Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-04-01
SPEECH
OF THE
HON. JOHN BELL, OF TENNESSEE,


o0l, TO secure 10 all the States some greater meas.
ure OF justice and equality, in the distribution of
the public lands and their proceeds; which was
read twice by its title
Mr. Bell, of Tennessee wish to submit some
remarks in reference to the proprety of having this
oi printed and brought 10 the consideration of the
Senate, without referring it to any committee. No
subject, in my opinion, before the Senate, can be
considered as Of much greater importance than
think the provisions Of this bill viii be found to be.
The tenor and substance of it may be inferred from
| the title of the BILL which has been read
| ltproposes TO do some measure of justice to
those States Of the Union to which mo- grants of
public land have been made for the reason that there
were no public lands at the disposal of Congress
within those States. / think the time has come
when every gentleman viii see the proprety of do
/ ing something upon this subject. We make large,
liberal and think might say in some cases very
exravagant grants of public lands TO the land States,
| to aid in the construction of railroads with very
little consideration and sometimes with very little
knowledge Of the objects to which these lands are
| appropriated. As an example will mention that
only few days ago. without any serious opposition,
a bill passed this body with the understanding on
my part at least, that the amount appropriated to
these objects in the territory of Minnesota did not
exceed three millions of acres but / have been
since informed upon what consider very reliable
authority, that the minimum quantity granted by
that bill nay probably be estimated at five millions
of acres
The bill that has just passed the Senate in rela-
ton TO the difficulties which have arisen under the
grant of swamp lands to the various land States of
the Union, exhibits, in some degree, will exhibit
when considered in connection with that subject
the propriety and justice of doing something Of
the nature proposed by the bill have now intro
duced. ! understand that the quantity of swamp
lands reported for selection in the different States
under that grant, made some six years ago, amounts
to about forty-two millions of acres thirty millions
of which have already received the approval Of the
| Department. / might state further upon the opn-
ions and representations of those who have exam
ined the subject more carefully than myself that
very large proportion of those selections made I'M
der that grant, have been of lands as valuable as
most of the Mississippi bottom lands or of the other
rivers upon which these swamp lands were supposed
to lie.
wish to call the attention of the Senate to some
three four additional statements with regard to
the quantities of lands granted heretofore to what
are called the land States. There have been dona-
tons to individuals or settlers and for the support
of schools and universities, to the amount of forty
millions FIVE hundred thousand acres and grants for
internal Improvements of various kinds, besides the
| five per centum allowed to the land States OH the
sales of public lands, ten millions of acres; grants
for railroads. twenty millions of acres by the estimate
| which am enabled TO make of these, seventeen
millions of acres within the last four years, prior to
that time three millions twenty-five thousand acres
| making in the whole, twenty millions sixty one
thousand acres to aid the States in which the lands
! lie to construct railroads.
do not propose any measure which can do full
justice to the old States Indeed all that it is in
| power to do, or which it is expedent to do at all
events, is to approximate justice in the enjoyment
of the public domain by all the States of the Union
Notwithstanding the large amounts of grants have
named, and other grants for internal Improvements
reaching to eighty ninety millions of acres, pro-
| pose for these grants return no adequate APP
proxmate grant to the States in which there are no
public lands This bill takes into account simply
the lands granted to railroads and canals taking
| notice making no account of the swamp lands
| granted, no account of any of the Improvements
for which ten million acres were granted at once,
except to canals and the improvement of rivers for
which alternate sections were granted That is the
limitation of the special grants which have been
made to the land States, for which | propose some
adequate corresponding grants to the remaining
States of the Union.
wish further to state that it will be found in the
provisions Of this BILL that change is proposed in
! the policy of this Government in making liberal
grants of public lands to the States in which the
public domain lies for the purpose of aiding in the
construction of railroads and canals | leave that
altogether uuouched-I leave that policy to operate
as heretofore however beneficial it may be to those
States beyond anything enjoyed by the other States
On this ground trust l shall meet with no oppos
ton to this bill from the members of the Senate
representing the States. 1t proposes no limita
ton of that policy except such limitation Con-
gress in its discretion ought to impose under all
circumstances. 1t affords no ground for hostility on
the part of the large proportion of the members Of
the Senate who represent constituencies in the land
States.
| Again, sir, in framing some measure Of Justice
and equality to the other States taking the basis
the quantity Of lands granted to the new States,
do not propose that the actual value OF the lands
| to the new States shall be charged to them, but
simply the minimum price of one dollar and twenty
five cents and upon that basis attempt to do some
small measure of justice to those States which have
received no grants of this description, but falling
very far short of an equal of distribution or proper
ton. propose no grants OF land to any State in
which there are no public lands. This has always
been objected to by the new States upon the ground
that it was unbecoming the dignity of any State
that other States, co-sovereigns, co-members of the
Union should be the propretors or holders of apor
ton Of the public domain within their limits
] concede, if not the entire validity of that obiec
tion yet force enough to it to defeat any measure
proposing such grants. In lieu of them, propose
to pay over TO the States, or to distribute among
public domain in grants for internal improvements
of any kind sufficient amount of the proceeds of
| the sales Of the public lands will make them all
| equal in respect 10 the enjoyment Of that property,
as far as consider expedient and practicable 20
tempt such equality. Upon that principle | assume,
as n maximum beyond which no State of the Union,
not even the largest, the State of New York, shall
receive in money value estimating the lands at one
! dollar and twenty-five cents an acre) an amount
h f;fv Of IapAa cd
any one State or Territory. Then l regulate or
adjust the claims Of the other States in the ratio of
their respective representations in the two Houses
of Congress; so that when the provisions OF the bill
come 10 be looked into and be understood il viii be
found to fall very Car short of equal Justice. 1t only
provides for distribution OF such portion of the
proceeds Of the sales Of public lands as shall come
up TO that maximum proposed TO be granted to the
largest State in the Union, and allow no State to
receive any greater amount With regard to the
particular States which have been most favored by
The appropriations of public lands, viz: Iowa, Hi
nois and Michigan, we have power to reduce
them 10 that standard Of justice which propose
for the other States. The grants have been made
10 Them
The President pro tempore. The Chair must in
form the Senator from Tennessee that the hour OF
twelve o'clock has arrived, the time fixed for the
consideration OF che special order and it is the duty
of the Chair TO call il up. The special order for
twelve O'Clock is the bill or. r. No 1922 to in
crease the pay of the officers Of the Army
Me-. Bel, Of Tennessee. ] ask that my bill may
be postponed until tomorrow morning.
The motion was agreed TO.
February %.
The President pro tanpore. The Senator from
Tennessee moves to take up the bill introduced by
him Is. No. 60il I'd secure to all the States some
greater measure OF justice and equality in the dis
trbulion Of the public lands and their proceeds.
The motion was agreed to; and the Senate pro-
ceeded. as in Committee OF the Whole, 10 consider
the BILL
Mr.. Dell, of Tennessee Mr.. Presidents in the
course Of NV remarks yesterday made the stale
,t IN rcfa-anee 10 the estimated quantity of land