US
in our individual capacity, then why nor.
for US collectively /?
Our School Fund, of which we are SO
Justly proud, arises almost exclusively
from ibis source and this year, the State
will realise for the benefit of education
nearly one hundred thousand dollars, as
interest on the small portion of lands
granted to this State for that purpose;
and for all time to come, we are TO be
thus benefited. Ii is believed that cor
responding benefit may be realized to
other interests of the State, by like
iudicious management Of land grants.
There is one subject, SO important to
commercial interests SO intimately con-
nected with the prosperity Of all classes
of our citizens-and yet SO strangely
neglected, that | cannot omit this oppor-
tunity to commend it to your special con-
sideration. Heretofore, the Gen. Gov
eminent, under grants contained in the
Constitution, has, with some few excep'
tons, exercised the power Of making
Improvements on Rivers and Harbors,
by means of appropriations drawn from
the Federal Treasury.
1t would be reasonable to suppose
that interests so important, would have
received, at the hands Of such a guard'
an, attention in some degree eo'nmeHsl'
rate with their importance. Such hoW-
ever, is not the case. The rapid grown
Of our commerce-internal and iorelgH
and which is really one of the Creates
sources OF our pros perity, does not seem
to have aroused the attention OF STATES
men sufficiently to the subject, to deter
mine on any settled-poIicy on the par'"
Federal Government. The last Ooh'
gress, made appropriations, which SOAR
! as the northwest is concerned, were Ell
| tirelv inadequate, and have been exPsh-
ded under system so inefficient as "
accomplish very little towards the 0Csu
intended system condemned BY Inv
experience of nearly half century III
| The policy on this subject, is as unc .:.nf
| to-day, as at any time since the organaaNOaarr.
the government and for aught that IS app% #
ent, is likely to remain SO until the pe0Pcre
the States, In this section of the Unloi' nor nor
1t upon the attention of Congress m ma 1aad
neither to be misunderstood nor disreSau
Still the Federal Government pretends to es
ercise this power; and yet it negleets, ~.
least trifies, with the object for when .i ! "S
granted. The lives of our sailors ana el'i1tD II
| are exnosed TO constant Deril from the Wah' =