Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-05-22

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1t is also important in securing 10
those citizens OF Virginia, and J other
States who may think propertopurchase.
but do not 6nd .it convenient TO reside in
the new States. humanity from unjust
and unequal taxation.
SWAMI LANDS.
In almost every State or Territory Of
the United States. where the government
holds public lands, and more particularly
In the southern States Of Louisiana, Ar.
kansas. Missouri. and Florida, are found
large parcels of it oyerfowed by water.
These lands are entirely unfit for cultiya.
ton. indeed not susceptible of being sur
veyed. and serve but TO infect the States
IN which they are situated with disease,
not confined to the lands themselves, bot
spreading far and wide in the adjacent
country, and depreciating the domain be.
lenging to Che government within the
miasma arising from them. The existence
OF such nuisance in the States was for
many years subject of foul complaint.
Congress at length yielded to these Just
complaints, and by act of the 9Sth Of
September. 1850, granted.to the States in.
which they were located "the whole Of
those swamp and oyerfowed lands made
unfit thereby for cultivation" =
provided. that the proceeds Of said
lands, whether from sale or by direct
appropriation in kind, shall be applied
exclusively. as far as necessary. TO the
purpose of reclaiming said lands" The
States would, doubtless. have much pre-
terred that the general government had
retained the lands and undertaken itself
the work Of drainage. But in the absence
OF any such improbable action by the ie>
deral government, il was not TO be endu.
red that these lands should remain in their
then condition-unft for sale-d estruc.
tive Of the value of the adjacent public
domain and source Of disease and death
TO The inhabitants Of the States. So man.
itest seemed the propriety Of this measure,
granting the "swamp lands" to the
States for that purpose. that the bill pass.
ed the Senate without dissenting voice,
whilst in the House it passed by vote
OF 100 yeas. to 53 nays; but eight south.
ern men. and amongst them but one
member. from Virginia. against is.
RAILROAD GRANTS.
The policy and results Of these grants
by Congress have been so clearly exhibi.
ted in the annual report Of the Secretary
of the Interior Of December s. 1853. that
it will only be necessary 10 take from it
the following extract:
Z" In the Territories and new States
where many of the public lands remain
for long period unsold. liberal grants
should be made for those great hig ways.
which to certain extent may be consid.
cred local in their character. though ge.
neral in their influence. and not conflict.
ing with the interests OF the old States.-'
In this way. without any expenditure OF
money. the general government can
greatly increase the value OF the public
domain. 1t has never made such do
nation without being fully repaid. The
principle of granting alternate sections
and selling those reserved at double the
ordinary price. has been found by expert.
ence to be most salutary. By reason OF
the improvements made with such grants
large tracts of land that had long lain
waste have been brought into market and
found ready sale; the surrounding
country has been peopled the revenue
has been augmented by the increased
consumption Of foreign merchandise and
the State in which the improyemen
have been thus made. and not unfrequent.
ly the adjacent States. have been largely
benefited. Without these donations and
consequent improvements some Of the
finest portions Of the new States would
have continued wilderness lands tha.
had been for 6fteeu or twenty years
in the market might have remained as
much longer unsold, and thus the pros
perity and advancement Of the whole
country greatly retarded. The loss to
the government would have been serious
without any corresponding benefit. The
true policy is to bring the lands into mar
ket, by all legitimate means and dispose OF
them as speedily as possible justice to
those who have been induced to settle in
the new States and Territories and the in.
terest Of the government alike demand it.
The strong political and economical con.
siderations, therefore. dictate this course
On the Goth Of September. 1850. a
grant of lands was made to the States Of
Illinois. Mississippi. and Alabama. to aid
in the construction of the great central
railroad from Chicago to Mobile. To af-
ford these States an opportunity of MAJ
king their selections the lands along the
supposed routes Of the road were Tor
short period Withdrawn from market.
most of them being Of little value to the
States in which they were. or TO the gen.
eral government, until the grants we're
made and it was sscertained the road
would be constructed /; but then they