The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-10

VT. OANANAuGH. MI. SDulTHidU, through
the kindness Of my colleague, who has
yielded portion of his time to me, | will
detain the committee short time in the
discussion Of the bill TO which my colleague
has alluded. |, sir know something about
the presumption system 10 the West. | have
seen it in all its phases and forms. Sir, the
West has grown up in wondrous manner
1t has grown up, as it were, by magic. Take
my own State for an example if you please
for the last nine years. Why, sir, nine years
ago the census OF that State, then Terri
tory, was taken, and its population amounted
to four thousand and some odd hundreds.
Now, it Is sovereign State OF this Union,
numbering over two hundred thousand free,
intelligent and independent people--people
who have gone there from the north, from
the south, from the east, and from the west,
carrying with them the institutions Of the
several States from which they emigrated;
carrying with them, the Bible, the rifle, the
axe, the sehool.house, and the church, carry
ing with them, also, the appliances Of civili-
zation. And We have gathered up and
plucked from the broad praires of the far
northwest, an independent and sovereign
State-the youngest born, admit, Of this
ConIederacy, but which is, we can say, in
the language OF our State motto, l. Eio,ie
du Nord-"the Star of the North" From
struggling Territory, We have formed
great State, adding another jewel to the
already splendid crown that gilds this west
ern hemisphere. How has it been done I?
By your spectators; or by your actual set
tiers? Certainly not by the gentlemen who
fight the bulls and bears on Wall street; not
by the gentlemen who sell goods on India
wharf in Boston; not by the individuals who
deal in cotton on the levee in New Orleans;
but by the brawny and strong arms Of the la
boring men who have gone there and rescued
that Territory and its broad acres from wild,
but luxuriant growth. and brought them
into cultivation; who have made those fer.
tile praires OF ours bud and blossom like
rose, and our vast valleys vocal with the
hum of the industry Of an honest yeomanry.
| am. sir, on this question oil the public
lands, perhaps intensely radical | make no
speeches Tor Duncombe, on this or any other
question. belong to the people. have
sprung from them, and am here as their
Representative. ! have no Interior views
to subserve. speak the honest sentiments
OF my constituents, and | speak the honest
sentiments oil my heart, when say that these
public lands OF ours belong to the people
only, and to the men who will cultivate
them
My colleague has alluded to the land sys-
TEN IN our own State. lie has alluded TO
the county OF Mower, lying directly west OF
the one IN which reside | have Travelled
over that county from north to south. from
east to west know every quarter section
and every forty acres within the limits Of
that county: yet, sir, can ride for twenty
miles there, and not see a house or habi,a
ton. The lands are all entered and enter.
I'd by whom Has the Government OF the
United States, has the public treasury OF
this Union received ts 81 % per acre for
these lands Sir. the land warrant dealers
OF New l ork, Boston. and other cities.
have p'ssteged that fair county OF ours over
with land warrants. and land warrants own.
ed By non-residents
10 the able aud homes, report OF your con
seicnlious Commissioner OF tue General
Land Office, | tind the following figures:
'S3t g"iiIg NHC u>Na l'aI tbuIUg uue 80,
1853. there were received for sales o, pub-
lie lands, in cash, 81 !,34l92 20; located
With military bounty land warrants. five
million eight huBdTei and two ,housaDa
one hundred aud fifty acres. Now. sir
ask any gentleman upon the floor Of MI,
House, where IA the Accession 10 the reve-
nue OF the country from the sales Of the pnb-
iIe lands: i, the present tariff is no, sutTi-
Gent 10 Meet The expenditures OF the Gov.
ernneu', say, increase il in statesman.
IKE manuer TO meet the exgencies which
may arse. Tax your importations of for
elgn goods, Il necessary ba, DO not tax the
man whose strong arms have cut down you-
l1rests, cultivated sour feds, and added the
great States Of the West TO this Confeie,..
cy. 10 not tax him m raising the revenues
OF the Government BY whor are nsv
STATES ioaadld, Is i by ,te cen,E,msn
who roll 10 their splendid Carriages down
thus Pennsy wanna Avenue OF our A-e
Dew States and lerritoues ,.smed nv
your gentemen IN New York vho
dwell IN browa.ston<froDt palaces in
A