The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-04-14
TREE HOlIEs FOR TREE lIEN.
SPEECH on HON. q Al. GROW,
.or PENxssLyaNra,
hlLe Hs.. q lI42rls.ala.lil.,.., "a. ., $50.

hi ihe Ilo.iss III Representatives., FEB 20, 1860.
ms House being III the Committee 81 III,
hole on the state Of the Union, Mr.. Grow
b said: s ssf..=a VI III 4.
III. CHAIRiisS: At the close of the ReyoIu.
i. ton the colonies claimed dominion, based
upon their respective colonial gfinis from The
Il Crown OF Great Britain, over an unlimited
wilderness Of 90, 900, 900 acres 81 land, ex
tending 10 the Mississippi on tlle west, and
4 the canasas on the nurtlI- Tire disposition 81
these lands became ii subject on controversy
between the colonies even before the l,onfede.
tation, and was Mn early obstacle 10 Tie Or,
ganization Of any government for the prOtec:
e ton Of theircommon interests. ss
IF The colonies whose charter from the Crown
extended over none Of the Hroccupied lands
claimed, lin the language Of the instruction 81
Maryland in l7I9. 10 her delegates IN Con-
II gfees. III S M 5S a
sIfat country unsettled ut lie commence
mcnt of this war; claimed bF the lslitlsh
Crown, md ceded ID il BY the treaty nc Paris,
i Wrcstet from tho common enemy BY the
Hood and treasure Of the thirteen States.
i slionld hc eonsideretl as a common property,
I subject 10 be parGelled 0nt by Congress into
ITet,,conyenicnt, md independent gove .I1nen Isl.
4 ~ such manner, and at such times as The Wis
dom o. that Assembly shall hereafter direct -
nc pfapfiety and the Justice OF cedIng these
hands 20 the Confederation, to te tins parcello.l
ont into ffec and independent States. having
hecOnle the topic Of discussion every where III
the colonies Gengrcss in order to allay tie
controversy and remove the only rcmainina
obstacle 70 the final atilication 81 the Articles
Oh Confederation, declared BY resolution, on
the 10th 0et0beF, ~ SO; I'll ss .s;sl
That the nnapp reprinted lands which may
be ccded Of relinlu To- The United STA Is
h by any paFtieiilni State 80 9 q 20 g hall be
disposed 81 for theeommon benefit of the Init
ID States; and be settled and formed into dis
tinct republican States, which shall become
members Of the Federal Euiunt and have the
same rights ofsoyereigntg, freedom, and inde4
pendence, as The other States. Sc. ,htt he sufa
latds shali granted OF sele az such Res and Rsr
sch as stli hereafter bea1seed on 5y ne
A INited &ates IL C0iigress ascend 0r aile of
of more Of lAs,a. 4 ISL L. 5$ 5 81 s;f.
In pursuance Of the provisions of this resoe
lulion New York, Virginia. Massachusetts,
]. Connecticut, South Carolina. North Carolina,
n and Georgia, eeded their claims, including title
and Jurisdiction to tho waste lands, as they
D were called, outside OF their respective State
limits; all of them. except Georgia and North
aEollna, Without my conditions annexed TO
4 their respective grants. save those contained In
the resolution of Congress Just referred To-.
Tho reservation in the grants Of Georgia and
!. North Carolina were not, however, Us TO the
future disposition Of the lands, but d condition
that Slavery should not be prohibited therein
!" W Congress The territory thus conditionally
granted 10 contained within the States OF Ten
nessee. Mississippi and Alabama. With the
exception Of the grants of North Carolina and
Georgia land the reservation even in those re-
iating only to the form OF their future govern
lnentl the public lands claimed BY The colonies
" the close Of the revolution, were ceded To
!he General Government 70 be settled and dis
posed Of .asder such regulations az shall kefeajter
g dgresa % ~ the taed States II C6ngfess a.
Since that time the Government has ac.
CURED, BY treaty, Of France, the Louisiana
Rutsnasei q Spain, the Floridas. of Mexico,
Itah, New Mexico; and California: containing
altogether over twelve hundred million acres
ot land. 30 the General Government by ces.
slons from the original States and purchases
rom other nations, has acquired, exclusive 81
s sm NC q computed BY the Commissioner OF
the Land Office, fourteen hundred and tsfty
million acres Of public lands: of which ZtheTe
! nave - been sold, to September 30. 1859, one
Eunlfed and torty-sexen million eighty. eight
nous ana Two hundred and seventy four acres;
~ 9lhefwise disposed of In grants aud
donations to individuals, corporations
soMpAnles, and States. Including grants
ny. ls me Svth day of June, 1857, Two hundred
~ iott ysone million seven hundred and
- t.0usntstuu snIty-tNO acres leaving
y. PUBLIC lands belonging to the Government
apdlsposed Of on the SOth September. 1889.
Snf thousand and sixtysone million ole hun.
len and tortysone thousand six hundred and
seventy five acres. ~
nat disposition shall be made Of this vast
IS .l isa question OF no small Inagni.
.uue Three lines, within seven years. 4
homestead bill has passed this House, and been
a y. each time by the Demoerttie niaiori.
.,. n !. 5ne SENATE. On the vote. ON the home.
9ssss VII In the House last Congress, out 81
s sa0 peinoeTats but 81 voted for Ii; and In the
psl on the test vote between taking up tile
MI olllestead bill after Il had passed the House,
49, oniy required the vote Of the Senate to
a.ake = q law. so far as Congress was con,
OF e take up the bill for the purchase
s.. S1na but one Democrat voted for the home.
49, sesa, and only six at any time, while every
E spaolican IN the Senate, and every one Ia the
81 ~ sse, with g single exception, was for the
sl.aas es ~ or all the Representatives Of the
n as y. plates. but three In the House voted for
. nv Sna pnt two ut any time ia the Senate. So
Is - party, as q party, aTrayed itself
IN pposltlon to this benehcent policy. The
mS psa1'cAn party, on the other hand Is com.
20 This measure by its votes In Congress,
& ) go s - d. T.