Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-06-21

Such
4 purchaser are thereby rendered saleabl e 10 Illus
trate suppose that the general government Owned
the lands along the proposed route OF the WeslerI
i extension of the North Carolina Central RaIifoad
could not Congress grant alternate sections OF tho
! lands, either 10 North Carolina company who
would undertake to complete the work. to aid In Its
/ construction? And does not my colleague beheve
and does not every man in North Carolina know,
that the reserved sections would be so much enhan
ced in value that the government would lose nothing
| by the grant? Surely argument is necessary to
convince my countrymen of so plain proposition
But says my friend, experience proves that there
is no force in this argument and he tells US there
were granted to Illinois, Mississippi, and Alabama,
for the Illinois Central Railroad acres OF
the public lands; that the reserved sections were
brought into market July, 1852 and yet, up 70 the
3Oth September, 1853, only 384 $50 acres had been
sold at double price, and the amount received over
the ordinary price only $365,190 to repay the
government for the grant made to those. Now,
would ask my colleague in all kindness, Tor nave,
as he knows no other than kind feelings toward him.
if this is fair mode of arguing the question? hy
sir any one unacquainted with the facts, would in
fer from reading this part of his speech, that this
all the government ever would receive; ana YET
no one knows better than my friend that these lands
have only been in market since July, 1892; he has
himself stated and that the balance OF the reser-
we'd sections for six niles from the road on both
sides, through the whole length wherever it runs
through the public lands still remain to be sold at
50 so per acre; and they are now being bought up
at that price, informed, as fast as the land
agents do the businesses being the press upon
some of the officers that they have been compelled
to close their doors from time time to bring the
business up But, says my colleague, the act only
requires these reserved sections to be cDc@ at the
double price before they are sold at the ordinary
rate actually italicisng the words to be offercd,
thereby plainly intimatng that they would never be
sold for more than 81 25 per Now, L desire
to ask my colleague if he ever read the act by which
this grant made? If he has, he ought 10 know
that it expressly declares that these reserved Sec
tons shall not be sold for less than 80 per
l will read the third section:
SEC g. And be it further enacted That the sec
tons and parts of sections of land which, by such
grants shall remain to the United States within SIX
miles each side of said road and branches, ShdU
not be sold for less than double the minimum Prace
of the public land when sold.
these grants increase the sale of the lands render
saleable such had been long in market without
finding purchasers, is not sustained by the iacts in
the casc he attempts to prove by showing that IN
1886, before this system had been adopted 2o,oI4
81 of the public lands were sold, while IN Is
90 after it had been put in operation, there was only
894, ITO disposed of Mr. Chairman, II 1T were
not for the great respect have for my colleague,
would say that this argument bordered on the ridic
uous Why, sir it seems to me to be an act OF pue-
lity to undertake here before this intelligent com
mittee, which now have the honor of addressing, |
to enter into an explanation of the causes which |
operated increase the sales of the public lands In
1886 or those which tended to diminish them in 49,
81 Why, sir, every school boy who has read his |
first book in history ought to know, every tyro in
politics should know, that we had a most extraord-
nary state of things in 1886. The State banks had
suddenly flooded the country with their issues, in
creasing the paper circulation to more than S14O,-
100 600 In addition to this about 5000 900 600 had
,cen borrowed in Europe by the States engaged III
ARRIVING on internal improvements; money became
IS plentiful as 'backberries in June prices of every
description of property Unfortunately high; one
reckless spirit of speculation pervaded
he whole country, and millions of acres OF the pub
hNyS
o an amount altogether unprecedented before, and
which it is be hoped will never be reached again.
TO account for the falling off during the fiscal year
n 1852 when the sales amounted to only 1,OS3, 495
cres-1 S52 753 being the Average of the five years
preceding that when the alternate system went into
peraticn-I need only say that the lands located
nth bounty land warrants and other certificates in
hat year amounted to 151, 7S7 acres; and any one
tho is not 'scurvy politician (and do not mean
D apply this term to my co,league) can see without
pectaclcs why the sales should have fallen off T69
% acres below the average, when the enormous
uantty of g. 151 1877 acres taken up with mill
Try land warrants during that year.
Here let call the attention of my friend II the
Inconsistencies of his statements in regard to the
ales of the alternate sections tie first states that
lie railroad system went into operation IN july To-
D as it did in the case of the Illinois act and yet,
lbsequently. when attempting to show that the sales
ad not increased under that system, he says that
lie system had been in full operation two or three
ears prior to the 1st January, 1858. Now, am
that my colleague fefinto this error not design
llv but from having unfortunately adopted, with !
1T proper examination, the loose statements made
Y the gentleman from New York Mr. Bennett l I
i'll show by better authority than that quoted by
friend, that the results of this system have been
Try different from what he says. In this last report
C Secretary of the Interior says:
The principle of granting alternate sections, and
ling those reserved at double the ordinary price,
IS been found by experience to be most salutary. Z
reason of the improvements made with such
ants large tracts of land that had long laid waste,
ere brought into market and found ready sale; the
country has been peopled and the rev. 7
ue has been augmented by the increased consump- -
m of foreign merchandise. The government has g.
made such donations without being fully repaid. -
During the half year, ending 31st December, 49, -
the quantity of lands sold and located, Tin Hin ~
, in the district traversed by the central road) -
2 4S7 The alternate sections reserved to -
United States, were brought into market in JULY, -
lgust, and September 1852, and during that and =.
next succeeding quarter the sales and locations -
lounted to ,274 522 acres; showing an increase ~
er the corresponding half year next preceding the "
alton of the road of 932, 034 acres. ~
" The quantity sold at Augusta district, Missssip- til
in September, 1S49, only 424 acres and in di
same month in year 195O-,51, and 81 much less; bl
yet in five days in September last after the route w
the road had been established, $50 acres O.
d. In the Columbus district in twelve days in Sep We
lber last 23 504 disposed of; whereas, &C
the whole month of September 1919, the quantity an
d was 1855 acres co
might quote farther to show that the sales in nc
railroad districts in Missouri from the 9th July if
he 3Oth Sonteuhpr 1919 Amounted TO 150 600 -: