The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-17

Mr. CHAIRMAN: The measure now before the cominitte
demands the earnest and deliberate consideration Of
member OF this body. That ID involves important publ
interests present and prospective who doubt2 Let
be iiry and promptly met then under the responsibility
OF faithful discharge of duty to constituents ant
the country at large.
The first inquiry arising is whether the contemplated
work is one in which the general government should inter
fcre and il whether the period for action has arrived
1t is not to be overlooked that in the Judgment of many
distinguished citizens the is premature and per
haps impracticabe at the present time When differing il
action from the enlightened counses Of maturer minds
it must necessarily be with hesitation and disrust Of thu
soundness Of our judgment. Yet the is beor,
usour otes upon 1t demanded dand duty requires
brief expression of such general views have occurred
me-
The whole powers of government In the chrysals forma
ton of the republic fused in the revolutionary Con
tinenal Congress That exalted assemblage invested
with these high attributes by the will of the people, under
the dictates of imminent public danger and necessity The
spirit of that age jealous of public liberty withdrew
this delegation en- ass of sovereign powers and divided
and distributed them by the articles of confederation
These in turn found imperfect and inefficient mad
eqate to the purposes of good government they had
brief existence and are now only known historically as
the precursors Of that beautiful and wedened system
government under which the American people have hap
PLY existed for reequarers of century, passing through
all the gradaons from political infancy to the strength and
vgor of political manhood and to prominent membership
in the family of nations.
This mperium in imperio government, leaving in the
hands of hiry-one sovereign communities the unrestricted
control Of their local and municipal affairs holds within
itself the principle of expansbty and perpeuy At tn,
time it delegates to the general government powers
adequate to the management of concerns common to the
interest of ALL and to the defence Of the whole republic
from its centre to the circumference
In the rstera OF our history free people and in
second political transition scrious and agitatng questions
disturbed the public tranquility and threatened dsrup-
tlon of the confederation These grew of the claims
the large States in respect to their boundaries. Some
contended under herfoyal charters for extension Of
limits to the South others indefinitely through what
then the great western wilderness watered by the Mis-
sissipp the Missouri, and the Columbia--te wilderness
since penetrated in every direction by the enterprise of
people whose seepess energy is destined at distant
day. to that portion of this hemisphere with the tr
umphS Of American civilization Besides these boundary
controversies, there claims the part of to
exclusive title to the public domain whist other States
held that the territory which had been acquired by the
treaty of l763 at Paris the common property of the
original thirteen and liable 10 be disposed of by Con-
aTsss for the common benefit OF all The great State Of
New York then took the lead in the work Of pacfcaton
Great then sir! !if SO, what is she now2 Look at her
not merely in the amplitude Of her territorial extent but
OF commercial power she oyerlooks the ocean,
manding the Of the four quarters OF the globe
TO enter her gates and drawing il hther by that rressi-
BILE principle which interest creates and which onnpo
world ".." "
Yes sir true the popular sovereignty from the laying
of the first cornerstone Of the republic she took the lead
in removing of distraction and dismemberment In
1850 she passed an act authorizing portion of her west
territory TO be surrendered and cesson made
accordingly by her delegates in the year following Con-
ress seized the occasion urge upon other States cssons
of territory declaring show ndspensably necessary was
TO establish the federal Union On ixcd permanent
basis and on principles acceptable to all its respective
memberg how essential TO public credit and confidence
the support Of army to the ygor of councils and
the success Of our measures tranquility al home
our reputation abroad, to very existence free
ereign, and independent people"
The subsequent cessons by Virginia Massachusetts,,
Georgia. and South Carolina terminated these sectional
controversies and this Of irritation and distraction
was ut an end
The western territory, thus dsembarrussed from the
claims of individual States became public domain under
the control Of the Congress Of tAe United States.
helims Of the original thirteen States fixed by the
efy Of 1854 acknowledging independence, embraced
the States OF Ohio Indiana Illinois, Michigan, and Wis
consn that part of Minnesota east OF the Mississippi and
the portion Of country north Of the 3ls degree falling
within the boundaries Of the present States of Alabama and
Mississippi
During the administration Of that eminent man and
ghtened patriot Mr. Jefferson who understood from the
beginning the strength and capacity Of these institutions
for expansion the apcent Spanish province Of Louisiana
acquired ia which have been erected the States Of Lou
sana, Arkansas Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota west Of
the Mississippi the Territory known Nobaskaa name
not unfamiliar In these halsand the Indian country south
Of u embracing The Territories proposed 70 be organ
lcd for our aborigucs under the Of Chaka Nus
cogee and Chah-lah-keo Under treaty Of 1888 with
Great Britain and Of 500 with the French republic and
that Of Great Britain in 1896 all dopbt were removed in
regard TO that ocean-bourd territory lying north Of the
AID parallel eaa constituting the northwestern Territories
e Oregon and Washington, destined long 10 the march
Of empire 10 be released from their pupsgo and take u
their position equals in the great assembagc Of Amer
States BY the treaty Of 1919 the Sanish Crown yield
ed 70 us the Fordas terminating southern boundary
with the Atlantic and Gulf Of Mexico and bringing TO
the vicinity Of tho Queen Of the Antilles.
Texas independent State entered the confederacy
in s45. The country within the limits Of the present State
Of California and the Territory OF Utah and New Mexico
under the treaty Of 1873 with the Mexican republic be
part Of the Union covering surface Of three
million two hundred and ftytwo thousand six hundred
and oighty1our square mes (3252684,) nearly two
thousand and eghy-two millions Of acres With this ter
rtora extent have Atlantic and Gulf coast Of three
thousand one hundred miles (9l00l sea-coast the
Pacific Of sixteen hundred and twenty miles and the Eve
great takes inland and connecting forming
part of northern boundary. Such il the extent Of
The republic New York, already shown in her pario
ism and disinterestcd bcrality The first TO concede
territory as common property for the benefit Of the whole
The concessions OF oter States soon followed Thus the
landed estate OF the Union had it's inception and founda
ion In part under the articles Of confederation Memora
bic not only In this respect but with all their defects
the instrument under which the treaty Of peace acknow
edging our Independence was negotiated the Of the
revolution concluded and the union Of tho States main
taned until the adoption Of the present constitution
Our right Of soil has been gradually expanded by sue
cossve treaties TO which alluson has been made until tht
public domain has reached the immense Of one thou
sand three hundred and nnetyone million four hundred
and eighty thousand three hundred and twenty acres
7 G,39l ,4sO,32O)
The Continental Congress had taken the subject Of th
disposal Of the public lands into consideration as early
the year 1884 when Mr. Jefferson appointed chairman
Of committee TO devise plan. That step resulte In tn
founding OF tho present land system than two year
/ bckorc the adoption Of the constitution
ny the 4h article Of that instrument the people Of tn
United States have delegated to Congress e poc dis
pee. o md make dH nesul rVie and regulations respecting
ne ,rrftorg or ether propsy belonging % he United States
How have the Congress Of the United States managed t
great land fund which granted in the fret instance
aud afterwards augmented by purchase and by the vao
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