The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-04-01


reserved to aid in works Of internal i'm
provemsnt" He argued that these lands
were thus reserved and that they were the
| only lands In the State Of Iowa that were
SO reserved. and consequently must have
been the very lands referred to- He
said that these lands were dedicated to
internal improvement in the Des MONIES
Valley, and ought not, in justice to the
inhabitants of TINT valley, to be diverted
from that purpose. He showed that the
very men whose every interest was in
volved in the completion Of the Valley
River Road had helped to procure the
Northern Railroad grants, and 70 confer
them upon the companies now holding
them, and he asked il these men, the Re-
personalities of the Des MONIES Valley,
could ever have intended or understood
that they were robbing themselves Of the
remainder of the Des Moines river grant
for the benefit Of corporations in distant
part of the State, who were already in the
po session Of their million acre grant. -
He said no such thing was ever thought
ofwhen the grant was made, nor when it
was conferred by the State upon these
companies. He showed that the State had
actually sold aud conveyed portion of
these lands and received the pay for them
and dwelt some time showing the injustice
of the States being made the instrument of
robbing her own grantees, by conveying
the same lands to two different persons.
He dwelt at length upon the importance
to Che State Of carrying ont the original in
tention and holding these river lands for
building the railroad up the valley. He
showed conclusively, l think, that the
Valley Road is Of vast importance to the
whole State, that the railroad system Of
this State is very incomplete without it,
that it connects with oil the other lines
in the State, and is the only line running
| North and South through the State. He
said he felt some considerable responsible
| lily in this matter, because the officers OF
the X, TT. d. NJ & NJ Railroad we're
not here to lobby in behalf Of their inter
| ests Is were the officers Of other roads.
Some Of them we're giving their energies
and talents to their country upon the
battlefield He appealed to the Senate to
pass no law which would cripple this grea,
work Of improvement. He would BE-
satisfied with any legislation which would
reserve the Des Moines river lands for the
Improvement of the Dcs MONIES Valley
He was willing to resume and regrant thu
railroad lands reserving from the same al
Des Moines river lands, or to pass an ac
to prohibit the further certifying of land
to the railroad companies until they shall
have released the lands to which the,
have no shadow Of right in justice O
equity He cared not what means nigh
be adopted so that the object be accom-.
plished.
| have only limited at the main point
of the speech, which was an able one ant
well delivered. heard many gentlemen
Senator'S and others speak in fatterinl
farms Of the effect. Mr.. McCrary stands
second to none on the floor of the Senat,
as an able debater He was followed il
the discussion of the subject by MI
+ Brown, of Black Hawk county, one Of TIL
ablest men in the northern part of tn
State. But my letter is already too Ions
and | close. ~
J \
: = 4 ~ ~ I II y.