Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-20
President Fillmore, in his message of 1885,

President fillmore, In his message OF looU,
says;
:" Agriculture may justly be regarded as the
great interest of our people. Four-fifths OF
our active population are employed in the cul-
tivation Of the soil and the expansion Of our
settlemeEss over new territory is daily adding
to the humber engaged in that vocation. JUS
tice and sound policy, therefore alike require
that the Government should use all the means
authorized by tbs Constitution to promote the
interests and welfare Of that important class OF
our fellow-citizens And yet it is singular
fact that, whilst the manufacturing and com
mercial interests have engaged the attention. of
Congress during a large portion of every ses-
sion, and eur statutes abound in provisions for
their protection and encouragement, little has
yet been done directly for the advancement of
agriculture; 1t is time that this reproach to
our legislation should be removed and sin
cerely hope that the present Congress will not
close their labors without adopting efficient
means to supply the omission of those who have
preceded -
The constitutionality of measure does not
depend upon the amount, but upon the princi-
pie involved. The citations made show that
there is great preponderance, almost uninter
rupted from the foundation of the Government,
of executive legislative, and judicial, to prove
that the power of Congress to dispose of the
public lands at its discretion in PLAIN, absolute
and unlimited. The derivative title to a moiety
of the lands imposes condition upon the dis
posal of that portion so derived-a condition
itself persuasively urging our present object
which is" for the use and common benefit OF
all the States
IL Ine hoo, N oao,laotp1 fal1
of Legislation, it does not now call for the exer-
else Of novel constitutional power. Congress
has long asserted the right to dispose OF the
public lan sEs establish school funds and uni uni
n nsEs y sueba policy s SUI n
extension ofxhc same principle over a wider
feld-wider in its applications, but not wider
in its amount, for the number of acres now pro-
posed for all the States is scarcely larger than
have been denoted to individual States. 1t is
general and not local in its reach. If we have
the power to make special grants, in particular
and individual cases, we certainly have the pow
er, and it would be far more just and expedient
to exercise it, in its general application. Pass
this measure and we shall have done
Something to enable the farmer to raise two
blades of grass instead of one;
Something for every owner OF land:
Something for all who desire to own land ;
| Something for cheap scientific education
| Something for every man who loves intelli-
gence and not ignorance;
| Something to induce the farmers sons and
daughters to settle and cluster around the old
homesteads
Something to remove the last vestige of pau
perism from our land;
| Something for peace, good order, and the bet
ter support of Christian churches and common
schools;
Something to enable sterile railroads to pay
dividends =,
Somethingyso enable the people to bear the
enormous expenditures of the national Govern
ment;
Something to check the passion of individu-
ais and of the nation, for indefinite territorial
expansion and ultimate decrepitude;
Something to prevent the dispersion of our
population, and to concentrate it around the
best lands of our contingencies hallowed by
church spires, and mellowed by all the influences
of time-where the consumer will be placed at
the door of the producer and thereby
Something to obtain higher prices for all sorts
of agricultural productions and
Something to increase the loneliness Of the
American landscape. Scientific culture is the
sure precursor of order and beauty. Our es-
thetic Diedrich Knickerbockers, who have no
land, will have q fairer opportunity to become
great admirers of land that belongs to others.
Many of our wisest statesmen have denounced
our general land system as prolific source OF
corruption; but what corruption can flow from
endowing agricultural colleges? Here is neither
and benifcenSe Without meaning to express
my opinion for or against the homestead policy,
ask, in all candor, what man is there in the
whole length and breadth of our country, who
would not prefer, if he could have his choice,
such an education as might be obtained at one
of these colleges to a warrant for one hundred
and sixty acres OF land?
The persuasive arguments of precedents; the
example of our worthiest rivals in Europe; the
regeneration of WORKOUT lands, which bring
forth taxes only; the petitions of farmers eve
rywhere, yearning for g more excellent way"
philanthropy, supported by our own higher in
terests-all these considerations impel us fol-
once to do something for agriculture worthy Of
its national importance.
By the recent statement of the Land Office,
we have ,088, 792, 498 acres of land to dispose
of; and when this bill shall have passed, there
will then remain about one thousand and
eighty-three acres. We shall still be the larg-
est landholders in the world, while confessedly
we are not the, best farmers. Let it never be
said we are g the greatest and meanest of man.
kind"
now submit my substitute, and move that
the bill be recqmmitted to the Committee on
Public Lands and upon that motion l demand
the previous question.