The daily union., 1854-02-14

miles. on account Of sales by presumption well
pf gae entry. aH6
The senator from South Carolina lBir BurLERl as.
serted that we were dsreSatding all the rules and pfincl
pies which had heretofore governed in making these
grants and were proceeding to grant lands ndiscrimi
uaely ALI over the States these railroad companies and
railroad projects For one, deny the assertion. will
vote Tor 20 snch bill il il should be introduced af
ifIn that all the bills reported from the Committee
Fupnc Lands are IN strict conformity with the principles
and usages heretofore governing in these grants We
have adhered faithfully the alternate section princi
Tpe, aifxing hicen miles the maximum limit beyond
which the State shoHld 20 make up for the lands
sold or otherwise appropriated. as
And by whom was that fifteen miles suggested By
the present Secretary OF War lie did II upon that Hi
nos Dill 10 which the senator from Georgia has REFERRED
and IN opposition 10 which, well to The Iowa and
other bills, have heard him make much better and
much longer speech if that were possible, than he has
made to-day When that bill was before the Senate
snd without any limit except the boundaries OF the State
solone Davis moved TO restrict the privilege TO fifteen
miles, taking The ground in his able argument that the
construction OF the road would certainly enhance the
value OF the lands which would remain TO the govern
N ment within the distance named. The Secretay OF War;
construconst, and follower and dscipe OF MIR. Cal
houn. il may be allowed the expression. offered the
proposition extend the power OF selection fifteen
miles in width. and voted for the Illinois bill And what,
MrsPresiden the results 10 which the supporters Of
The alternate section grants point Tar they have
been nader Why sir, every anticipation every asser
on made by lie friends OF the alternate section prnc
pie, when the illinois and other bills were under consid
eration, by my venerable friend from Michigan, [Mr.
CAss] and by The departed senator from South Carolina,
Mr.. Calhoun, and others. have been more Than real
zed The facts and the figures present the most triumph
ant vlndcaop OF the policy, 30 overwhelming that il
seems to me that neither the principle nor the policy
should be any longer contested Illinois received grant
OF several millions of acres Of public land But have the
United States lost one dollar, or one cent BY such grant
They have not; but. the contrary the value of the
reserved lands was so much enhanced by the grant as
actually to bring this government money than IT il
had not been made The federal government has actual
realized from Twelve TO fifteen cents more per acre from
the passage of that very bill which the senator from
Georgia thought oug hit never to become a law.
Sir, Will any senator rse IN his place and condemn
that grant of land 10 Illinois the which raised
her from such PROSTATE condition increased the yaae
OF her bonds-those bonds OF 1880 and 1887, which
havked about the markets OF New York, and Lon
don and Liverpool without fading buyer, but which,
as soon the anluncation made OF the grant Of
land, rose immensely in value, spreading joy and glad
ness throughout the limits OF the State Those lands
from Cairo ncrh Tor several hundred miles had been in
ma ket thirty forty years without finding purchasers
unsettled and the abode Of wild beasts by the railroad
grant they have been made TO bloom and blossom almost
as the
That the measure which the from Georgia
has day travelled out OF tine way attack. The Com.
mitee Pdbc Lands have taken the Illinois bill for
their guide IN the and In instance have they
ported bills for any State, as yet grantng TO such
State many Illinois got And, as before re-
marked, they have introduced into these bills section No
4. understood to have originated in the House OF Repre-
the notion OF member from South Caro-
lina, Mr.. Oar. and which is IN these words;
$50 dnd further enacted Tha, the land, here
by praned 10 saa state shall disposed OF by raid Safe
Only Ia manner following -thsi Is say tina, uuanli-
ty ol,nd exeeedtns hundfed twenty secons,
and Included within continuous length OF twenty miles OF
said road may sod waen the governor OF said
State shs certify the Secretary Of the Interior that twenty
continuous miles OF said road completed then anoher
like quantity Of land hereby granted may be sold and 20
rom ,me, until said road Is peied aud IL
road Is completed within yeats, iurthet sale
.ha be made, and tue lands unsoId United
States"
This section of The bill provides that The land shall
only be sold the road progresses II is a.esiricon
never before ingtafied upon Senate bill aad was only
done TO make them agree with the House form.
The bill Of my friend from Louisiana commences the
road at Agiers, town which there no public
lands aud proceeds bnndred miles before there
any and because that and other points named in it,
fofsoolh il is grant TO build road through region
where there public lands Sir II the senator from
Maine. Mr. HAMLis,l and the senator IRON Georgia.
Mr. DAwsos,1 aud the senator from South Carolina [M
BUr.ER, had read the bills they would no, have made
the declarations which they have made II grants no
land except the road s built, and not single
be taken outside the Fifteen miles ior the construction of
the road.
What more, Mr.. Pfesidenti The committee baye
asked and demanded of senators who have introduced
bills here upon their responsibility that they should
before the committee and chalk out the roads in red
other lines upon the maps OF The United States and The
draug ghtsmsn OF the committee has, every instance cal
cuaied as nearly rs possible TIE land. sold and granted
within the fifteen miles order TO preserve equality be-
tw the States In no case have we proposed 10
ceed the amount granted 10 Illinois, max ing that maxi
mum by which the COMMITTEES are governed IN all these
T. Tor one, dsclaim The idea that these roads
TO be run upon The isncy Of any gentleman. They
upon the map, snd marked out before and If
there objections 10 the courses and distances OF The
roads, will always be glad TO have them pointed out
either in The committee OF the Senate.
Mr. BU fLER Mr President, | wish to put myself
entirely right f; and | commence by saving that | can
veniy by the statement which shall make, every prop
osiiion which | laid down; and that If there was any
ooseness in any remarks which have heretofore made
shall address them with such precision that my hon.
otable friend from lows tMr. Dopcsl cannot dispute
them.
Now, sir, here when this subject first intro.
duced The leg lsaton OF Congress, and found myself
opposed to my honored colleague, John C. Calhoun,
who, with a lberaiity upon this subject which has
been seized upon az authority, perfectly willing 10
dispose OF the public lands ~ such way to make
them sHbserye many objects Practicable coniormaby
10 true policy Mr.. Calhoun, his celebrated speech,
declared tbahe was perfectly willing 10 vote 10 construct
road from one point 10 another, provided II done
with nielsence-thai IL to say, provided he knew
acty where Il was TO be located lie was perfectly vii.
ling to have such road In particular State, and To give
The Advantage oi the public lands through which
buiaod hope my Trend from Iowa will mark the quad-
calonthey 70 be lands Immediately adjacent the
road and distant from That fact which my friend
Iowa cannot dispute MIR. Cslhosn was willing 10
the other sections would thereby be enhanced in value
not that he wished to enhance in value while yet unse
ied but BY bringing uio the and inducing settlers
10 20 spon H. Inefe are great many lands wase and
wild which would not be brought ivto market unless
some road should run through hsm, aording facilities TO
and lar as The restriction lands Immediately adj
Iacent Mr, Calhoun content To-
Mr.. DODGE, OF Iowa. VIII The senator allow me 10
ask a ques ion
Mr BU TIER Certainly
Mr DoDGE, Of Iowa rhe honorable senator speaks