Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-03-17


can give The gentleman answer that ought TO be sas'ac
lors 10 him and to the House.
Mr. LETCHER. hope The gentleman will come TO the
noint as soon possible.
Mr. YATES. The gentleman asked what has been don.
Iyhv cir we have road seven hundred and four Lies III
of great importance 10 the State Of Illinois, OF great
advantage the people Of thai State and OF great nhtona
advantage and all this without The loss of cent 10 the
general government And not only has the genera govern
meui not lost anything by IT, but has sell lands whlc
have been for twenty-five years in the market and still re-
manned unsod that it has actually placed money In the
,reasury BY operation Sir is nothing thai have
bnilt The longest and magnificent rail- road in the
world without the loss OF cent upon The part Of The gencf
al government
financial history Of the Stale OF Illinois. II ON not mis-
taken before that Sute received the benefit of this land
from the federal government her financial condition was
exceedingly embarrassed She not able 10 prosecute
her crest works OF internal improvement because Of the i'm
mens debt which was then resting upon heI Her bonds
had deprecated TO an alarming cxeL But no sooner hao
this land been donated by the federal sooner
had the arrangements for the construction of The Central
road gone into OPERATION than the credit Of that State rose
us my magic TO par showing that It is something more
than donation for the construction Of rail road Il Is
strong support an cectua means Of restoring the credit
of the State of Illinois.
But 10 addition 10 oil lhs hold that we have written
Constitution and that it is business protect that writ
len Constitution and 10 carry out fairly according to the
provisions contained within It, But nearly every member
who in favor OF these rail road grants has commended that
the federal government not 10 be the owner OF lands
at ALI it ought DO In the market selling these
lands out that they should belong to the States IN which
thcy ic That is the argument and that is the conclusion
derived from it, Well cir in carrying out this system c
internal improvements, which is general system tho
rough system, SO far the States are concerned
they accomplish all their purposes by The use OF these public
| lands.
Sir what tho public lands belonging the govern
mcnt but the property Of the government WHAT is tic IL
ney OF The government but the property OF the government
occupying the rela ton towards do the public
lands The nations wealth consists in part in the money
receives from the sale OF The public lands Then can tbs
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srucon Of raoaas2 II moi what right has give away
ts property in these public lands which bear the rela
lion 10 it money itself The Constitution reads
'tal Congress shall have power 10 dispose off, and 81
orb but according 10 the reading approved by these
gentlemen ought to ha, Congress shall have power
10 Owe AWAY make all ncedfu rules and regulations
respecting the territory and other property OF the United
States" That the result OF it, according 10 their con
suuclion, when reduced 10 practice. 1t nohin.
more and IL means nothing less.
Now look all these projected railroads which gentle
urging Congress accord lands aid In their
sruction II The railroads are OF any advantage these
States they ought 10 be willing least pay price of the
lands The government and not establish precedent here 10
be plead has been plead by the gentleman from Ohio
[ DISNEY that Congress has done and heretofore,
and must go and do il hereafter
But let return 10 This Milwaukee railroad The gentle.
from Oao tells us that the pulley Of the Committee
Public Lands is 10 equsze the grants all these Suites,
and 10 give them much has been guaranteed the
Stale Illinois. Now Illinois received for her Central rail
road 593 600 acres, if my recollection Ia correct.
The State Of Wisconsin has already received for internal
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drop thousand acres are embraced in this BILL as
the gentleman from Ohio. Then he tells us that the
mttee have agreed upon another bill making donation OF
land for road from Madison IN Prairie du CHEN and that
bill embraces 100000 That makes l9O0 goo acres
and with The 9I9 600 already received gives 100000 and
odd acres that this bill passes, they will have received
400 600 aces more than Illinois has received like 10 bl
about these things and will therefore refer 10 The
book it is down here that the lands sold in the
Stale Of Wisconsin up 10 June 30. 1858, amounted To
5O45 2 lands donated for schools, universities and
FORTH f25 und that the lands donated for In
erna Improvements amounted 10 929 1856 acres Now add
TO that the 100000 embraced in this BILL and you
then have very nearly three millions acres granted 10 the
State OF Wisconsin.
Well sir by way Of justlfyng this mode of dsposlng OF
the lands The gentleman tells rs that the President OF tie
United States for III that the Secretary CT the Interior
for W that the Commissioner Of the General Land Office Is
for it, and that inasmuch all these parties are for H. II
must be conclusive as 10 the poprcty OF the policy Now
do not hold 10 any such doctrine that because Pre-
siden Secretary entertain particular opinions erybody
else IL To hold the opinions the subject.
represent district that enlertains opinions al
together different ths Qucstiontat maintains mat Con-
gress has right either directly or indirectly TO appropr
ate the lands money Of the Federal Government 10 Inter
nal improvements. Hero Is the platform adopted by the
Democratic Stale Convention held in Richmond in March
1882
indirectly the roeed OF the sales Of the public lands grant
directly Indirectly the public lands to the purposes Of
Improvement
s2nd s ths paem hold to ha, d"cos in
be sound doclrinci and believing do here
surrender convictions because President UnieC
states or Secretary Vi the INTERIOR or anybody else
pylng high otcinl position cntcrtains different opinion
as TO the Secretary Of the Interior for this
opinion to extent He is vino has been living
In land State which has proted largely by this mode oil
dsposug Of the public lands In hs service in Congress,
he committed 10 all these grants can ascertain very
we'll how association how political interest controls the
opinions Of men; and these influences may control hs In
this matter But by way of satisfying the House that this
policy is proper and constitutional the gentleman from Ohio
says that under The influence of it, public lands have been
sol and that they ceiling with apdity than
public lands have been sold any time heretofore in
history for several years past.
MIR. DISNEY. In tho vicinity OF these roads.
MIR. LErCHER. Very well; then In the vicinity OF these
roads. How many lands have been sold2 have q
here OF the sales from 1895 1859 uclusve which
| ask attention;