Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-09

BELL, ZOLLIC0FFER AND THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The opposition party in Tennessee, in all their
maneuvers to acquire power, have never made
themselves more ridiculous upon any question than
the subject of the public lands
Mr.. Bell by his own admissions, without the trou-
BILE of referring his record is shown to have been
of the originators and earliest friends of the
cOrrupting and profigate policy of donating the
public lands to the new States for internal improve
ment purposes. And yet this policy is now most
violently assaied by his friends and urged as the
chief argument in favor of distribution Lest some
may forget them we desire to call the attention of
the public to the following facts which response
BILE paper or speaker in the State will deny:
LIST. That the heavy appropriation to the Illinois
Central Railroad was the starting point-the enter
ing wedge-the nest egg-of all these grants of
public lands. That this bill was strongly advocated
and voted for by Mr.. Bell who opposed, at the same
time, and voted against proposition to revive and
re-enact Mr.. Clay's distribution measure of IS41.
ID That Mr.. Bell declared in his speech upon the
introduction of his distribution bill last winter that
he had 'favored this policy heretofore for reasons
connected with the public interests, and do not pro-
pose t. interfere with 1t in bringing forward this
bill" 81 leave that policy" said Mr. Bell, to ops-
rate AS HERETOFORE, however beneficial it may be
to those States beyond any thing enjoyed by the
older States"
Sd. That upon all the various land bills that have
been from time to time introduced, majority of
the Democratic members have voted against them,
with but two exceptions; whilst the majority of the
opposition have voted for them.
4th That upon all these bills, except two, every
Democratic member of the Tennessee Delegation
voted against them, except F. P. Stanton, whilst
in nearly every instance the opposition members
from this State voted for them.
9th That upon the bill donating lands to Florida
and Alabama, which passed the House May IA,
1856, Gen. ZOlliccter failed to VOte.
9th That upon the Alabama bill which passed
June 8, 1856, Gen. ZoIIiccfer did not cote.
9TH That upon the Mississippi Alabama and
Louisiana bill, which passed the House August 6,
1856, Gen. ZoLlicc6er did not Uots.
Sth. That upon the Louisiana bill, which passed
the House May %, 1856, Gen. ZOIliecfsr did not
Uots.
9th. That upon the bill granting lands to Wis
consin, which passed the House May q, 1856, Gen.
ZoIlicofer did not vote.
These grants upon which Gen. ZollioOfer failed
TO vote, embraced some fourteen millions of acres of
the public lands, which the Know Nothings say
have been so recklessly squandered For all of
them, as far as the journal shows, Mr.. Bell voted
and gave the weight of his influence. And this
policy he says he does not propose to change, but
sayed in his speech on the introduction of his dis
tribution bill:
I" repeat that this bill does not interfere nth or
initiate against the liberal policy heretofore pursued By
Congress, in making donations or grants of public
lands for the construction Of railroads in the nsV
States"
With such facts let the people determine what
respect Mr.. Bell and his party are entitled to in
what they now preaching up about the injustice
that has been done to the old States.