The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-03-01
j.. T. J." and the Beard Claim.

" But ] have not gel done with THIS shame
ful histOry-thus far have dealt with the
case on my own statements and arguments
and for ms statements give my authOri-
ties. Let him combat them who can. But
my assertion that these land funds were all
exhausted years before 1851, can be more
strikingly proved by the statements Of Mr..
Beard and his friends al Lansing. They
rely as did Mr.. Brooks upon the celebrated
report OF those appropriations and their
amounts, made by The then Auditor. Whit
nev Jones in response 20 the resolutions
procured 10 De passed by Mr. Brooks, and
which was the basis Of the MuskegOn act.
/ Now "tell il not IN Gath, but this vera
oiou. report, puIPOiun5 ~ give ali the ap
preparations Of these lands. actually Olaltted
| the modest lntie dpprOprtuftOn 81 100. 900
acres first made, and % which the Free
| Press probably would not have me 20 back,
made specially in lands; 80 that report Is
not only not fun, iuasmuch as it does not
show lands absorbed under the acts Of ls43
4, but il is actually false in having left out
that largest Of all the appropriations"
The justice Of this rel-y courteous criti-
cism will be seen when l state the reasons
for not including in my report, the 100 600
acres alluded to by him.
The resolution Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives required a fun and complete
statement Of the various appropriations Of
the 500 900 acres Of internal Improvement
lands In preparing the statement the first
legislative act to be examined was act No
%, laws OF ls43, section g. which author
ICES the Board Of Internal Improvements, for
! the extension Of the Central Railroad to the
village Of Kalamazoo, 10 let such amount
Of contracts as shall be paid for by one hun
dred and fifty thousand acres OF State lands,
School and University lands excepted"
"Sec. 4. The Commissioners Of Internal
improvement, in making contracts on the
Central Railroad, shall make them payable
in warrants on the InteCnal Improvement
Fund, and the State To be in no way respon-
sible for the payment Of said warrants until
that fund shall be reimbursed by the sale Of
the land belonging to this State or from
moneys legitimately coming into the fund
from other sources"
The warrants were not to be made pay
aJle in lands as was the case in all the
later appropriations, but payable ia money
belonging to the Internal improvement
Fund, whether derired from the sale o.
lands or from any other legitimate source.
The warrants had been drawn in accordance
with the provisions Of the law. and nearly
all had been surrendered to the State Treas
,.-,- ,rI to,.l, a. ,..l -. +t.,,, ~ ~ -,.,..
/ by act No. I73, laws Of Isfs, and at the
time my report was made. No lands had
been applied In payment Of the warrants,
and the Legislature Of ls4s, in the passage
Of the law making provision for funding the
warrants, and the many acts making APP
preparations Of the lands, decided they
could not be legitimately so applied under
the restrictions of the grant from the Gene
raj Government
The question was fully considered and re-
ported upon 10y the committee on Internal
Improvements, in the House, previous to
the passage Of the several laws named.
Their report is as follows:
THE committe on Internal Improvement.
10 whom was referred the tOlOwing resOu-
ton:
SO RsS0lred, That the committee on IN
ternal Improvements enquire into the ex-
pediency Of providing by law for the sale OF
the inappropriate lands granted u the
state BY Congress, for Internal Improve
ment purposes, and of applying the pro
ceeds thereof in payment OF interest on the
Internal improvement debt, and report hv
bill or otherwise.
Respectfully report. that they have had
the subject under careful consideration. and
after due elaboration thereon. have arrived
at the following adverse conclusion:
lst In entering upon their duties your
committee have had direct reference To the
act OF Congress donating those lands to the
state. Said act was approved sept. 4. 1871.
ana by reference 10 the 9Th section thereof
it IS found that the improvements 10 be
made with those lands. are limited 20 roads.
railways, bridges. canals, Improvement Of
water courses and draining swamDs. and
that the transportation OF the mails NUM-
tions OF war and troops on those HIGHWAYS
are forever TO be free from toll or charge
upon tho United States
" 2d- In the sale of our works Of Inter-
nal improvements, these rights have not
"NtA ANNfs ia 10 TIE L ANeu STATES
" 81. In the opinion OF your committee
the lands cannot be converted into cash for
long period OF time and hence would not
meet the object sought for.
- 4th- They may be disposed of and set
ued IN short period Of time if they are
offered Tor labor 10 be expended in the re-
Slons OF country where they are situated
" 9TH. Such settlement of these lands will
a.i Z IN. ,f.s.
ton. and IN that way will soon materially
increase the amount OF our taxable prop
erty.
9th. The diversified objects 10 which
these lands may be applied under the act of
Congress. clearly conveys the idea that the
donation was intended 10 benefit the early
settlers in the newer regions of the state
IN The same degree az least. as the older and
more pOpulouS parts thereof.
18th. 4 large amount Of these lands have
already been appropriated and eynandef in
the south and eastern portions of the State
where the inhabitants are provided with
good roads and railways. and facilities for
getting 10 market with their produce which
must render them prosperous in a high de-
gree.
eth. An approximation toward even
=
committee. seem 70 REQUIRE. that the re-
OF our Internal Improvement lands +
should be appropriated 10 opening and i'm
proving roads. building bridges. REMOVING
instructions in our navigable rivers 80
&c, IN the newer and less pOpulous parts of
The State-and which have hitherto almost
necessarily been without the pale Of tie
sustaining measures Of the State.
9Th. such a disposition of these lands &c
sosr committee recommend. would not o1Iv .
add largely to the taxable valuation Of non
erty IN the State. al large, bur wOuld all
lie settlers in the newer counties fbv rivine
hem facilities Of getting to market) much
better 10 encure the Oaerous and heavy
ourthens OF direct taxation which is now
awaiting them, and which they are at present
but poorly prepared to sustain.
10th. These lands were granted 10 the .
>lale tor the purposes heretofore mentioned. .
% september, lS4l. and must naturally
nave oeen intended 10 be prospective in
'nelr application to our works of internal
Improvement and cannot without a mani
est perversiOn Of the true intent of the don
luon, be applied TO the payment Of liabiH-
80 -,