The daily union., 1854-02-16
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. >. L. DAWSON,
OF PERssYLyANlA

Vi
n.liys,sd IN the House OF Representatives. February
a. 1854, In favor oil the Homestead Bill
MIR j. l. DAWSON said:
Mr. CHAiRMAE The disposition OF the public domain.
and especially the mode suggested and provided for in
The bill now under consideration, and commonly known
as the homestead bill involves policy OF vast import
ance and which, trust, will receive the full delheration,
as well the favorable action OF this House. Whether
considered with reference 10 the change which il pro,
poses in our land policy 10 lis effects IN developing the
resources OF hr nauon or TO The benefits which II pro-
poses 10 confer upon large class OF our teow-czeus,
who yet merit this treatment our haDds there
10 which the proposition contained IN his bill yields IN
Importance
propose, upon this OCCASION to offer little more in
the way oil argument aud illustration, TO what had the
honor oil before advancing IN this place upon the subject
under consideration But | confess an interest in The
principles OF this bill, and their enactment into law
which is paramount will venture to say TO every olhe
which, at the present session is at all likely TO engage
our attention. The persuasion that it is measure o
great public interests the consciousness that legis
aliye body we possess the power OF bened,ng
calcnabe extent both physically and morally, and fo
generations yet to come large class OF our feow-nen
while, at the time, the nation at large is strength
ened and improved in s greater degree, both socially
and as State sucient 10 awaken IN us the patriotic
desire that this power may De speedily exerled An en-
ased and liberal view OF The varied interests OF society
a common country and common destiny, invoke US
with voice all 100 loud for denial for the establ lshmen
OF measure at once SO wholesome and just The deeI
interest which, in these aspects OF the measure feel in
its success The cause OF my again pressing II upon your
consideration.
discussion of the subject may be exPedent TO advert
briefly To the safe IN which it was left by the debates Of
the last session. And. IN the first place, would notice
the objections which, with such ndeia.gabie diligence
and IescaIch and such pre- ability, il has been
attacked both in this House and the other wing OF The
CAPITOL If those able objeetos have not shown conclu
sve Tor rejecting this measure, 1t can only be
because The for It's passage are irresistible and
overwhelming
The objecons have been various as the local in
teress. real imagined, which, with policy much 100
for the questions they have been so peTnacious
ly urged, while the great opposing argument has been
based upon an anxious avo"a oil regard or the integrity
and parity of the constitution.
While the language OF the constitution, in the third
section OF fourth article, plain and explicit IN lis
grant OF power the whos subject OF the public do
main. think il right to regard The conditions imposed
by the deeds OF from the States OF Massachusetts
Connecticut, New York, and South Carolina asro-
gated by this full grant OF power II embraced CT all IN
ihe term eng in another clause by which is
sough, TO restrain this power, II surely ccn nave no ap-
caop to those cesions as IN the case OF North Caro-
lima and Georgia. made alter the adoption OF the federal
compact and immeasuraby greater tracts OF terri
tory embraced in ke purchase OF Lonsians from France
under the treaty OF 1903 and OF the Foridas from Spain
under The treaty OF lSl9 aud the immense regions ol
California and New Mexico, acquired by the triumph OF
our afms-by The blood OF the patriot and The common
treasure OF ihe country 10 obtain a uniform rule OF
construction then with reference 10 the whole OF the
public domain il is unphilosoPhical unnecessary TO
look further than his grant of the constitution which is
plenary over the whole subject
But, admitting the binding force Of the deeds OF
sion The full extent claimed for them by those who
make them the ground OF their opposi;oH, and hat is the
requIreue Imposed by those unyiedlng condiions II
is IN substance that The proceeds The ceded Territories
shall be applied tor the general welfare and thus the
whole question is resolved into ons OF expectancy
Ii has been alleged that these lands are all pledged TO
the creditors of ihe government, aud that we have no
right 10 diminish their security that although ihey have
reimbursed the value paid for them, and the expenses oil
survey aud management, and have returned during the
bali century past proceed 10 the treasury OF more
than fifty millions oil dollars, the lands are still cncam-
bered with the various liens of the government, creditors
naar Aatt Mt thAnE
doars, is said hangs over US, besides other millions 10
claimants Tor French spoliaioas, which we impair our
10 meet by granting The public lands IN Limited
Quantities TO actual settlers.
These, and the construction OF vast naval power,
and most expensive system OF coast deences have been
held up as the legitimate sinks for all the proceeds OF
these lands for all lime TO But IN opposition 10
this view il be shows tha, with treasury overflow
ng-Sl55l45 IS of the hstonal deb, anticipated and
redeemed the 4th OF March last, S7aeI.70s 20 OF
which al premium of q per cent, and IN accumulated
surplus on The Sih OF February instant subject TO DRAFT,
OF S25 029 046 20 still in the national exchequer-be
proceeds the afford the most ample security 10
the public creditor.
such petence of reason that the creditors OF the govern
ment would, By such this, lose The main
security for their loans, has, by the extinction OF The
debt OF the revolution for the discharge OF which they
specially pledged by The deeds OF cesson lost all s
pom, and vigor And il still have scme millions OF
public debt, all Of origin, who now seriously thinks
OF this in comparison with the variety and extent OF our
financial resources Offering an obstacle TO expenditure
for whatever purpose sought
But granting Tor the sake Of argument. that all the
claims Just mentioned worthy of our attention. II can
be very easily shown that do not by the passage OF
this bill impair ability TO meet those demands IL re-
quIres but little observation 10 know that land IN the
Wilderness or in an unsettled unfnproved locality.
quires value just proportion that locality may be
doed with settlements and improvements. Suppose,
then that OF the millions OF quarter sections which
The government owns, exclusive OF that in California
and New Mexico, one million OF alternate quarter sections
shall be occupied by actual settlers within the next ten
twenty years under the operation OF this bill. then IT s
not ut all exavagant calculate that in the same space
OF time the million OF intervening quarter sections will be
at least doubled in value; that by the time the gov
eminent is disposed TO SELL her landed will be
the before This assumption has sustained the
policy and formed the basis upon which Congress- by nu-
meous grants has given for the construction OF canals.
railroads, internal Improvements aud the Improvement
OF navigabe streams, ,553, 700 while The aggre
gate donations and grants the several States and Terri
tories up the 30h June, 1859, amounts 30 129i93,gS5
Statement Of donations, sran &C., of public lands