, 1866-01-10
aAILRoAp LANp CRAyTx.

Each successive Congress is petitioncd to
make grants of land from the public domain
for the purpose OF aiding in the construction
Of projected lines Of rai1way, and a nu1ber OF
such petitions arc preparing for the present
Eeesion. In the. newly AMI th1n]y settled
States, whose material progress may be greatly
stimulated by the introduction Of railroad H.
cilities, ii Is easily made apparent that, with
ont the aid Of land grants, It ia impossible to
establish railways, owing to paucity Of cap
ital and population hence Congress- is per
shaded that 1t will be meritorious net to aid
the young State IN Developing its resources,
by liberal grants from the National domain
within its borden. And, If these grants arc
properly guarded and properly applied, there
can be no doubt OF their beneficial effect upon
the general prosperity Of the country.
Unfortunately, however, mnch of the pre-
yious legislation In this regard has been care-
less and hurried, 50 As to work, in some In
stancc., considerable injustice to the strus-
Cling settlements, and to retard instead of
stimulating the growth Of the state- Through
the action Of Congress and the State legisla.
turc, The lands arc withheld from market per-
haps TOR number of years, whi1e the pro-
jected railroad is not only not in process Of
building, but does not promise a remote pros
poet of completion. Meanwhile the settle
ment Of tho granted lands is prevented, to the
manifest dctriment Of the State, and The I'm
mcdiate injury Of settlements contiguous 10
the protected railroad route.
Tie nodus operandi Of this evil has lately
been illustrated in various instances. 4 num-
her Of heavy capitalists either own OF buy
large tracts Of land In. unsettled portions Of a
young STATE, lying somewhere near general
line between two prospectirely Important
points. They form themselves into railroad
company, obtain Legal organization, ask for
and procure a large grant OF lands, locate
8 road line in such a mcandering course that
It traverses the property Of each member Of
the Company; and then they are prepared to
do business-which business is, not to con-
struct q railroad, but to sell their 1ands and,
II possible, their railroad charter, 1t good
figure. Perhaps, for the sake Of Appearances,
and for better effect upon the market, d
little work along the proposed line Is actually
done. And thus, for half dozen or more
ycarr, the granted lands are Kept ont Of mar
ket for actual settlers, and everybody who
really desires or might be induced to coz
struct railroad Is prevented from 30 doing
by the preoccupation Of the ronte and tho
grant. The people Of the injured sectIons. be-
come opposed to all railroad grants, beliey-
ing them inscparable from swind1ins, aad the
spirit Of enterprise and Progress receives
severe aud Injurious check
We hope, therefore, that Congress will
scruttnfze with the most careful attention
every proposition tlaat may come before it
Tor grants OF land In aid Of railroad or other
enterprises; andy yin cases where grants arc
,pnde. that t5ey will be conveyed upon
.s<l:'se's:s Raarded terms, md especial
lr' - = Y. to allow the Withholding OF
81 aanci 1rou market beyond brief Pc
,loa AZ ,as been too customary in the past
70 lo2k Upon the public domain as an ex-
hAust:-ss@ treasury, rom which al sorts OF
specInus schemes were to be led. regardless
Of economy or the public interest. But the
trutn is, every acre Of public land is equiv
alcnt 10 its value in cash, and. In view Of
pus national debt, Congress should be US
Gautious in making appropriations of land as
In making appropriations Of 1noney-not
Withholding either from strictly judicious
investments for The public good, but guard
ing each with the most Jealous couserra-
tism.