The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-24

ship building and all domestic purposes.
The quality of lumber in tkis locality is rap
Idly growing in favor on all parts Of the
Pacific coast. This region, in view of its
line agricultural and grazing capacity, valu-
| able umDer and hae navagAoie waters, 10
destined TO command an extensive com
merce. Even NJ thIs time trads Is important,
results showing thai one thousand one hum
dred aud forty three vessels OF all grades
arrived there during the past year, OF which
Two hundred and twenty two we're engaged
in foreign trade"
| In The senate the bill was opposed and
debated at every stage by senators adverse
10 a measure OF such gross and protiigate
iextravagance asd wrong.
Many amendments were offered in the
public interest. One of these, by MIR. Thur
man, OF Ohio, was that the troops and mu
| nitions OF war of the United States should
| be carried free. Ii got hardly a respectable
| vote. Two amendments we're urged oY mr..
Cssserly, of California -,
| One of these amendments provided that
the lands granted should not be vested In
the COMPANY in fee, but should remain open
10 settlement by actual settlers, the proceeds
to go to the company 1t provided also for
q mode of averaging the prices OF the lands
along each completed section of the road, by
which the lands should produce not more
that 81 so per acre. This amendment was
rejected by decided vote. though it applied
only TO the additional land granted.
The other amendment was that any lands
| remaining unsold at the expiration Of ten
years after the completion of the road-the
Senate having already voted down a similar
amendment fixing five years-should be
open to settlement at the minimum price OF
| 81. rs per acre. This me, the same fate.
Every material amendment for the protec-
ton of the public interests was defeated.
Fhe bill passed in the Senate by 40 yeas to
| IL nays. The yeas were all radicals, and
included nearly every leading Radical Sen
ator
In thu Senate the bill was declared to be a
republican measure "a part of the re
publican policy by Mr.. Howard. of Michi-
gan, the chairman of the Pacific Railroad
Committee. MIR. Corbett, of Oregon, also
declared in the Senate that "the Republi
cans would take the responsibility of the bill
as a republican measure"
The Sensse,by all its votes, endorsed these
state ments.
The bill passed the House after q long
discussion precisely as it came from the
senate. An amendment was rejected pro
vidiug for future railroads within the belt o.
one hundred and twenty miles, ard facilita'
ting the acquisition of lands for that purpose
l he vote was l07 yeas to 50 nays. The
yeas were all Radicals with d few exceP-
| lions.
Other very bad railroad land grant bills
we're passed during the last session OF con
gress, granting many millions of acres,whils
refusing IN every case any protection to the
| rights of settlers
| 1t is idle TO psrticulsrize further. More
than enough has been stated to show tht
ruinous temper and purposes of the radical
majority In Congress
That ma iority has dared TO enact suct
enormities as the Northern Pacific Railroad
Land Robbery in the face OF an approaching
election for the House of Representatives.
What will it not do. unless the people il
this election shall administer to il and it'
enormities an overwhelming rebuke
Retain it in power in the House, and by
the end of the next session there will be nc
available lands left for the people. All viii
be squaudered on private corporations.
Let us have change! Let US begin By
returning to the old, the true the only ssts
policy of our American land svstem -alwsy,
THE PUBLIC LANDS FOR THE PEOPLE!