The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-06-27
THE DAILY DISPATCH


THE DAILY DISPATCn
Friday afsrninx, Jane ~. lsss.
Hfsn or Pence.
m. National Iutellieeucer of yesterday mans -
sign Of peace some outeivinss IN inc Sens.o On
,r.saa.A.v .s,.r Tho close Of the Discussion on
..sy..... Ia, NJ WELLER moved its recon.
,n,,r.nt "a the Committee on Territories, win the
.av.r.l .nh.,,,n,e. offered therefor, expressing ms
,ss,f..r.nc. 81, ,ne bill Of Mr. TooMBs This bill
s.s,,s.. ~ !. csnsus OF the inhAbitAnts Of Kan
.n.,, 1. aiken. under the direction OF the Sec
r...rv 81 state, by commissioners appointed for
~. ,,.rnose and that none but actual residents OF
a.. -rsyri,ory are to be counted Provision Is then
,,.. for fair and impartial election of delegates
a.. STATE Convention to form Constitution pre-.
,,sr,.orv to admission into the Union. Mr. Str.
rurxs has announced his intention to introduce 4
sim,lar measure into the House. The motion OF
Mr.. WELLER prevailed and the bill and suost-
iutes were committed The committee OF the Sen.
ate is expected soon to report the chairman having
indicated such a purpose when the reference was
made.
This is q specimen Of Southern fairness The
plan proposed by Mr.. TooMBs Is certainly just and
practicable, and II met In proper spirit will settle
the question The South Is always fair; aud when
a question is fairly decided against the people OF
the South, they submit In becoming and law
abiding manner when California was declared
free State they did not raise a clamor for resist
ance. and threaten 10 send Sharp's Rifles and to
deluge the country in blood unless their institu-
tons were established there Nor VIII they, if the
people of Kansas prohibit slavery, make any eff.
forts to force slavery upon them. Their represen-
tasives will ask, on their behalf, nothing that is
either unfair or unconstitutional and they will
submit as true patriots aud honest to the fair
ly reached decision of the people of the disputed
territory, whatever it be.
The Way the Public Lands Go.
The vast and corrup. system of squandering
the Public Lands on Railroad Companies, deserves
the reprobation of the country, and should. If pos
sible. be stopped at once. The idea has been that
the appropriation of Lands was for the benefit OF
tho States; but the operation is to fill the pockets
of private stockholders. Congress has no right to
squander the public domain in this manner. 1t is
the common property of all the States, and no
disposition of them which does not enure to the
benefit of ALL is just and according to the spirit of
the compact, ont of which the confederation was
formed The Illinois Central Railroad was the
precedent for the many appropriations to enrich
Railroad Companies
In September, 1850, the Illinois Central received
By act of Congress- q 595 900 acres of land on cor
dition of building the railway. This amount OF
land, in of the most thriving and fertile States
was taken out of the market aud denied to immi-
grants at the regular price. The company mort
gagged DOC, 900 acres to raise money in England to
build the road $50 900 acres to secure the interest
on the same, aid 3a5,00 acres to secure the pay
ment of certain bonds of theirs called "Freeland
Bonds. Since that time they have sold or contract
ed to sell, in round numbers, 1000 acres, about
one-fifsh of their whole land. One fifth of this
amount sold, namely, 106,59l acres. was sold to
at about s.. 40 per acre the balance
say $4,000 acres has been sold at prices ranging
from $ll rs to 5000 an acre. The balance un-
Sold 066 1876 acres, is held as was mentioned, at
from s. to SIS the acre, the large bulk being at
from Sl2 to To-
These two millions of acres will at the lowest
estimate yield twenty millions of dollars-enough
to complete the road and enrich the stockholders
Thus is the public property perverted to the benefit
of incorporated companies, to the great injury of
the States and the people. These public lands
would have been for years within the reach of the
people at the Government price, of 81 % per acre;
but the railroad company has put them up to So,
$40 and SIS per acre. This retards emigration
from the East, and is calculated to direct settlers
to other States in search of cheaper lands. Such
however is the growth of this corrupt system that
the poor man who goes TO seek home in the Yves.
for his family may soon have no alternative but
to buy from railroad companies and submit to their
extortions.
To us it is matter of painful reflection, that
while Virginia is struggling under load of debt
she has incurred in her effort to build few works
of public improvement the State of Illinois carv-
ed out of domain which she gave when wilder
ness to the Union, has constructed greater rail-
road system than hers, and that the Central Rail
road of that State greater than any Virginia has
even projected, is built out of the very land Virgil
mia gave away, which has been corruptly donated
to that object by Congress
1t is national outrage, gross violation of the
rights of the States, which should be stopped at
once. This could be effectually done by dividing
the Public Lands among the States This would
be just to all OF them, and take away from Con.
gress most powerful and alarming means of cor
ruption. t& tfss0 s4.ss 3fse snse
Col. Fremont and his Friends.