Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-09-20


The motion to reconsider the vote by
which the bill was referred 10 the Com
mittee OF the Whole, being under con
sideraton,
MIR. Julian said:
Mr.. SPEAKER : The anxiety | feel
Tor the success OF the measure now
before Us, and its great Importance. as
| conceive, to the whole country, have
induced me to beg the indulgence OF
the House in brief statement of the
reasons which urge me to give it my
support. l do this the more willingly,
because there has been a manifest dis
position here, during the whole OF the
session, to suppress entirely the dis
cussion Cf this bill, and at the same
time, 10y parliamentary cxpedients, to
avoid any direct action upon 1t. 1t
seems to be troublesome to gentlemen.
Many who are opposed to its prin-
ciples appear to be haunted by the
suspicion that the people arc for it,
and hence they will not vote directly
against it. They prefer not to face it
IN any way. The proceedings on
yesterday prove this. The House then
refused TO lay the bill on the table;
but Immediately afterwards, its refer
eace to the Committee of the Whole,
which was substantially equivalent,
was carried by large majority.
There was an opportunity OF evading
the responsibility of a direct vote, and
of accomplishing, by indirection. what
gentlemen did not dare to do by their
open and independent action. | refer
to these facts because | wish them 10
go before the people, | desire the
country to understand the action of
this body, in reference to the question
under discussion.
Our present land system was estab-
lished by act of Congress as far back
as the year l7S5. From that time to
the 30th of last September the Gov
ernm.ni has sold one hundred and two
millions four hundred an;.. eight
thousand six hundred and forty acres.
Within the same period 1t has dona-
ted about fifty millions of acres for the
purposes of education. for intcnal inn
provemcn,o, COR the benefit of private
individuals and companies, and for
military services. This calculation
does not include the land granted by
the Mexican bounty law of lS47
which has not yet spent is force. and
which will exhaust from twelve to
fifteen millions of acres. The bounty
law of 1850 will subtract from the
public domain the further sum OF
probably about fifty millions of acres.
Besides all this, there were very large
grants of land made at the last session
of CONGRESS- for internal improvements;
and there are at this time not less
than sixty bills before us asking dona-
,ions OF land. larger or smaller, for
various public aud private purposes.
Should the Government, however.
pause at the point we have now
reached in the prosecution of our
land policy. there will still remain,
after delucting the sales and grants |
have mentioned. the enormous sum oil
about fourteen hundred millions oi
acres. The management of this vast
fund is devolved by the Constitution
upon Congress. and It's just disposition
presents one of the grsvcst questions
ever brought before the National
Legislature. The bill under consii-
Grafton contemplstes a radical change
in the policy pursued by the Govern
ment from is foundation TO the
present time. 1t abandors :,nr idea
of holding the public domain as
source Of revenue; it abandons. at the
same time, the policy Of frittering il
away by grants to the States or tC
chartered companies for special and
local objects: and it makes it free, in
limited portions. to actual settlers, or
condition of occupancy and improve
ment. This, in nv Judgment, is the