The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-07-29

we PRINT at OF 1t this Week and VIII con-
cludc it next.
From HE Congressional Globel
DEBATE IN THE SENATE,
MONDAY, JuLY II, 1854.
Mr.. PEARcE. The proposition of the Sem
ator from California, as understand it, is to
allow all persons described in the first section
of the BILL that is, all citizens, native or nat
uralizod, and also foreigners not naturaliztd,
who come within the provisions Of the sixth
section, to enter public lands by paving
| twenty-five cents per acre, instead Of obtain
ing them free of cost, as the bill proposes.
This modification he introduces for the rca-
son that it is nee cssary to satisfy the con-
sciences of some gentlemen who think that
| Congress have not the constitutional power
to give away this great public domain. Sir,
it is not for me to reflect upon the motives or
the opinions of any member fthis body: but
| it is difficult for ne to conceive how their
conSci,nccs can be satisfied by so small pro-
| vision as this. The Senator has not assignee
solitary reaSon-which would satisfy a
| statcsman-for the project which he has just
introduced, but, in this respect, he does not
differ from any of the advocates Of this bill;
for, from the beginning to the end, have not
heard single sentence in the nature of argu-
mcnt, not the scmbance even of an excuse,
for the introduction of this great principle, as
they call it, of the homestead bill, which is to
supersedc the established policy of the Gov
eminent under which this country has grown
great and has prospcrcd most remarkably
from the very beginning. | repeat. l have
not heard a solitary reason assigned for the
adoption of this new principle, unless must
except the general declaration that the public
lands are to be improved by giving them
away.
Sir. when the public lands were coded by
those States which had claim to them, they
were supposed TO be Il great nationa! estate to
be administered justly, prudently, and wisely
by the Federal Government, with a view to
the benefit of all the States of the Union: ard
in this view it was necessary that we should
establish some system under which they
should he sold. The resolution of October
10, 1870, adopted by the Congress of the Con-
federation, declared "that the inappropriate
lands that may be coded or rclinquishcd to
the United States, by any particular State,
pursuant to the accommodation of Congress-
&C., shall be disposed of for the common
benefit of the United States" &c. Accord
ngly in 1881, New York made her ccssion,
declaring that it ''shall be and inurc for the
use and benefit Of such of the United States as
\ shall become members of the Federal Alliance
of the said States" In 1884, Virginia, by
her delegates, executed her deed of cesson
for the common benefit Of the Union, and de-
clared that tile lands so coded "shall be con-
sidcrcd as Il common find for the use ard len
eft of such Of the United States as have be-
come or shall become members of the Con-
federation or Federal Alliance of the said
States, &C., and shall be faithfully and Iona
fde disposed Of for that purpose, and for no
other use or purpose whatever" The ces-
sion of the other States were similar in char
actcr and intent. The land acquired from
foreign Powers being purchased by the COM
mon treasure must also be held for the COM
mon use In either case, the principle is clear
that the lands must be disposed of bona fde
for the common benefit.
Now, if there is any gentleman here who
believes that we cannot constitutonally give
away the public lands, but must sell them,
why, then, it must be perfectly clear to him,
that while it would be a gross violation of
that principle to put the lands at so high a
price to prevent their sale, and shut them up
from public use, so it would DC equally vio-
lation Of that principle TO put them down to a
plice so low as to be far beneath a reasonable
| fair. and moderate valuation. If we were to
administer these lands as a great national
property, in the disposal of which all the
States arc to be benefited, and the general
prosperity of the country advanced, we must
sell them neither at exorbitant nor at sham
prices think twenty-five cents an acre is
sham price. We have no more right to
squander the lands under the prctcxt of sell
ing them, than we have to prohibit the settle.
ment, and prevent the disposal Of them FOL
the common good of the Union, by fixing the
price at an amount which practically pro-
duccs this result.
The carly policy of the Government in re.
gard to the public lands was twofod in its
objects. The first object was to turn them
into money for the use of the common Trca-
sury. The second to facilitate settlement,
giving easy terms of purchase to persons re-
siding in the West, and to emigrants who
desired to reside there.
We began, it is true, by fixing two dollars
an acre as the price of the public lands. At
forwards we reduced the price to one dollar
and twenty-five cents. Wewent on as rapid.
ly as our means would permit, and quite as
fast as produncc would justify, in extinguish.
ing Indian title, in during which we have
| paid immense sums. Then we have provided
for the survey of the lands upon very beau.
tiful and admirable system by which they arc
arranged into townships, into sections. into
| quarter sections and oven laid off into naroc1c