The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-07-12
l.: 92.9O2
l,405,S38
2,055.920
S94,719
Total for twelve years,
19,S56,605
- ==@-=-

Total for twelve years, 1856, ,eo5
The habit Of donating alternate sections
OF land for railroad purposes was contrac
ted, believe in le46 yet there was less
land sold twelve years, from lS4l to
1852 inclusive, than under the old con.
servative habit in the single year, 1886.
When alternate sections Of land are dons.
ted, it is the stereotyped language of
the bills that the reserved sections sha
be held at double price, which leaves the
impression on the public mind that,
with the difference Of the odd section,
there is All equal number Of sections re
reserved and granted, and that, the half
being sold at the price Of the whole, moth
ing is lost TO the treasury. Such, how
ever, is not always he fact; for private
entries are informally respected, and
when they fall within the line to which
the rights of the donees in the first in
stance extend, then authority is given to
the donees to go still further, to the right
or left, and take another amount of land
equal to the amount taken by the private
entries, though such private entries were
were made at the Government price Of
81 20 per acre. quote from the act to
apply certain alternate sections of the pub
lie domain towards the completion of
works Of internal improvement in the
State of Michigan, the following cause:
"And as some of the sections, aud parts
of sections, within the limits aforesaid.
have been heretofore sold or otherwise dis.
posed of, or encumbered, so that they can
not be so applied, it is furthermore enac-
ted that a quantity of land equal to that
so sold, or otherwise disposed Of o. en-
numbered, shall be selected by said agent,
under the direction Of the Secretary of,he
Treasury, from the public lands, near the
site Of said railroad, on either side there
Of"
This fact explains why it is that while
2n ..lli1";-a -actes' tiaef9l-aaa received. at
double price but l,679,46I acres which
is 223,98l acres less than half tue mum
Der donated by the Government. The re-
served sections were offered for sale in Ju-
ly, 1852, and on the 3Oth of September
1853, there had been sold in Illinois, at
the double price, (s2 5O) but 2s4,Oso
acres.
The practice Of donating alternate sec
tons Of land, particularly in the States, is
not only unequal and unjust, and there
fore u"wse, but is generally injurious to
to the Treasury. The recipients Of the
donated sections are thrown into direct
competition with the Government. 1t is
not reasonable to suppose that purcha-
Ser will pay - so per acre to the the Go
vernment when he can buy lands adjoin-
ing at u less price from Others. The
public lands are one Of the sources Of rev.
enue, and reduction of the revenue of
the country is thus wrought by excluding
its own lands from the market. Nor can
this be denied by the warmest advocate
Of the theory that the Government loses
no money, because the price of the reserv-
ed sector is doubled, without being pre-.
cipitated into another dilemma which is
quite Ms fatal to his theory. The value of
the reserved sections is increased, or il is
tnot. IL il is increased the donees can un-
derseIl the Government and at heavy
profit. II it is not increased the argu-
ment is gone. A pressure for funds will
cause the donecs to sell at any price.
1t is my faith that there is a mate
rial difference in the powers Of Congress
over such parts Of the public domain as
lie within States aud in Territories A
Territory continues tn be the common
property OF all the States so long as it re-
mains Territory and any Improvement
within its limits rebounds to the common
benefit OF its common owners. But when
q part Of the public domain lies within
the boundaries Of a State, it is difficult to
conceive Of any improvement Of such Ter
riiory will not result TO the benefit OF that
particular State, and. il may be, to the
exclusion Of all benefit TO the remaining
States. Such case might occur, as if =
Safe was surrounded Ivy Territories,
which has never yet happened, but is yir.
tually approached by the geographical
position Of California. Again, the Terri.
tories have but such as is given by Con-
gress. They are in dependent condition,
aud look to Congress for revenue, pro,ec-
ton, and for law. This is TIER only Le-
lyislature, and we should legisIate for their
good, precisely as State Legislature may
Tor the good ofthe State--both being sub
ject TO the provisions Of their respective
constitutions.
Entertaining these views, l cannot con-
sistently cast my vote for donating lands
which liu within the limits Of State; but
when the lands asked for. lie within Ter
ritories, organized or not organized, have
no constitutional scruples; and he que.v-
ton then arises as to the expediency Of
making such grants as are sought
ExPEDIESoY.
The isolated position Of California, lying
as i does, on the western verge of the
North American continent, her separation
from her sister States by dreary dcsests,
rnggsd mountains, aud lsrgs territories in
A. :