Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-06-07

only privilege we nave Is " near icau
at the Clerks desk, before we are called
upon to vote upon It.
Then. sir, the next remark have to
make ,s, thar these bills are unfair, that
! they do not present true state of facts TO
the country and they are calculated 10 make
an erroneous impression upon the public
mind, when it is declared by the authors
and advocates OF them that for each odd
section which the government grants it re-
serves an even section to be sold at So so
per acre, which will balance the sections
given away at the criminal cost Of 81 %
DER acre. Let me show that such is not
the case. There are thirty.six sections Of
land in each township. By previou! act
of Congress The sixtteath section in each
township has been donated to the States
for school purposes. and thirty five sections
only are left IN each twowship to be affect
ed by these bills. Seventeen of these are
even sections, aid eighteen are odd sec
tons. Now, you will see that every one
| OF these bills for the donation Of lands for
railroad purpose declares the States are to
take the odd sections within the range
OF six miles on either side, and all the re-
served sections within that limit are TO be
sold at So so per acre. But there is this
remarkable difference between the gov
eminent and the corporations to which
these lands are donated: After these rail-
road companies have been organized, il
they cannot get the quantity OF odd Sec
tiops OF land to which the bill entities them
within six miles on either side OF the road
they may select such deficiency from any
of the public lands lying within fifteen
miles on either side of the road, and vel
not even one ofthe reserved sections out
side of the six. and within the fifteen miles,
Is increased to So so an acre. Do you not
see then, that the operation Is an unfair
one >? When 1t declares to the country that
quantity of land equal to that donated to
the road is doubled III ptice and reserved
BY the government for sale, it is perfectly
manifest that the declaration is not cor
rect.
The next remark | wi sh to make is in
regard 10 the argument relied upon here,
tina: the government being the proprietor
should contribute to the con structions Of
these improvements, as it would be a judi.
cious appropriation oil the public land.-
Why, sir, what would DE the thought OF
that individual who owning FIX hun
dred acres of lald, should, OH being called
upon, contribute more than three hundred
acres Of his tract for the purpose OF getting
railroad to run alongside of what was
left? Yet such is the operation Of Ibis
policy. Tue government being the pro-
prietor, and holding this land in trust for
the benefit OF the States. is TO be made to
contribute 10 the building of these roads
more than one half al its land, within GER
tain limits, running the entire length Of
the roads. Is this such conduct as a man
of ordinary prudence and good sense
would exhibit in regard to the disposition
of his own land Not at all. 1t is not
pretended. No man would dream Of any
such thing. Let lis see how this matter
works. Here is The State OF Iowa, which
| lias four roads, east and west, through the
entire State. distance of three hundred
miles, IN parallel lines. You give to each
one the alternate sections within six miles
ON either side, and, if they cannot get the
requisite land within that distance, they
ale authorized to 60 TO distance OF fifteen
miles, making distance OF thirty miles in
With OF the public lands in Iowa covered
| by that grant to secure the construction OF
those fotir roads.
| Well, now. look at it in another point
of view. Will it be pretended that these
grants of land will not construct the entire
roads, pay the whole cost Of them, aud
leave to the companies which are to be or
ganized by the State Legislature an amour,
with which to make large dividend out
OF the proceeds Of the sales Of the lands at,
ter the work is completed Take, for an
illustration, the Illinois Central Railroad
one OF the first measures Of the Kind pass.
ed by Congress. A charter was granted
By the Legislature Of Illinois to certain in.
dividuals in the States Of New York and
Massachusetts, who were TO take these
lands and construct the road for them
What Las been the result? The work ha.
been commenced aud carried on success
fully, ane the road is now in running or
der. Their fare and lreights for the MontI
of February have increased from $50 900
in the yeai 1855, to 10000 for the month
Of February, 1856, showing AN Increase
more than one hundred per cent from tli
source aiOnt. Hcii idEUS axe now DcI0f
brought into market; they are ADVERTISED
TO the couiitry for sale, and held out t.
purchasers al prices ranging IRON FIVE Il
thirty dollars per acre, as am informed
and this in State, too, where gentleme.
Ia few years ago were complaining thai
their lands were too high at ST. IS per acre
and sa, ing there ought to be graduation
measure passed to reduce the price for ,ht
purpose o: encouraging settlements upon
those identical lands. Now, sir does thi,
mode of dlspasag OF them tend to encour.
age the .e,tlemet of those lands, Are you
passing measures calculated to advance the
interest OF actual settlers when you place
the lands in the hands Of corporations, and
give them unlimited authority aud power
to sell them for nm, price they can set
from five to thirty dollars per acre!
| We'll, it is SAID now, after this Illinois
road has been completed, aud when they
are paying secretary salary Of So, 1000
Ia year, and paying other officers salaries a
a like high rate, when their lands are pre-.
scented IN market, snd when II is proclaim.
ed in their report that the whole improve.
ment can be made, and IA surplus left, from
the sale of the land, that we, in making
this giant, have acted the part OF pru.