The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-14

b. WltherDy, whose cOmlnimNOn expired
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CONGRESSIONAL LAND DONATIONS FOR ELEE
MOSYNARY PURPOSES
A bill has recently passed the House Of Repre-
sentativos providing for appropriation Of lands to
the several States for the endowment of colleges do
voted to agriculture and the mechanic arts The
proposition is, to give 10 each State an amount Of
public lands equivalent to twenty thousand acres for
each senator and representative it has in Congress
under the superintendent Of 1850. Tho lands are
proposed to be apportionod to the States in kind,
and not in tho proceeds received from their sales by
the federal government; that almost every State
in tho Union would probably own a portion Of the
soil of each of the new States
The bill provides that the States receiving the
lands shall hold them in trust for the benefit Of such
borders, and win expend the subsidy in affording
instruction in agrieulture and the mechanic arts
The endowment is to be for instruction alone and no
part Of it is to DO expended in the purchase Of sites
or in the erection Of buildings for colleges.
The grand aggregate Of lands thus proposed to be
turned over to thirty-two owners, is five million nine
hundred and twenty thousand acres Of which New
York the wealthiest State in the Union and the
least needfu of such assistance would receive seven
hundred thousand acres, or eighth Of the whole;
whAe houls'ana' suo"'efsou unasl tns nooos o. inc
M'ssssppl' ana IN more heeoiu' circumstances tnan
new iofk' VIII receive pn1 one nandred ana twenty
'honsanu ACRES Al general "le new ana poor o'ates
would get few lands the old and wealthy States
many. aai 4 - asl
me puphc 'anus wouio, TINS Dii became iaw'
Do no longer IN me hands o. aesingie proprietor,
inc general government Ihey wouid no longer Do
IN the hands OF proprietor, who, although he has
been able TO dictate h's prices, has ever been ~
liberal az ne was opuient; but they would become
the property Of thirty-two Proprletors, who would
be competing sellers IN the land markets OF the
west. ~ Is easy 70 see me disturbance IN prices,
and the chaos IN the market which would result from
sach competition between sellers as TINS bill would
create. ilf g,f
Imagine, TOO, the state OF tnings that would take
place. under shis Dh IN one OF 'ne new 0tates con
tanning large 0ody % iedsrai lands--Aowa' ior
instance or Minnesota or Kansas. Other Statss,
numbering somewhere between one ana tnirty, would
have IN u each IT. iand reserve each 's land ONCE
each ~ ianu rssis'ers' recelvels' surveyors, shu
clerKs eacn its slnah army o. omcla's ana re'aln-
ers. mere wonid % 's''s'"' 7" 'mpf''o WIN soi
seahce' aie CONFUSION % colh'c'ne Pecuiiafy ana
pohucai in'orests astonishing 70 Deho'd. i me
new save ota'es Woa'd nave ifee rse oniclais
teemng witnin their borders, ana the new free
States Uice usrsa We should have the abolitionism
and freesoiism Of Massachusetts, Vermont and
Name struggling IN the political canyasses Of the
new states with the staad democracy OF Pennsyiva-
MA tho earnest State-rghtsism OF Virginia and the
merry alTsasm Of oouth OaroAna. Inc halcyon peace
anu quiet Wncn are supposed 20 result nom leaving
each STATE pefieouy nee snd anmoiested TO the man
sselnen' u us own Sna'rs ia its own way wouid ne
unknown; ana IN every land state OF the West we
shouid nave NOT petty struggle such as we mad 10
Kansas OF ana emigran's with " border rniiians
eaoh party nghtlng Oh Their own NOOK ana at Their
own expense but We should have an organized and
PAID corps Of omcers from each OF the other
states OF tno onion taxing unwarrantaDie part ~
inc iocai pohucs anu an organized warfare between
Pa'uos anu sec''ohs o's'"fp'hg 'he peace OF every
now o'a'o my aisoiaeis 'h'' nave PreVs''o' M
h'''''sS "o''a DO ou' MANI iofcS''"uow'ns %
'hoso we might expect from introducing twenty
OF Hhry sets OF sa'aried paruzans from tne oid
0'ates hto inc pohsicaa coh'eSt' OF 'ho new. i"of