The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-02-21
The GEOLOGICAL SURvEY-It will be seer

Canada, etc.
THE GEcioelcAL SURvEY.-It will be seen
by our Legislative reports that the bill Tor
q geological State examination has been de-
feated in the House by vote OF two to one
The silent vote on the subject, is reproach
to the State; but the debate was dlscredit
to the communion newspaper inteilgence
that is imbibcd by every class oil the people at
the present day. An assmblage of citizens
called promiscously at Haubstadt from the
woods around it, would have exhibited more
knowledge and higher views OF the importance
ofthe matter The expenditure Of $4,000 for so
unnecessary an object, was the chief objection.
One member knew where coal cropped out in
his county, and he could point to it himself.
and he did not think it worth while to pay for
knowledge that every man had or could have,
by using his eyes. Another knew where
mari was to be found; another said the iron
ore lay scattered all over the ground, on the
hills, and could be seen by any one. And
another thought farming the basis of all
wealth and prosperity, and till the land was all
taken up and tilled,we didn't want mining and
manufactures. They would come fast enough,
if not too fast, Of themselves. Another laid it
down as an axiom of all history that ne
tions that relied on mineral resources,
fourished greatly for a period--by the
spirit of ayarice they engendered, = and
then fell back into premature decay; and
then very confidently and learnedly re
ferred tG the nations Of South America,
as proof conclusive to the point. And anoth-
er said the period had not arrived for the peo-
pie to turn their attention to making iron and
digging coal; everybody that had touched
the iron business, had failed; We were in a
wooden country and didn't yet want coal;
that it was best first TO use up the wood, and
save the coal; that we hadn't labor to spare;
for the farmers could hardly get hands
enough now to gather in their harvests; and
that farming would have TO be stopt, if We
went to digging minerals. The State was
deeply in debt, and it would be better to
wait till we had paid our debts, before we en-
ployed "geologiaaS" to ''geologize" the State
Mr.. Edison, of Posey, made very sensible and
excellent defence Of the bill, and endeavored to
impress upon the House the Importance and
value Of the labors of the geologist; but his ef-
fort SO creditable to himself was thought to
have been unfortunate for the measure; as it
was taken by those whomit was intended to
convince, as "learned CANNON, "too aerial inits
range for practical, matter-of-fact men, who
dealt only with substantial things, and had
eyes Of their own and could see as well as 9TH
er folks. Many Of these speeches were the
short comings Of ignorance and prejudice
others were the sheer humbug Of demagogu-
ism, which now rules the day, in both parties
at the capital; AMI are designed as electioncer-
ing arguments in some future canvass, to con-
vince the people what strenuous advocates foI
rigid economy their party were.
None Of these men appeared to be aware
that private geological surveys are now being
made of the most important mineral districts
of the State. for individual speculation. AL
the knowledge gained by these examinations
will be carefully concealed from the public
till the possessors Of it, have gained a title tc
the lands that cover the most valuable and
accessible mineral deposits. Some of these
Representatives who have refused $1,000 OF
$4,000 to be paid out Of the State treasury
to obtain knowledge of what lies buried be-
meath the earth, and to disseminate the in
formation among the people, that all may
yond the furrow of the plow, will find thai
many OF their constituents will have igno
rantly parted with property Of immense value
for q mere song, and lost more individually
than ten times the whole cost Of the survey
to the State; and .hey will have cause tC
curse the parsimony and ignorance OF their
incompetent Representatives, till they hide
their heads in the obscurity from which their
ridiculous vanity and presumption have drawn
them. II the State do not make the survey
private foreign spectators will have perfec,
geological maps Of every valuable minera
district; and our own people will transfer
fortunes Tor very inadequate Considerations
from ignorance OF the real value of theil
possessions There are persons now among
us, silently and privately exploring our strata
mapping and classifying them, with view tic
operate;" and to whose profit will the 'ope
ration" probably be? We see negotiation.
are going on in Cincinnati for the purchase o
. tract Of land in Martin county for $4,000
which was sold by its original owner two
years ago for $4,000 or $4,000 The propr
etor Of this land had better have paid for tht
State survey, than to have been ignorant O
the contents of his own property. How
much has been added to the value of our city
property, by the geological knowledge thai
led one Of our citizens to penetrate the earth
$50 feet for coal, when there were no sign.
Of il on the surface?