The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-10-14
SPEECH OF HON. GEO. n. HELM

On Tuesday, the 4th instant, when
the resolution was under consideration
in the House, asking Congress to di-
vert certain lands to the school fund,
Hon. Geo. r. Helm, of this county,
made the following able argument
against such diversion:
Nh. Before a vote is ia
ken ON the memorial or resolution now
pending, ] desire in my own feeble Way
to give the reasons which shall control
my vote and action with reference to it.
This resolution, sir, goes 10 the merits
and will affect III q strong degree q sys-
tenn of legis alton which has already
or is about to be entered upon, affect
ing materially the commercial interests
Of the people of this State. and espe-
ciahY the people of the Willamette
Valley. l refer to the opening of the
Willamette Falls a, Oregon City. The
resolution or memorial under consid-
Grafton is one addressed to the Congress
of the United State, asking tiint the
Government shall, at this late daY,
consent that the 500 900 acres of land
granted 10 the State In pursuance OF
the act OF Congress OF 1871, shall in
our case become q basis for fund TO
be called the Common School Fund.
Permit me to say, sir, that approach
the question approaching fully tue in-
terest ought TO take, and hope / do
take, in behalf OF the people of the
whole State. Especially DO i feel and
recognize ny responsibility to that por-
| ton whose Representative / am. I
shall now advance directly to the ques-
ton before US.
The act OF Congress of 1S41, BY
| which grants OF land are made to the
States, or to certain States, was passed
before was born. understand it on
| ly by reading it, as find it on the stat
ute books of the United States, and as
| L construe it by its history and its sur
rounding circumstances. may be per-
initted to state my understanding OF
the reasons why this grant of 500 600
acres should have been made to the
States. It goes back and involves to
some extent the national policy and
the national politics at that time Du-
ring the last administration of jackson
if not before and since, the Democratic
party took rong position against q
system OF extravagantinternalimpro
Inents within the States On the part ol
the general government. The Democ
racy Of the nation took the position
that the public treasury should not be
drained in the building up of partic
ular State at the expense of the othel
States. The rights and powers Of tn,
States, and the limitations imposed up
on the Government by the States which
formed it, were at that time we'll un
derstood and defined, and everywher,
recognized. In making the grant O
land for internal improvements, O.
was done by the act of 1841, there wa
accomplished indirectly, SO to speak
what the policy Of the Governmentfor
bid being done directly. In other word
it was bonus to the States. 1t wa
| equivalent to saying to the newly ad
mitted States, ''You have now lais
aside your infancy and territorial vas
salage, and have put on the habili
| ments of Statehood, and out of th,
public lands lying within your bounda
ries is granted to you 500. 900 acres fo
/ internal improvements within your Dor
| ders-for the development of your re
sources and the advancement of you
general prosperity" When our prout
young State was admitted into the Tn
| ion on an equal footing with the orig
inal States, and took her place in tn,
beautiful coronet of States, that indeed
was proud day for Oregon! In th,
formation of our State Constitution ",
evidently recognized the fact that tn
500, 900 acres grant was for interna
improvements, but perhaps desires
that it should become a part of tn
common school fund, otherwise W
would not have asked Congress t
consent that it might be diverted t
the common school fund. And tn
! question arises, did Congress upol
our admission, or at any time since
j give consent that such diversion
should be made? This is the mai
point. The gentleman from Clacka