The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-07-25

The House being in Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union
Mr.. GROW said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: At the close of the Revo-
luton, the colonies claimed dominion, based
zpon their respective colonial grants from
the Crown of Great Britain, over an unin-
habited wilderness of two hundred and
twenty million acres of land extending to
the Mississippi On the west, and the Cana
das on the north. The disposition of these
lands became a subject of controversy be-
tween the colonies even before the Confed-
GRAFTON, and was an early obstacle 10 the
organization of any Government for the
protection of their common interests.
The colonies whose charter from the Crown
extended over none of the unoccupied lands
claimed, in the language of the instructions
Of Maryland in 1879, to her delegates in
Congress:
"That country unsettled at the com
mencement of this war, clsimed by the
British Crown, and coded to it by the treaty
at Paris, if wrested from the common
enemy by the blood and treasure of the
thirteen States, should be considered as q
common property, subject to he parcelied ont
by Congress into free, convenient, and in
dependent Governments, in such manner
and at such times as the wisdom Of that as
sembly shall hereafter direct"
The propriety and the justice OF ceding
these lands to the Confederation, to be thus
parcelled out into free and independent
States, having become the topic of discus
sion everywhere in the colonies, Congress,
in order 10 allay the controversy, and re-
move the only remaining obstacle TO final
ratification of the Articles of Confederation,
declared, by resolution, on the 9th of Octo-
Der 1880:
"That the unappropriated lands which
may be coded or relinquished to the United
States by any particular State w.
= "shall be disposed of for the common
benefit of the United States and formed
into distinct republican States, which shall
become members of the Federal Union, and
have the same rights of sovereignty, free
dom, and independence, as the other States,
&c. That the said lands shall be granted or
settled at such times, and under zach regula-
mons, as shall hereafter be agreed on 6y the
United States in Congress assembled, or nine
or more Of them"
In pursuance of the provisions Of this
resolution, New York, Virginia, Massachu-
setts, Connecticut, South Carolina, North
Carolina, and Georgia, ceded their claims
including title and jurisdiction, to the waste
lands, as they were called, outside of theil
respective State limits; all of them, except
Georgia and North Carolina, without any
conditions annexed to their respective grants
save those contained in the resolution of
Congress just referred to. The reservation
in the grants of Georgia ard North Carroll
ma were not, however, as TO the future dis
position of the lands, but condition that
slavery should not be prohibited therein by
Congress. Tho territory thus conditionally
- granted is contained within the States OF
Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. With
the exception Of the grants of North Caro-
lima and Georgia, land the reservations even
IN those relating only to the form of their
future government the public lands claim
ed oy the colonies at the close of the Revo-
luton were ceded to the General Govern
ment, to be settled and disposed of under
such regulations as shCU hereafter Be dqreed
on 6y the Cnit.' States d, Congress assem-
bed"
Since that time the Government has &C.
quired by treaty, Of France. the Louisiana
purchase of Spain, the Floridas; of Next.
co, Utah, New Mexico, and California: CON
tanning, altogether, over 1900, O0O, 900 acre.
of land. So the General Government bv
cessions from The original States, anc
purchases from other nations, has acquired
exclusive Of water, as computed by til,
Z Commissioner of the Land Office, 1850,
100000 acres of public lands; ofwhich Their
have been sold, to September 30, 1859 l4T,
T. o88,274 acres and otherwise disposed o
in grants and donations to individuals, cor
porations, companies, and States, including
grants since 3oth June, 1857, 24I,77O,O5:
acres leaving Of public lands belonging t,
the Government undisposed Of on tn
3oth September, 1859, LOCI, l4l,675 acres
What disposition shall be made of thi
vast Inheritance is a question OF no small
magnitude. Three times, within sever
years, homestead bill has passed thi
House, and been defeated each time by th