Washington sentinel., 1854-06-01

see without spectacles why the sales should
have fallen off 769, ,228 acres below the average,
when the enormous quantity of 6, Isl ,787 acres
were taken mp with military land warrants dur
ing that year.
j Here let me call the attention of my friend
to the Inconsistencies of his statements in re-
gard to the sales of the alternate sections He
first states that the railroad system went into
operation In July, 1852, as it did in the case ol
the Illinois act; and yet, subsequently,, when
attempting to show that the sales had not in
creased under that system, he says that the
system had been in full operation two or three
years prior to the lst January 1853 Now, ]
am sure that my colleague fell into this error
not designedly, but from having unfortunately
adopted, without proper examination, the loose
statements made by the gentlemen from New
York, MIR. BENNETT. / will show by better
authority than that quoted by my friend, that
the results of this system have been very diff
ferent from what he says. In his last report,
the Secretary of the Interior says:
| "The principle Of granting alternate sections
and selling those reserved al double the ordinary
price, has been found by experience 10 be most
salutary, By reason OF the improvements made
with such grants, large tracts Of land, that had
long lain waste, have been brought into market
and found ready sale the surrounding country
has been peopled; and the revenue has been a ug-
mented by the increased consumption Of foreign
merchandise The government has never made
such donation without being fully repaid
During the half year ending 3lst December
1850, the quantity Of lands sold and located, lin
Illinois, in the district traversed by the central
road,) was 342,1S7 acres. The alternate sections
reserved to the United States were brought into
market in July August, and September, 1852, and
during that and the next succeeding quarter, the
sales and locations amounted TO 1,274, ,J22 acres
showing an increase over the corresponding half
year next preceding the location Of the road of
! 932 034 acres.p
"The quantity sold at Augusta district, Missis-
sippi, in September, 1Si9, was only 424 acres; and
in the same month, in the years lS50-51, and '52,
much less; and yet in five days in September last,
after the route Of the road had been established,
1880 acres were sold. In the Columbus district,
in twelve days in September last, 22,50f acres
were disposed Of; whereas in the whole month Of
i September lS49, the quantity sold was only 1855
/ acres"
I might quote further to show that the sales
in the railroad districts in Missouri from the
9Th July to the 3Oth September, 1853, amount
ed to 100000 acres more than were sold in the
corresponding quarters in l850-'5l, and 80.
So also along the route Of the Sault Ste Marie
canal the sales in the second and third quarters
of 1852, amounted to only 40,6S9 acres, and in
the corresponding quarters of 1853, they in.
creased to 89,073 acres. The commissioner Of
the General Land Office, in his last report says:
"The great increase in sales and locations OF
land for the last fiscal year. and in the third quarter
ofthe current calendar year, mentioned in former
part of this report, has occurred in those States
where railroads have been projected and grants
made for them, or where such works are in con-
temptation, or by the proposed construction Of the
Saut Ste Marie canal.p
These statements, suppose, will be conclu-
sive on this point, inasmuch as they are based
upon the actual sales Of the last fiscal year
compared with those of previous years; and
they hold good, not in a single locality, but
4 throughout, wherever this policy has been ap.
i piled. By examination it will be found that
i still more favorable results have been attained
during the current fiscal year, the sales having
amounted to $l,099,S20 in the first half, and to
$l,746,l63 in the third quarter, against $354,-
502 in the 4th quarter of the last fiscal year,
showing steady and rapid increase; and it is
reasonable to expect that this increase will be
still greater when the bounty-land warrants
shall have been exhausted. do not mean, how
ever, to say that this system is not liable to
abuse; but if restrained within proper limits
and exercised with judgment and discretion, il
would no doubt be attended with highly bene-
fetal results to the land States, without detri-
ment to the common interest.
As this grant to the Illinois central railroad
seems to be the most Objectionable one in the
estimation Of my colleague, and that which
move than all others creates a necessity for the
1 change in our land policy which he advocates,
it may be well to pause here moment to in
quire who are mainly responsible for this act.
Why, sir, will it be believed that the very gen.
teman who has signalized himself as the advo-
cate for division Of fthe public lands on account
of these very grants, among others, together
with nearly every gentleman in Congress who
is in favor of his project, voted for this very
grant? In the Senate, the two gentlemen who
then represented the State Of North Carolina,
Messrs. Badger and Mangum, not only voted
for the bill, but they were so anxious to secure
its passage that they voted against the amend
ment offered by Mr.. Dayton, providing that the
proceeds Of the sales Of the sections reserved to
the United States should be distributed among
the States according to the principles Of the act
of 4th September, l84l. In the House it was
voted for BY Mr. Stanley, and it was sanctioned
and approved by that model whig President, so
popular with our whig friends in North Caro-
lima, Mr.. Fillmore. Then, too, after the bill to
grant lands to Florida had been killed in the
House during theta Congress, Messrs. Dockery,
Outlaw, Stanley, Morehead, and CALDWELL the
entire whig delegation from North Carolina,
voted for q reconsideration.
4 There IS one view OF this question to which
have incidentally alluded, to which, if the COM
mittee will indulge me, Twill again advert very
briefly; that is, as connected with the tariff.
Ny colleague quotes and adopts principle as
laid down by Mr.. McDuf6e; and | take occa-
sion to here to'congratulate my friend upon his
having acquired such sound and catholic views
upon the tariff question.
at isl generally admitted principle of CONNER
| cal law, that the amount of imports is reg ulated
by the amount Of exports and since our revenue
is raised from duties upon imports it follows, if it
/ can be shown that two-thirds of the domestic ex-
ports of this country the products of slave la
Dor, that the proposition is sustained--that two
thirds Of the entire revenue from imports is paid
by the labor Of slaves"
Upon this principle he basis his declaration
that North Carolina pays twice as much rev.
enue into the general treasury as northern
State Of equal representation upon this foor
Now, always thought that / was tolerably
straight out on this question, but my friend has
shot a little ahead of me. ! believe that &C.
cording to the present system, taxation falls
very heavily and unequally upon the planting