Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-02-25

| WHICH arc OueTcu 10 Juc eIIllgrduI dJ Ten SILL
lings an acre; dispossess our State of these
"oblivious pools which are the bane and
terror of the tide Of emigration; and, instead
of turning the tide away from the unoccupied
regions of our State, to settle away in the dis
tant west, let our legislation foster policy
that will open our boundaries and enrich oul
own soil. Senators have fixed the minimum OF
these lands at IS aP acre-and 10! the idea
has started its fruitful offspring of millions for
the public treasury, and one by one, they are
twirled in this maestrom of fictitious wealth,
and become the dupes of their own delirium.
1t was but few evenings since we were
assembled in the hall below, listening to an
exposition of the true object of education, and
that was the ample Development Of the
physical as well as the mental organism Of
man. claim, sir, that the salubrity of our
climate, the health and physical develope-
ment of our people are the pre-eminent con-
sideratons which should engross the atten-
ton of Senators. Give us the basis of
health, the great foundation of public
wealth, then will the superstructures Of the
State rear their benifcent proportions and
shed their salutary influence through all the
the ramifcations of our State economy
With due Difference to the opinions of Sen
arors l mnst dissent, and speak the mind
of the minority here with whom l am in
sympathy, when I deprecate the sacrifcial
policy which the majority would now erect in
their disposition of these questionable lands.
1t may be thought that the public mind will
be satisfied with such disposition by gliding
over the measure with the plausible salvo of
an enlargement of the primary school funds.
But the people, sir, will hurl back the as
sumption with the rejonder, Give us the
reclamation of useless lands and thereby Gre
ate for us rich domain which will in its re-
tlex and taxable return bring more wealth
and good name than violation of the good
faith of the State" Yes, ornament this bill
as youmay with tinsels of pecuniary offerings,
to mislead the people at large and they will
assuredly re-echo the exclamation of Talley-
rand, who upon the solitude of queen of
fashion for his admiration of her equivocal
dress scathed her wirh the invective, that " 1t
commenced too late and ended too soon."-
Senators may tell the people of the provision
of rs ~ cent of the fund for the education
Of their children and they will answer, you
" commenced too late," and to the PROPOSE
ton of 90 dP cent for the drainage of the
lands they will retort, you have "ended too
soon."
The power to control this matter is lodged
with those who now refuse to award, with a
just magnanimity of that, which we may
now be deprived of the enjoyment, but for
which we will never cease to importune. 1t
is the province of each Senator to entertain
what peculiar view he pleases upon this sub
ject, but it is not his right to interpose his
own defnitve action to the exclusion of the
veal of his constituency. Whatever course
may be taken Oh the final disposition of this
subject can assure this Senate that rights
denied now, will yet be vindicated by nu-
mercal power, which trust will not long de-
lay their hearing upon the floor which l now
have the honor, in part, to occupy. What
we are unable to obtain, the Northern people
will yet demand; and the act about to be
committed will cousign its perpetrators to an
oblivion which the sound of the Arch Angel,
to which the Hon. Senator of the 26th (Con-
ger) so eloquently alluded, will fail to reani-
mate. Yea, the avalanche Of public opinion
will bury this act to such depths, that the
wand of the Arch Enemy, taken from Nor
wegian Hills" will be invoked in vain to ex-
hume its coadjutors from their inglorious
grave.
The HERMITAGE TO BECOME THE PROPER
TY OF THE GovERNMENT.-The legislature Of