Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-06-09

81 ~
S. REmARKs 81 m. REID. q
q ssosslH G. sol,aA ss s,s
h tie s.assef Ne Timed a'sstatss Hay 1e6e.
on ths 0nstsaa Bah
Nj. REID. Il do mol dcsite 10 discuss. this subject
atisngs sbHt, sr. il does seem TO me that the pro
position of this bill our country to the least
Of IL isA INDUSTRIOUS one What is the Proposuonf
ii is to give one hundred and sixty acres 0i Pu0c
then for The term Of Ave years whether be pc rich
or poor The argument, then, = not 70 give = atene
- fha ss.dv hut che wealthieet mAn IN the country
NAV ays iinselfsof this bill, and obtlin one hon-
dered and sixty acres Of public land e Y MAIN
tained that by giving the alternate seclsoes
Won advances the value of those remaining to the
Governmeit, and that thereby the Federal Treasury
loses nothing How stands the factf This bill
does NOT raise the price Of the remaining quarter
sections; but they viii remain to be entered and
sold according to the present price, and thus the
Government must lose one half the land, at least
Mark you, sir; the provisions Of this BILL as un.
derstand it. not limited to any particular period
of time It has relation to all time to come When
those who have no land now shall 60 and avail them.
selves Of it, their children may do so too. Neither
do the provisions Of this bill conne the selections
to alternate quarter sections; for it says that shall
be done :" as far as practicable" When the alter
nate quarter sections are all taken up, it will be-
come impractcable, and consequently the remain.
ing sections will be takec. That is the fact will
be seen by reading the bill So it will, in effect be
the giving away of the entire public domain.
The argument of some Senator's seems to be that
the public lands possess no value. maintain that
anything has value which it will bring in the mar
ket. If the public lands are worth nothing, it is
bad policy in this Government to be expending hun.
dreds of millions of dollars in their acquisition and in
the survey and other expenses which attend the land
system tits true the public lands have not command
"a a high price and wherefore? For the reason
that this Government has always forced into market
more lands than the demands of the country requir
Ell. We are growing country; let us not dispose
# the public land too rapidly. am in favor OF q
liberal system in regard to the pioneers who 60 into
she new territories, and think the Government has
beer liberal towards the settler. think the Gov
ernnent should be liberal But the public lands
have been acquired by the treasure of the whole
country and here is the Senator from Tennessee,
who offers to make this appropriation. It is ap
preparation of land it is true but that land is worth
money. do not know Of any peace measure on
the face of the earth which my friend from Tenn
essee would vote for that appropriated similar
amount of the public money and this is not an
equal distribution, but partial one giving to per-
sons who desire to avail themselves of particular
opportunities that may be offered them by the Gov
eminent.
= am willing that the young men or the old men
from the older States Of the Union may emigrate
to the West, or anywhere else where they think
they can better their fortunes but it is not justice
to the old States Of this Union to hold out induce
ments, brides, to -entice their population to the
newer ones They possess sufficient advantages al
ready; they have the most fertile lands upon the
face Of the EARTH that may be bought for 81 Is an
acre. These are great inducements giving those
States decided advantages the older ones Here
you propose to give land to every who will set
tie in the new States. say it is not only to give
it to those persons who may now avail themselves
- u, 81: - & III a.. - L.,
the effect!
If it is desired, in this country, that the Federal
Government should provide tract of public land
for every man, you must go further and introduce
the feudal system, because he may not occupy it
after he has once acquired it After you have pro-
vided him home, the tendency of things will be
that you must perpetuate it to him and his success
sors they might still be without tract of land.
The tendency of things in this Government is too
much to look to this capital the CENTER the Federal
Government. tits swallowing up too much. We SEGA
thirst Tor Office and for claims upon the Federal Gov
erBment men desire to live and feed upon this gov
ernment and that tendency is increasing every day.
II you take millions and give them to the people of
the country in an unjust and unequal distribution Of
what belongs to the whole, giving to only part do
yon notincreaset this? 1.-THE public lands have val
ne, then they of no use to those who may avail
themselves ofthis act lftbey have value, then what
You give them is gratuity, voted from the Federal
Constitution never contemplated that the federal gov
eminent should furnish homes for the people of the
States of this Union Neither does it bring it with
in the purvew of the Constitution to change it from
lands to money, because the lands have been &C.
quired by money, and have money value.
Mr. President, think this bill ought not to pass.
In the whole history of my experience here do not
think j have ever seen measure of more dan
gerous tendency to the country than this: II you
vote homes to those who desire then now, you must
continue it long as the Government lasts If you
give my neghbor home, If he desires it, perhaps
shall come up and ask for one when desire it, or
say that you have treated unjustly Let the sys-
TEN that has been pursued in regard to the public
lands be confinued-not exactly the system for
think the old States have lost good deal under it;
Int under the system now proposed they are to
lose it all. have heretofore voted with much pleas
o-e to give public lands to those who have taken
up arms in defense of their country. I would do so
again BY keeping the surplus domain which is not
needed, you have an inducement for men, when the
rights OF their country involved and it is necessa-
r. or them to take up arms to fight for the cause of
their country. The Government has expended money
on these lands Let US dispose of them according
to the wants of the Republic, and keep the remain
der for the increase Of our population from time to
time.
MEssRs. McRAE AND VENABLE.-The uranswera-
bic arguments Of Calhoun against the constitution
atty OF distribution are upon record. The rea.
sons which baff1ed the massive logic of Webster,
and the impetuous defamation of CLAY, will surely
bear the attacks Of Messrs. McRae and Venable-
These gentlemen may be great men among lawyers,
but their warmeet admirers must admit, that thew
are only lawyers among statesmen like Calhoun,
Macon. Weldon Edwards and Ruffin Their opin.
ions are entitled to respect in the case Of John Doe
ce'su: Richard Roe, but are Of little value upon a
constitutional question embracing, not only the