New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-12
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Reply 90 the Hon. Thuriow Weed.

Reply 10 the Hon. Thurtow Weed.
To the Editor Of The N. Y TiSsne.
SIR: The arguments adduced by the Hon,
Tburlow Weed In his letter TO Senator Il. d. Morgan
in support Of bis peculiar theories respecting the dhpo
sition OF the public domain have oecasioned me con-
siderable surprise After estimating the probable debt
Of the Government at the end Of the present year ct
Geo aud showing that there still remains OK
the public lands between 00c0 and l500OcOoo
Of acres in the different Western States and Ter
r,ores he proposes TO pay IL not the whole, Of
this debt by the sale Of them and states the following
as lis plan for doing soi
Fi,'t Step giving away The lanass ,y
''Sec0nd. Fenc. them with protective laws 81.
TAiyd Sci. them under system that the lds VIII
increase IN value a, they diminish in un within nve
not The interest on the deb bu to ultimately retire TIC
dbt i.e as other debts weTe By the proceeds Of ne
public lands retired"
And TO fortify this position" he instances che man.
agement OF the Land Department of the Illinois Cen
tr.l Railroad Company using the following language;
Fortunately, an able to foy .hi. position BY f.css
aud asge, 70 1850 Congress sned $4,000 acre. q sne
sid the construction Of the Illinois Sen'ra ns s
thu Company had sold acres Of It's land on which
N yaod and ay.lsbe securities re snei due fe whole
amount paid and payable, Therefore, IL +locoj,Sl5 -
OF their land grsnt 2s2 606 remain unsod 1rese
un,od land. are now estimated TO be worth % co..
making tots. Of nearly sSi coo, 900
company properly rnan.scS value
9ss e ' ,b ~ dsb sf .rss,. have ben
made sor railways IN Missouri Iowa. Minnesota, and other
Of the lands grantea to the Illinois Central Road several
hundred thousand classified reuse, and had
been offered I several At 2i cents per aero The Co
py has sold the refuse lands for 81 So S5 per ace Over
70 90 have been SOLD for . u per acre.
The yaue Of the paSlic lands. repeat dspends enttey
upon tei management They be made valuable worth
the Government choose We have seen wst they are
wor tie hands o: the Illinois Central Railroad Company
II The lands that drug in the market q. twelve cents
scrs by change Of pocy sell FOR many dollars per
car re doubt hs niTn,c Ssse q eosn %ish es,
half scrcs produced f3 CO. what under proper manaFe'
81" aud admitted that when the Rebeion 10 ended
Europe ~ add millions to our population The character Of
eusn,s Ascted BY the public lands win be determined by
the policy Of our Government II the lands 10 given
swsy Ito Old World viii send rs refuse populsion 70
But, the snd. offered for SALE q reasonable prices those
We can the other side Of tho Atlantic .itbsrt
.f sY; md Ey roa farm. and IainuisesorS
II is difficult 70 understand what the intended De.
ductons Of the honorable gentleman from the foregoing
argument ss Il treiy process that this RailrVsd CON-
pauy has disposed Of to the best advantage portion
Of the public lands they received from the Government
though he triumphanty asks; II 100000 acres pro
duced $4,000 900 What. Under proper mGsaserseEb VIII
400 GOO coo OF acres be worth =
This mathematical proportion conld be easily solved
and the question answered prorided the 600 600 600
acres were placed under the same "PToper fssSSse.
usut" that tho 500 900 we're. In other words IL the
Government should form itself into great railroad
CORPORATION Ike the Illinois Central Railroad Company
and build railroads throughout the length and breadth
OF the West for the purpose OF selling our pubnc Iahds
il would probably be able In the course OF human
events to dispose Of all public domain at about the
same prices that this Railroad Company have obtained
for theirs Such an idea s however perfectly aossd;
a. O. Ia Of hAnDratiA
teman bis hole theory founded upon, and argument &c.
ducod from, the management OF tho Land Department
of this Company Is tallacious and worthless.
Tie Illinois Central Railroad was the first dsrant
road OF the country and Is noble monument to the en-
torprso Of those energetic AID pblcssrted men who.
through great adversely and many discourse emsnis,
rushed forward the great undertaking aud brought il
10 its present state OF perfection. At tho time this
grant Of LAID made TO the Company, the central
hsbed pririe fertile 20 be sure, but wholly lnayaa-
be for agricultural purposes from want OF aees FOR
Transporting the produce mat might De raised ssefs%n
sand OF il had beer offered for several years with
out purchasers at the low price Of 2i cents per acre.
Aud the probability is that had tue grant not beeS
made nearly the whole Of this vast tract Of 25S@V0
acres would be az the present time "a drug AZ ina
market" at the same low graduated valuation.
Bat how different now Is the piciuIel ms trschss
waste of land described some mape as great Ses-
,- extsnduS through the state for hundreds OF miles
Is now teemng with an industrious population. ~
ing villages and busy towns haye sins up WIN sS
a
The Illinois Central Railroad an amount OF gram equn
10 onsha the quantity shipped from the port oil New"
York 10 Europe "a, c..,.,
Let us examine this subject &c regards its tnaneiss
hearing and see II the grant OF land TO this oompsf
was not matter OF sound policy on the part of tac nO,
erument and if 1t has rot received therefor more Ian
h ooud otherwise have done. NO one VIII deny tha.s
Ind The lands remained In the hands of the 6oSernen
situated rs they were, far remote rem m9' 49,
NOT more than oae.hsh the quantity wonid haN
been di5poscd OF that has been by tho company a.s
the sales would have been made almost eScinsNeysv
snecn,ator, attracted by the low graduated Price
thereof and actual settlers, Mno ss ,sers
1--we upon and cultivate. Such beng tno case lns.s
would have been paid Into the United sttss irosus
IRON the sale Of $4,000 acres oil iana ~ 20 se
acre The sum Of ssrsntysr h01sdRd dcl.ars pa; io
the sake Of Tho argument will suppose that the lang
ia S,r f,,y ,irs., as yugeh f00000 STILL how lnsigs
niacsr, A. iris amount 20 the saOrRogs sg~ 81 trSS
$40 600 400 which has been added 10 the wealth o. tne
Stoc Of Illinois and the United States by the bnicnS
of This road; IRE yearly GorGners isEattoa aIoH S
ia Mo res,tr than he rholc anoEat ne GSes"sns liz
possbls hare rsceised for It's lands lad sssy e's s.
rndsr psaugoiss and rogndools .y.tts, 't 1!
over tho sale of the railroad lands II actual IN
croases the value Of the adjoining Goyarnmens isna
and renders them desirable 70 purchasers 'Ae "ss'