Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-21
PENN sYLyANIA.

/ Mr.. COOPER introduced bill granting land to the
State of Pennsylvania to aid in the construction of the
Sunbury and Erie Railroad, to establish and endow
NAL school for the grautous education female teachers
and for ether purposes.
This bill said Mr. grants the State Of Pennsylvania
two millions three hundred and eighty thousand six hun
dred acres of the public lands Of the United States one
haf OF which H to be appropriated to aid in the construc
ton OF the Sunbury and Erie Railroad work designed
to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Western Lakes by
route shorter by nearly hundred miles, and with
ghter grades than any other road hitherto constructed
the waters of the lakes and those of the
Tins road OF as much national Importance other
to which the Government has lent its aid-connec-
ing as have already stated Philadelphia with Erie and
the Atlantic with the lakes The national character of
this work has been repeatedly recognised by officers
nected with the Typographical Bureau. Col Albert in
report to the Secretary Of War; the 9th of Noyem
Der, lS45 says: Ths railroad will furnish communi-
cation between Erie and Philadelphia and cannot of
itself fail to give the harbors of Erie considerations
| Of great national Importance"
The bill next provides that much Of the remaining
half of the lands granted to the State of Pennsylvania
be necessary for the purpose shall be appropriated
by the Legislature Of the State in establishing and
dowing normal school, at some suitable place. for the
grauitous education Of female teachers and the resi-
due if to be applied in aid Of such works Of internal
improvement as the Legislature may think proper.
Whatever may have been formerly thought Of granting
lands to aid in the construction Of works Of internal
provement within the States the policy Of such grants
been recognised by years of practice and the ppro
pration of many millions of Of the public lands
The lands granted for this purpose il is true have been
generally contiguous to the roads they intended to
aid and always within the limits of the States through
which the roads located But although within the
States these lands much the property Of the Uni
ted States Us they had been outside of the State boun
dares; and the members Of the corporations to which
they have been granted frequently the residents Of
States than those through which the improvements
pass.
am aware Mr President, that distinction has been
attempted to be drawn in favor of the grants improve
men;s in the States; but this distinction has no
foundation, either in justice equity The distinction
attempted to be drawn consists of the alleged fact that
the United States not only lose nothing by granting
they do the alternate sections for purposes of improve
men within the States, but that the contrary, they
become gamers BY the increased facility Of selling the
served sections and the appreciation which takes place
in their price This is plausible but there is something
sophiscal in the argument. these improvements, for
whose benefit the lands granted constructed by
the companies which them from their resources,
the lands contiguous to them would rise in price, and
trade and receive all the stimulating effects
enormously supposed to be the result the Gov
| ernment grants. NJ.
1t is sometimes said that works of internal improve
ment in the new States would stand still for want of
means to carry them unless Government should aid
them with grants of land, such many Of them have
received. 1t is, doubt, in true that some
Of these improvements might not have been constructed
but for the aid afforded by Government But how many
works of internal improvement in the old States have
been deferred for Of adequate to carry them
on? Government aid is necessary in the old States
as in the for it is not true, WE some
times told that the States too poor make in
ternal improvements without the aid of Government.
Almost all the States in the enjoyment Of
amped prosperity possessing in the fertility
of their soil which are unequalled in the older States.
But this is not all Even independently OF the grants OF
land which they have received from the Government the
States have in most instances, made the capital OF
the citizens of the old States tributary their enter
prises of internal improvement. Scarcely of the
great improvements in the Western States but has
listed the aid Of Eastern capitalists in its construction
% fbar
venues of the stockholders in our Eastern cities, who
largely interested in most of these enterprises.
But return to the argument, that distinction IA
vorabe the States exists in the fact that the
Government is fully indemnfed for the lands granted to
them by the enhanced price of the reserved sections
Let this be conceded and what does it amount to The
lands granted for that reason none the less gt to
the companies engaged in making the improvements and
such gift made the expense Of the purchasers Of the
lands who thereby compelled to pay double price
for them These improvements it is tue enhance both
the lands and their products by opening cheaper road
to better markets but this effect is produced by rr-
roads and canals in the old States well the new,
What would be the advantages of the railroads and
nails of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan Missouri, and othc-
new States in comparison with what they are, u
not for similar improvements in the old States, through
their surplus products poured into the laps of
the cities on the sea-board t..
The railroads and canals Of New York. Pennsylvania
and Massachusetts, scarcely less productive of benefit
the people of the States which have mentioned than
to the people of the States through which they pass
Will III De pretended the In Inc
old States do less promote the prosperity and increase
the wealth, power and security of the whole country
than similar improvements in the ones? If they do
not the argument that the United States bene
flied by grant of lands to the States than to the old
ones is fallacious. .@@
The truth is when rightly told that the doubling Of
the price of the alternate sections the practice,
is upon the people of the country for the benefit Of
the railroad corporations which the grantees of the
lands 1t is time that this faacy should be exploded;
and the people made to understand that these grants,
which the clever ingenuity of Western friends has
made them believe benefit to the country is when
/ rightly understood, tax upon themselves
And, Mr. President, is there not something in this
policy inconsistent with the idea prevalent in the
country that it the duty of Congress provide free
farms for the peope There is sort of harmony be-
the legislation which increases the price of
portion of the public lands whilst it proposes to make
gratuitous concessions of another.
have objection whatever grant lands to aid in
making improvements calculated increase the wealth
lands railroads let not sell them to the people at
double price. Let US also be just Concede as much to
the States you please but in doing do not
fuse deal with equal beraty the old ones ut the
expense of whose blood and the lands you
| giving away were acquired.
| The other purpose for which the proposed grant is
made is Of such obvious public utility need
argument to enforce it. 1t is have stated already
to establish and endow school for the gratuous educa
ton of female teachers The merit of this suggestion
belongs to accomplished lady, Mrs Sarah Hale, and
is which viii commend itself to every. ibe
raj and patriotic mind When the bill comes before the
Senate for its action will my privilege as Senator
| in pointing out its advantages at length.
One word more and have done. My object in fixing
upon the number Of which the bill proposes grant
was that if other States should any time think proper
to follow the example of Pennsylvania there nigh be