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

u
/ 600 annuallythis force has been kept up for the
protection of our citizens the Territories and yol
might with equal propriety charge the expenses OF
all your territorial governments to the cost OF the
public lands And next, to cap the climax, my col
league has put down the snug little figure of $217,-
100000 for the war with Mexico + am only sur
psed that he did not add the cost of the revolution
airy war, and that OF 1872! shall not enter into
any argument here to show why the expenses of q
foreign war; entered into for the protection of Anne
rican rights, and in defence of the national honor
whose immediate was invasion of our territory,
and the pollution of soil by the hostile foot of the
foreign foe and the shedding the blood of people
should not be charged portion of the cost of the
public lands. I should feel that trifiing with
the committee and will only add further that the
total cost ofthe whole public domain as given by the
Commissioner of the General Land Office, amounts
to the of $61 ,121, III, making general aver
age of about fourteen cents per acre; and to reim
burse themselves for this expense thus incurred the
States have common interest in this extensive
domain, which amounts to nearly fifteen hundred
millions of acres, embracing territory sufficient to
make two or three mighty empires. Nor should L
omit to mention that the government has already re-
ceived, my colleague says, 100000, more
than twice the whole cost of the lands, which has
gone into the treasury and North Carolina and the
ether States have been benefited by it, according
to their usual proportions in the general charge and
expenditure
All that my friend has said, then, in relation to
the cost of the public lands, and the proportion
which North Carolina has contributed-which ne
has estimated, he based his calculation upon
the untcnable assumption that North Carolina en-
ports, in the direct ratio of her slave population,
compared with the slave population of Louisiana,
Alabama, and Mississippi and the other planting
Stacs-amounts to nothing at all, and has no bear
ing whatever upon the real question at ISSUE AS,
however, he has made a calculation to show how
much North Carolina has paid as her proportion, by
which he arrives at the conclusion that she has been
taxed to the amount of $17,094, DIG, without ever
having been compensated therefor, which of course
is altogether erroneous, will now show from the
record that North Carolina, in common with all the
other States, has received more than she has paid
account of the public lands. According to the re-
port of the Secretary of the Interior there has been
paid into the treasury up to the Both OF June, 1858,
from the sales of the public lands, over and above |
their total cost $50 2S9, 465. North Carolina has |
ton least in the proportion of her representation
on this floor, being clear gain to her OF 81 S14 S24
In this connection, let me correct a very common
error which prevails, that is, that the general govern
ment derived great pecuniary advantage from the
cession made by North Carolina | do not mean to
lndcrrate the magnanimity of that act No, sir,
North Carolina with patriotism that entities her to
honor, offered upon the altar of union
her whole domain now constituting the State of Ten
lessce. Actuated 10y noble desire to elevate the
public credit, promote harmony and cement the
ponds of union among the States, she offered it up
RELY, and generous and patriotic was the act But
he general government never realized any pccuni-
Try advantage from the cesson, will appear from
statement have here obtained from the Land Of
ice.
But while my colleague admits that the policy
which advocate would be wise and proper could it
carried out, he urges that the lands have been,
nd in all probability will continue to be, squander-
d among the States, while the old States will
et nothing; and in proof of this declaration, he
avs that one hundred and twenty one millions of acres
the public Lands have been given, actually giren
the States, and yet the OLD States have receir
d nothing, in the way of lands proceeds arising
rom the sale thereof, as he undertakes to show by
he table which propose to examine. Why, Sir,
IN utterly amazed that my friend should have been
0 thoughtlcss and inconsderate to make any
uch assertion. In another part of his speech he
atcs the Of $l39 900 900 derived from the sales
f the Public Lands, had already gone into the trea-
lry of the United States; and my colleague must
now that it has been appropriated for the common
expenses of the government, and in payment of the
atonal debt, and that " North Carolina" and the
Their - Old States have therefore been benefited
y it precisely according to their usual proportion
the general charge and expenditure | shall not
ndcrtakc to deny that the policy of our govern
tent has been to deal generously with the land :
tates and has uniformly made them liberal grants
consideration of theiHstipulating not to tax the
ndS belonging to the United States and of their
asing the government from other obligations which
&c usually impose upon and-hoders and in order,
oreoYer, to promote the settlement of the country
I'd thereby increase the sales of the public lands
I'd it may be, and doubt is the case, that this
olicy, correct in ITSELF has some times been over
rained But let Us examine the statement given by
y colleague. Here it is; now how does he make )
IL LHCSc uOHdliOHS vi OHc anu twenty -nlNc
illons of acres? The first item is that of grants
school purposes in the land States. 1t is too late
apprchend TO object to grants proper extent .
r these objects; they have been made from the
ry first, and every State that comes into the IL
Mon has received lands for these purposes grant
by Congress not free gifts TO the States and u
but of attracting settlers and
HANGING the value of the public lands generally 81
ey have been voted for by all parties, and far
have had time to examine the journal, they have b
Ssed without even a division The same may be g
d of the grants for seats of government and pub W
buildings, amounting to 55, 1885, 254 acres, grant ST
to Louisiana and other States Ell
AS to swamp lands, they were acknowledged on til
sides, to be useless to the general government; nj
y could not be disposed of at any price
shall not go the ground so ably occupied 81
ne time since, both by the gentleman from Vir- OF
ia, Ctr Bayly) and the gentleman from Ohio. 81
r. Disney who showed very conclusively that tn
re no other course; they were considered A
nuisance by the citizens of the States in which tn
y lay, which the government ought to rid them al
The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr Perkins) ov
ted that those in that State had been drained lo
ce the grant was made, at an expense of So per
C. And hardly think my colleague, or any one nj
:, would have voted an appropriation equal to tn
sum for the purpose of draining them in order an
render them saleable. 1 have examined the Jour- of
only in reference to of these bills that grant so
$780, 016 acres to Arkansas and find that ne tie,
r Mr. Badger or Mr.. Mangum thought these lands in
rth calling the ayes and on. The bill passed sol
Senate without division, while in the House it
voted for by Messrs. Outlaw, Stanly, and Cling tn