The daily union., 1854-02-14


ever compensation Congress shall direct fhee other
roads that exercise monopoly and will carry your mails
or not as suits their convenience, and charge exOrbr
sant prices These roads required 10 transport the
mails as the government shall order In time il will be
found iha, his very provision is itself worth than
tue lands themselves. though they run up 70 millions Of
acres The United States have everything to gain and
nothing 10 lose by these measures.
Mr.. CLAYTON Whenever, Mr. President. il is pro-
posed 10 make appropriations for harboTs on The Atlantic
coast or IN the interior waters OF the country we in
variaby asked Where the estimate for Them What
has the Secretary OF the Treasury said upon the subjsc
Has he recommended IL Has be examined the subject
Has be investigated all the facts and decided that this i'm
provement ought to be made! How much will il cost.
aad how ought il to be done" Estimates are reQufedby
the Committee on Finance and by every committee that
undertakes TO consider such subject and without the
estimate you can get no appropriation for such objects at
al aoa cannot get an approximation io
even without an estimate proposition 10 give $3DOo
Tor harbor Improvement the Atlantic coast will 1--WE
rse 10 debate that will oftener last for hours tban
fails invariably. fs
Well, now. Sir, how is il when we % to sppsopra.
tons OF public lands! have been for twenty years en-
this subject ] have during the whole time k1ve
been serving in the Senate that these lands were doomed
10 be dssipated and wasted True il s that very often
admirable appropriations have been made, highly hepe-
hcial TO certain sections OF the county. and, the sen-
ator from Texas has well said. adding to The aggregate
wsa,a q ,he bu M We nave st
eide whether we will give up The whole OF the public
domain, or whether we will adopt some system in re-
tueHi 10 OI IallIOau6 tnO8e
States where the lands lie Vow. have always been
friend OF internal improvements All the votes have
given IN this body will show that have supported the
system OF granting alternate sections OF land for Iar6ad
purposes have done this again and again But now
hear that there are more than hundred OF these bills
before Congress, granting alternate sections and was
well said by The senator from Georgia, MIR. DAwsoN,1
will soon terminate in giving away the whole public
domain. Now, WHY should we appropriate The public
lands in this way under general system Of internal i'm
provemens, when we refuse 10 appropriate the public
money in the same way! Why should not the SeCe-
tary OF the nterlor-for i belongs appropriately 10 bis
departmen-ake these subjects under his consdaation
and when q proposition is made. estiaae for us how
much the new railroad is going 10 cost. what lie ad-
vantages Will be, how ought to be constructed and tell
us everything that is REQ aired to be known in connexion
with IL as the Secretary OF The Treasury does in relation
10 Improvements the Atlantic or on the lakes
Sir unless we intend TO give up the public domain. and
vote il away without knowing Row we are voting OF for
what purpose we are voting II away, ought Wa not 10
stop until have adopted come general prncple-soue
system upon which we stand justified before oQr can
slluents! am an inernal.improvement man. have
never been nggardly in my votes in favor Of waetan
improvements but do say that the time has come when
II IS absolutely necessary, unless intend 10 Sive mp
the public domain entirely, that should resolve upon
some principle TO govern in our action upon this cab
Iecl by which we shall endeavor 10 do jsstca to il
parts OF the West In some PORTIONS OF il we sue afre
donations OF public land for purposes OF this deecfp-
toR, and Ia others none The old States recstve no
beneht whatever from them. ssfs."
Sir, have always ie when endeavorps 10 asssss his
thing Which look upon as an evil. that ali the Gss
could make would be Intellectual Other eentssnen
representing sections OF the country much inpssed
IN these lads than my own section is, 70 Uantles
degree OF indifference TO The whole subject that acton
ishes me- why, sr, start the proposition 10 improve
hafoo on the Atlantic or harbor on one Of The lakes
or portion OF the Mississippi river. make any i-
Proyemen in navigation for the benefit OF any oue por-
ton OF the confederary and what do you see dozsn
gentlemen on the f,or moment and II you have not
goian estimate as said before. cannot possibly Ii
passed.
Do noi lei me be Misunderstood DO not propose now
TO asaodon the principle by which have Hlood through
my hole life, TO carry system OF internal improve
ments. ! am willing TO deal airly aud generously with
the new States as think have always done hereto.
lore but DO trust that before 20 iurther, We will
resist this whole mass oil bills or giving away the pub
lie anis until we have settled upon principle npon
wsIh N, Es S1 MaII!y Gassss q q, Our
sion to rise upon The principles OF this measure to-day;
but have been 20 much surprised at The principea aa
vanced by the senator from Georgia fMr bAwsos1 and
the senator from Delaware Mr. CLAYTON that inssmuch
as my constituency is deeply interested in this whole
class OF measures feel il necessary say few words.
conceive that the opposition 10 this bill proceeds al
together upon false theory. hear gentlemen speaking
OF appropriations Of the public lands comparing them TO ap-
proPnauons OF TIE public money. Il strikes me that We
ought, 10 order 10 arrive at jus, idea oi the principles
upon which these bills are founded. to make disinc-
ton between the government OF The United States a
political body governing he country. and the government
OF The United Stales aa The owner of lands Now,
when an appropriation IL asked for the Atlantic or gulf
coast, when y is supposed that The government a.
government, should appropriate The public moneysio
public improvements necessarily that work being In.
tended 10 be done by the government alone not being
controlled IN any whatever by private enterprises
OF by private judgment, The appropriations asked for
should be gtaned only after close examination. The
individuals who lake part in these works, investing
Their capital IN them, not having any OF these aipu
economy, prudence, and Judgment the expenditure of
the money, Should haye some restriction placed upon The
expenditure, and il is fgb, and proper that no appropa-
uons OF this character should be granted without being
estimated and guarded, Bu when the government, asa
land owner and mol acting political body il called
upon 10 contribute It's lands for The Improvement OF these
very same lands, then, sir different class OF consldefA
tons necessarily arises and one which cannot with any
propriey be assmilaied to this which the gentlemen
evoked before us for The purpose OF checking our action
IN relation 10 ihe public lands .ss as.fi
Now, sir suppose any OF US to be possessed OF
large tracts OF wild land Let ns take the argument 70
to be possessed individual right OF large tracts OF wijd
land-and that we cannoi seand thai intfinsicaIly
valuable because II is iere--lsnd which will produce
much when the labor Of is bestowed upon i-Iand
which IN MS actual position would be va,ueless
source OF wealth or Suppose, undsr these
circumstances proposition be made by capa-
ialisi to upon lands and improve them by putting
constructions upon Them, or By building rosds hsoush
them, and suppose the party making The proposition TO
prove TO US, not BY mere estimates made IN advance.
but by the operation OF The principle already tested
experience haiti allow him xpend his capital upon
i, AMI then divide the properly with bin, the hall that will
remain tor us can be sold Tor than much a. the
whole woald have brought before. What would be the
answer OF ANY man. administering his property wnh
Just regard 10 his own interest," 10 proposition Of thai
kindf Would he not accept II al Now. the whole
extent OF the proposition ~ favor OF the States
SIMPLY THIS: Divide with portion OF your aods to
make lhe rests sell Tor larger price You landed
proprietor you land IN the new States than
nj .ho nj tlgo. A. ~