New-York tribune., 1868-07-06
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
A PROTEST FROM woRKINGMEY AGAINST RAIL
ROAD GRANTS.

A PROTEST FROM WORKINGMEN AGAINST RAIL
ROAD GRANTS.
To the Honorable the senate Of me United states;
The undersigned would respectfully represent
to your honorable body that strong and rapidly
feeling exists among people Of the United States, and
especially among industrial and producing classes,
against the whole policy Of the Government IN respect 10
the donation OF the public lands TO railroad cons%es %
under the guse OF pubic utility companies 0I specua
tive adventures gigantic m0nopoes by legislative
enactmentS, Obtain, in like manner, from National.
cerTin forward teir respective works which II con
structed at all are thus constructed at public cost and
not by private MEANS although run Tor private eOIu
ment and only incidentally serving the puDc good; anu
In addition 10 these great advantages the same parties
Lands are Then held ont Of the market except at adj
Yauced rates Government prices and the flow OF
population thereby impeded-the national domain be
ing shut cut from its only rghtful oceupes, the actual
settler-except the aggregate OF their small means
shall To swell the private fortunes or those COM
blnaons of specuators whose only merit is that they
forestall the public need whose only service is their
manipulation OF public measures for their own az
grandlzement and power. 1t further that the
railroads themselves receive no substantial advantage
from all the grants OF land made TO their promoters Tor
the Osensbe purpose OF aiding in the construction on
such roads that settlements thereby repeled from
the lines OF communication, and the roads deprived OF the
revenues would if the lands bordering upon
them were open To public occupation at established and
uniform rates and hat ue Donated lands aud er pro-
eosaSf0rs @ " and % Sor GS S'S ed5r6e OF the roads
Your memOrialst regards the s0caed treaty with the
Great and Little Usage tribe OF Indians, now pending the
action OF your honorable body, fostering one OF the
arant Of this class of mOnOpOes tract or land
mostly OF Vaue for settlement comprising 100000
acres territory larger than the entire State OF Mas
saChusett and susceptible OF at least equal develop
aud wealth. by the terms of this extraordinary
compact be conveyed by the authority and with the
OF the Senate OF the United States 10 certain
private persons known the Lawrence Leavenworth
and Galveston Railroad Company, under the pretense
OF its being endowment OF tins rOad-the
construction which is not secured by this inst
ment to any reasonable extent Your memorialst,
humble OF the labor interests OF the
try respectfully and earnestly protests against such DIS
position Of these lands which, together with all other
Indian reservations retroceded TO the United States
ought be exclusively allotted for the homes OF he
people whose right IL Is 10 settle upon and occupy the
public lands OF the nation unhndeTed by any monopoly,
and without the payment OF any price 10 indl-
viduals corporations. And your memorialist
would further declare that, in his opinion.
the legislation Of the country should be directed
TO preserving this right among the most sacred OF
human inheritance and that the function of the State
has ceased when 10 has placed such Just limits to the
quantity Of land which person legally hold
convey in its discretion ought TO be prescribed, and
when IL has established such price be deemed rea
sonable for surveying and other legitimate expenses
which price should be uniform and permanent and that
the appropriation Of the public landslide domain Of the
peope-tO incorporated companies other combinations
Is contrary the rights of the people 10 the interests OF
the nation, and TO wise and enlightened public policy
Wherefore he prays that the said Usage treaty and any
other similar treaty may not be confirmed by your hon
orable body. j. w. lie BARNES,
Chairman workngmens State Central Committee ef
Massachusetts.