St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-03-03
publit EauOs.
EXTRACTS FROM THE
SPEECH OF HON. TIMOTHY DAVIS,

In tie H2nse Of Representatives, fs6. ,, 1859
Mn. CHNRMAS have not intended
to inflct upon the committee any
lengthy observations ut this time. |
have had desire to express my opln-
ions respecting some matters which l
deem Of ractical public interest, and
nv remarks will mainly be confined
to the matter Of the disposition of the
public lands. fully concur in the
sentiment so well expressed this eve
ming by the gentleman from Georgia,
Mr.. Wright, in regard to that mat
ter in regard to the value of the peo-
pie who settle upon the public do
main: and in respect to the tendency
of the policy of giving to each indi-
vidual frcchold--a place upon this
broad earth which he may call his
own be it ever so small, which he re-
cards so beneficial in its effects. At
the last session Of this Congress | had
| the honor to submit memorial Of the
Legislature of the State of Iowa, ask
ing that the sales of the public lands
should be restricted to actual settlers,
in limited quantities and feel it q
duty incumbent upon me to say some
thing, as have the opportunity, in
appreciation and in support Of the
views of the Legislature Of my State.
Our land system, as one which,
originating without experience, as
one that was entered upon without
the benefit u that wisdom which
arises from the ordinary course of
events, was admirably calculated, and
it has been the boast Of our country,
= that the system by which we dispose
5 of our public lands, is the best that
; history gives us any account OF. 1t
has secured to us safety of title, and
: it has secured to the Government
correct knowledge of its public lands,
; and its tendency has been to dissent
! nate, among the people whose interest
+ it was to occupy these lands, a knowi-
. edge of their adaptation to purposes
| for which they were wanted. / would
| remark generally, that the land Is de
= sirable to the Government for no other
: purpose than as atlording the meals
e to its citizens Of acquiring an estatr
n in the land for actual settlement al
@ cultivation.
(, would make this further ohscrv"
l. ton. that so far as regards commit.
c pity itself, its interests are that It's
lands shall be under the possession
II and control of the Government unto
q they are wanted for the purposes 9
e actual occupation. Originally, IT"
l. not supposed that our public iah
n would be disposed of in small quar-
1t ties directly by the Government To H..
le actual settler 1t was expected tha
=. individuals of wealth and iuilueAr'
he would induce their settlement and oT
ne cupaton. In the first instance, be
If lieve, the public lands were not pei
re mittcd to be offered i'll quantities ever
of as small as a section. The anticlpa
re ton was that they would be dispose
en- of 10y townships; but as we prolific
/. bv observation and experience, 1t 500
ed became apparent that the pubic goo
ed would be best promoted by pcrmittin
90 individuals TO take them in such quar-
,is titles as they desired for actual sc
no tlcmcnt and cultivation. The sale
ed were first made by sections, and the
In by quarter sections, and the Cover
er- ment continued to dispose OF them
tn quantities of this latter size for COZ
th siderable length of time. The neN
an step in the progress of division wa
er, into halves and quartcr-quarter se'
re. ,ions-tracts of forty acres each
as | am not mistaken, the Governmel
1T. did not dispose of any lands IN les
nd Quantities than eighty-acre tracts ic