The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-14

Iands by fhe VuAmtIY Would an ono
be put In market by the States all owning lands
and all anxious to realize something from them by whiel
the lands would be brought down low that the
capitalists of the country would be enabled 10 buy up large
bodies OF them equal ia extent the possessions of th
ordly barons of Europe in the eud ages and who hav
ing ample means 10 do So would hold TO them unit
they could extort from the hardworing settler perhaps
twice or three times the amount now fixed the govern
ment price.
To prove that this policy would violate the deeds of ces
sion Of North Carolina and the other States need do n,
more than rece the of the deeds | shall eonen
myself by quoting from the deeds of Virginia and NORTH
carona which are precisely similar in their terms and
| cord with those of the other five States. ~. .a#E
| The deed made by North Carolina reads thus
The lands shah be coasidyed common fana for a
and benef Of The Usd States Of Aaaerica, North Caroline
ncse according resecfiee and usual proportion 1,
The general charge and expenditure aud shall be faithfully dis
posed for that purpose, and for other hasoees
March 1884 Virginia made her deed of cession in the
following words: .t..
That all the lands within the territory as ceded to the
United States, and not reserved for appropriated
any o. the purposes or disposed Of in bonn
considered fund for the and beas " eh Q,
re United States q hevs oesoae or haH tses~s s'sler.
iaelusse, according their respeepe proportion.
y as ge"erat charge gnd expenditure and s1ag ts Jan
use purpose mhatsoeoer"
| Now, need hardly say that my friend will never be
able to show that his system Of distribution is consistent
with the conditions SO distinctly and explicitly set forth in
the deeds which declare that the lands shall be consd
cred common fund for the and benefit Of all the
States, according 10 their usual proportions in The general
charge expenditure and shall be faithfully and bona fd
disposed of for that purpose and for other purpose
Whatsoever No reasoning is necessary to sustain in
this position simply to state the is the strongest
I gument that be made
\ Now think have shown that my colleague and his
political friends in North Carolina, including their present
candidate for governor have been favor of the passage
Of bill by which, according my colleagues show
ing the rankest injustice would have been done that
State and the terms upon which she ceded her lands to
the general government would have been grossly violated
than hand ha hut
general government brought into market gradually
they should be- and the proceeds arising from their sales
placed in the treasury and used for the ordinary
of government and in payment of the national debt for
which they pledged by the act of January lS47 and
the taxes upon imports reduced pro no the States will
only be richly reimbursed for the original outlay las
in fact they already have been Shall presently show
but the fund will be distributed my friend very correctly
contends it should be among all the States according to
their usual proportions in the general charge and expend-
turen And here let that neither the ingenuity
my colleague the wisdom of this House the combined
sagacy of the country win be able to devise any
other mode by which the true principle laid down by col
league and earnestly insisted upon by him. of distributing
this fund that each State will receive according her
usual proportion in the general charge and expenditure
can ever be carried into practice.
If time allowed me might strengthen my position
by citing the highest authority show that land sys-
TEN is the very best that has been be devised but
will give the opinion Of Mr. Clay only, whose au-
hority the wisdom Of that system will have great
weight with my friend Mr. Clay said:
"And if there be, the operations this government
been 50 successfully administered We should pause solemn
ngy and with the gcntlet hand The prudent manage
of the public lands in the hands of the general
men will be manifest by contrasting IL with that OF
OF the States which had the disposal large bodies Of
1 waste lands" June 20, 1882
We might here pause aud wonder that there should be
disposition TO waste throw this great resource
abolish system which has IS been ranght with SO many
j But my friend win no doubt say that this would all be
well enough but that the lands have been squsndered
| among the States, and in all probability will continue
to be shall speak presently of what has been done as o
the future bid him take courage We have now demo
cratic administration which has already sgnazed itself by
giving signal check bill tending to upset and de
stroy that system which Mr. Clay characterized Of the
greatest wisdom and statesmanship So far bill has
passed dverting any portion of the public lands from the
legitimate and proper objects since this administration
came into power have abiding hope that the sound
and orthodox views ably set forth in the veto message
Of President Pierce will continue be the guiding light
/ his administration in regard 10 this subject
II may be suggested that have large surplus in
treasury and therefore the land fund might well be dis
ributed viii merely say, in reply TO this, that If W,
millions Of dollars for which the public domain has beer
solemny pledged and, further that the Committee o
Ways and Means now engaged in revising the tariff
and design reducing the duties to the Of the govern
OF course If the land fund is distributed it win pre-
such reduction Of the taxes might otherwise b,
made much to the injury Of the southern States al
presently show by data furnished in the speech Of my col
/ league himself
Although IL is not matter pertinent to the discussion
of this question: wish to notice what colleague hat
said In regard TO the cost of the public lands which h
puts down $500 600 00o When listened TO his speech
4 was astonished the statement and curious know
how he made out the figures. BY examination Of III,
table contained In his printed speech IL is obvious TO
that he could have made the twice ne large had h
been inclined But here is the statement and propose
/ now to analyze IL
First among the items that properly be chargcd
to the cos, of the public lands l. that Of inter
est the amount paid for Louisiana and Florida and The
amount paid Georgia which should be deducted for tn,
1 tNOOld 10 %
interest and because credit is given the other side
the account for interest the OF 38000000 which
my colleague admits has been received for lands already
i sold
Next come the two items amounting to lss6eb for
/ exngushing Indian ttes Now, find by examining tls
report OF the Commissioner Of the General Land Office
| that the amount paid this account up TO January
1850 year later than my friends ia made up
s set down $35 5s9566 Here then IL a mail mistake
oe4 for army expenses BY what prinep,
this Is made part Of the cost of the public lands, can
4 not imagine; whatever cost IL may have been-and
can hardly believe il amounted S4bO00o0 annually
this force has been kept up for the protection Of c
in the Territories and you might with equal propety
charge the expenses of all your territorial C
! the cost the public lands And next TO cap the climax
my colleague has put down the snug little figure Of S2l
| 100000 for the war with Mexcoi ] only surprised
that he did add the Of the revolutionary and
that of 1921 shall not into any argument here &c
show why the expenses Of foreign entered into fo
the protection OF American rights and in defence OF The
national honor whose Immaculate the invasion
our territory the pollution of soil by the hostile oo
Of the foreign foe and the shedding the blood Of our peo
Pile should not be charged portion Of the cost Of thu
public lands should feel that was trhing with The