Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-18

Of dollars during that war much Of which she still
ewes, her public lands are pledged, nortgageds to
! those to whom the money Is due, ana the money
arising from the sale Of the public lands should first
/ be honestly applied to the payment OF that debt
! But il is commended that the public lands we're
eededto the general government By particular States
for the common and equal benefit Of all the States.
True, at the close Of the Revolutionary war, few
of the States claimed all the Wild, waste, wilderness
land within the acknowledged limits Of the United
States. These particular States thus claiming these
| lands under charters from the crown Of England,
ceded all right and title which they respectively held
to such lands to the United States, for the common
aud equal benefit af ell the States Their indepen.
dem and right these lands having been establish
ed by the united efforts Of the people Of all the States
as well as those who set up claims to these lands
! as those who did claim them. Virginia coded more
perhaps than all the other STATES together. But
Virginia ceded foot Of land to the United
States within her present retained limits, did
any other State, but each and every one of the old
States retained all the aud within their respective
borders and disposed ofthem in such manner as they
severally thought best. What did this cession by
the States to the United States amount to 1t was
| simply transfer or assignment by the States of
their right, TO purchase the Indians right of to
the ands For at the time of the cessions the Indians
owned and we're in possession of most if not all Of
these lands, and from that day to this the United
States have been buying from the various Indian
tribes their right to the use ofthe lands Should an
| account correct De taken anu staleQ DetWeen the
United States and the public lands it will be seen
that for the acquisition Of territory, the e1nguish
| ment of Indian titles and the various expenses in
Cured in the management of the public lands that
largely two hundred millions Of dollars has been
| expended and only about one hundred and sixty
four million of dollars received from the sales of the
public lands, and establishing beyond controversy
the fact that the public lands, are now justly in
/ debted to the treasury, the taxes in o sum more
| than ifty millions of dollars. Now | submit the
plain question, if Congress has no right or power to
celeet taxes for the purpose of disribution-what
right, what power can that Congress have to collect
the taxes, and with those taxes buy lands sell
| the Ian As and distribute or give away the money
| received for such lands
| The gross amount received from sales Of public
| lands does not average annually exceeding three
millions of dollars, the average annual receipts is
| below this know that in 1886 and few years
since that period, the receipts largely over three
| million of dollars, but two or three years in the
history of the land system of the United States are
| exceptions to the general average receipts from
| sales Ofpublic lands.
In the Fiscal year ending June Both, 1885, the ex-
penditures through the Indian Department were 81
6766o2, 10 and similar expenditures for the year
ending June S0th, 1856, were S., 593 4S3 49, being
| an average of over two and half million of dol
| lars year. The greater part of which is paid to
the various Indian tribes under treaty stipulations
for lands coded to the United States, and the whole
of it is justly chargable to the public land account
| and should, upon every principle Of justice to the
great mass of tax paying people of the country be
| reimbursed to the treasury.
If the United States is getting too much money as
| think they are, reduce the taxes. Ii the States
not getting enough let them increase the taxes
Above all things keep the business of the United
States, and Of the States separate and distinct
| Each having their appropriate duties and powers
| assigned them. Let neither infringe upon the
powers rights of the other. Never let the States
feel the least dependence upon the general govern
ment and keep the general government independent
OF the States, but not of the people of the States
In this way will best be preserved the beauty and
| harmonious workings of this complex and original
| form of government of ours. Many dread disunion,
but the greater danger to be apprehended is from
| consolidation. The liberties of the whole can be
| best prAerved and longer perpeuated, by preserv-
ing intact and in the right place every part of the
machinery Of our government, if rightly admins
tered 1t will not only promote but insure the well
fare, happiness and prosperity of those for whose
| benefit aud protection it was established.
The advocates of general distribution to rely
! with confidence upon the fact that Congress has
given the right of way through the public lands and
also alternate sections Of the public lands to most
of the States along the line of proposed railroads
TO aid in the construction of the same, conclusive
of the power to distribute the land their proceeds
| For one have uniformly opposed al such grants.
| They not only wrong in themselves, but is
species of class legislation calculated if intended
to confer exclusive privileges upon favored few
the expense of the many. 1t is true that by act of
| Congress, every alternate section of public land
within SIX miles of the proposed railroad is given
to the State which it is located aid in its con-
struCton and the same influence which passed such
bills through Congress- insure the passage of bills
through the State legislatures giving the lands to
| the incorporated company TO construct the road.
So the gift of Congress proves in the end to be gift
| to the company. But who responsible for this
kind of legislation? Certainly not the Democratic
party. True Democrats have voted for such bills
| But believe that majority of the Democrats have
always voted against such grants. While those who
| charge upon the Democrats, the voting for these
bills nave voted almost if not entirely uniformly for
| them.
But again. what is the practical effect of4hIs sys-
| tenn of G. antiDg alternate sections Of the public
lands to the States to aid the construction VI
railroads! Does the United States in fact give the
lands to the new States! l think not. The min
imum price Of the public lands is dollar and
tweny-fv cents per acre. but an act is passed by
which one half OF the public lands for trip twelve
miles wide is granted to the State to build rail-
road. If the United States would then sell the
other half the reserved sections dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre then it would be a gift
from the United States, for the purpose of aiding
the construction of the railroad. But instead of
that the act which donates one half of the land
for the construction of the railroad, doubles the
price of the remaining half reserved sections so
as to the United States from loss in consequence
Of its pretended Hberality. And the settler who
wants one of these reserved sections as home and
for cultivation must pay two dollars and fifty cents
per acre instead of one dollar and twenty-five CENTS
the government price for the public lands before the
discovery Of this new device of taxing an honest
cuivator of the soil, through the public lands by
making him pay Cor his own section of land and
also for the adjoining sections granted to the rich
corporators to build the railroad All wrong. Sell
your public lands at the lowest possible price, and
when the settlers buy them if they think their in
terests will be promoted and the value of their lands
doubled, they will build the railroad, and have the
land and each his proportion of the railroad stock
also. Under the present system of granting alter
nate sections the settlers who buy the reserved
ton, pay for all the lands as well as those given TO
the railroad company and those they cult
vate The settler pays double price for his land
which saves the United States from loss and The rail-
road men make the road and all the lands granted
them over and above what is taken to build the road
clear. And yet the Know Nothing leaders in Con.
gress vote for these grants John Bell voted for the
Minnesota land bill at the last session of Congress
have written the foregoing without correcting or
copying. If there any facts arguments in it
which you can appropriate make available, l
shall be more than compensated for writing it.
Yours respectfully,
--a And truly,
G. W. JONES.