The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-27
Mr.. BROWN. / should be slad % l. corrected, il l

stance TO apply simply Of Arkansas for
known thai any dteSty Of the kind existed elsewhere
in the United States but upon suggestion the bill was
made general and ITS effect is simply this Where settlers
upon the public lands, occupying and euuyating
them for purposes at prc-empon any grant al ali
having been made and had not complied with the law in
proving their pre-empuons this law made remedy
that evil, and the effect Of u, the senator will N
moment simply be precisely what il would be if The
land had been sold II does not affect the which
grants made all The prioclPe remains unaffected.
MIR. BROWN. understand IL differently
Mr.. DOUGLAS. do not think IL Is material this
gument
Mr.. BROWN. But | think it is-----
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The from lli-
nois is enti,led TO the floor.
Mr.. DOUGLAS l will yield it,
Mr.. BROWN. Unless the senator is willing, do not
wish say word; but the principle involved
in The bill to be this that there settler upon The land
before withdrawn from sale by the Presidents proc.
amaton either anticipation of grant after grant had
been made then Notwithstanding the grant has been made
and his rights have been Off the steps and allows
HIM to take the land at III % an acre II he had been ent
tied to the presumption have said before, there would
have been necessity for the additional legislation II was
precisely because he not entitled to the that
Congress stepped in and gave to him. Therefore, you
the right to take quarter section Of land which you
had raised 80 SO because you had given the ad
joining quarter section for Railroad and hence made
worth ~ SO acre. and seduce it 10 81 rs, the original
price Of the Iand the principle established that you may
reduce the whole Of it, if you think proper, the same
standard because il you reduce one eighth, you may
reduce the whoe your jurisdiction and your power over
the eighth your urlsdc,o and power the whole
Now wish TO say lest there should be any msconcepton
to my position the subject, that approved that act
voted for it most corday and If II should come here
thousand times, would for it thousand times over,
Justify myself every time under that clause OF the con-
susion which gives Congress he power ito dispose OF
the public lands which appehend is power unlimited,
unless you undertake dispose OF them Tor some purpose
inhibited by the constitution.
MIR. DOUGLAS. MIR. President, | do not deem it ne
cessary to make any reply what the from Mis-
sssipp has said because it has no bearing at all what
proceeding that the grants to Illinois for railroads
advocated upon the groun and only upon me ground
that they would enhance The value of the public domain SO
to put much money into the treasury han
you otherwise could have got # the grant were not made
The bill passed upon thai ground and It's pracica oPe
ration thus far fully juses the expectations OF those VINO
advocated its passage The grant of land 10 which The SEN
from Tennessee Mr. BELL has REFERRED for the Saalt
St. Mary canal advocated upon the ground that there
fifty, perhaps nearly hundred, millions OF acres OF
land above those falls which inaccessible IN conse-
quence of the obstruction and said that the granting
of hundred and fifty thousand acres by making the
fifty millions accessible, would enhance the value Of those
fifty millions greater than The value OF the grant
Mr. BUTLER. wish only to say a word as to that
grant, is the senator will allow do not Say that the
from Illinois has gwen Of the but
say in reference to the senator from Michigan, Mr. CAssl
that the avowcd ground upon which he asked Tor that APP
preparation of lana was, that il was war measure
Mr. DOUGLAS. The senator from South Carolina viii
discover that he slightly mistaken in the correction
he makes The senator from Michigan Mr. CAss brought
forward the proposition for grant OF money upon the
ground that II was measure made speech against
the money grant, the ground that not necessary
measure, but that expeient for commerce. and
for the enhancement of the of the lands and stated
that if he would agree strike the money appropriation
and make grant Of land would advocate it. The money
clause stricken out, and the land grant was inserted
upon that argument, and the bill passed upoa that
ground-he war Argument and the money appropriation
being abandoned.
The position that take is ths-tat the grants Of lands
the States have been advocated upon tne ground that
they enhance the value of the residue of the pubic domain
Congress has passed them upoE chat ground Whether the
facts always out that the principle which the grant
made is fully sustained by result different qaes
ton Bot sir, asked the grant other ground, and
supposed that when the senator from Vermont Mr. FooT
voted for these bills he voting for them upon that leg
innate patriotic ground upon which their friends have acted
did not suppose that he thought was 'uneean lessla-
tom when he advocated il. When he brought forward
bill this session, and advocated srenuousy for rail-
road through Florida, did not suppose that he thought
.uncleen legislation that he the agent OF land
obbers and land robbers wh- trying fleece the pub
tic treasury for their benefit had idea that when he
advocated these measures he confessed any such prnc
pie of action SIR deny that those of US from the new
States who have advocated these grants have advocated
them upon any such grounds have been as
signed or minated by the from Vermont.
Whenever the land grants which propose for the West
be justified upon the principle that doing what
wise, honest, and udicous land would do IN the
disposition and management of his estate, do not wish
the Senate to give their sanction and suppoo our measures
Hence Is unnecessary % cite these vast appropriations
the new States argument npon this bill The Pres
dent has drawn he distinction TO which have alluded II
these appropriations violation Of that principle, then
you may that they do the assumption Of fact
made by the President But the friends of these appropr
anons so far as know, place them upon that principle
| tcally the truth Of that assumption
Mr.. BELL Will the senator allow ask him qucs-
tom
Mr.. DOUGLAS. Certainly
Mr.. BELL. The Illinois bill was, | bellows the model
for the other bills and gave every alternate section
miles each side OF the road, but IL sufficient number could
be found there Of having been taken by
settlers, by purchasers preemptlon claimants the
company had the right TO fifteen miles IN each direction,
right and left Of the road and select the remainder Of the
lands. Now, upon any consideration of cquyaenta
cpoca benefits 10 the treasury and the road would like
70 have the honorable senator sin specimen TO show
The working OF the principle upon which these donations
privilege of prudent proprietorwhat proportion Of the
lands either side of that road, both sides, for
mhes remains 10 be sold at 81 SO acre. Is it not very
small
Mr.. DOUGLAS | cannot answer specifically. Let the
honorable senator finish the question, and will answer
can.
Mr.. BELL desire to know whether the amount is
considerable IL ~ oaly within the Of land OF SIX
miles in both sides the the sections
doubled IN price. What uetraie--the honor
able senator will understand it's, that II only prin-
somed IN get clear of the difficulty. do mean
that II n altogether But desire TO know whether
practically and SUBSTANTIALLY the results such that
principle would seem demand in the eye of prudent
proprietor whether he romuneted for the donation he
has made by any equivalent IN the sae OF the small guam
THY OF lands that sold at the increased value
MIR. DOUGLAS Mr.. President, l caDnot answer pre-
ciscy what proportion ofthese snds within mites
and what outside the six miles and within fifteen
but can state that the general of that road
through prairie lands, distant from market and from
brought twenty FIVE cents You had had
them IN the market for forty years 81 IS per acre and
could not sell them you could have sold them for Is per
when they first brought the market The