Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-07
SIDE certain townshipg sectiOns Of the

aside certain townships sections of the
public lands for school purposes.
Mr.. Parker, of New Hampshire, asked
Mr.. Dunnell whether he considered it ne
cessary to give three dollars to the
Northern States in order to give one dollar
TO the Southern States.
Mr.. Dunnen replied he did not want TO
give the Northern States ANYTHING.
Mr.. Parker-Then who do you?
Mr.. Dunnell-If it was proposed to give
all to the Southern States, where it is most
needed, there would be an outcry against
its unfairness as the lands belong to all the
people.
Mr.. Farnsworth-Are the public lands
hereafter to be all soldP
MIR. Dunnel-I do not understand that
the bill interferes with the past or future
policy of the Government in relation to the
public lands. If l felt that by voting for
the bill, l should at any time ever so in
directly lessen the hberality Of our legisla-
ton with reference to settlers ! would not
vote forit.
Mr.. Farnsworth-Then how do you for
ever consecrate the proceeds of the public
lands for this purpose, If the public lands
are not to be sold?
Mr.. DunneI-It means that the proceeds
OF the public lands, as annually reported to
Congress, shall be set apart
Mr.. Farnsworth-But if the public lands
are not sold, how are you to get any of the
proceeds?
Mr.. Dunnell-The proceeds of so much
as may be sold.
The Tennessee school Fund.
Mr.. Butler, of Tennessee, spoke in sup
port of the bill and got into controversy
with his colleagues Messrs Garrett and
Wright as to who stole the school funds of
Tennessee. He declared that the Demo-
cratic party had stolen three millions of it
and the Republican party only three
hundred thousand dollars.
Mr.. Garrett asked when was that.
Mr.. Butler-It was when you were a
member of the State Legislature, and were
expelled from it. Laughter
Mr.. Garrett said the statement thSt he
was expelled from the Legislature was will
fully false and Butler knew it to be false.
[Calls to order.1
Mr.. Blair, of Michigan, expressed his ap-
probation Of the bill and said it was per-
fectly fair and equal to the whole county.
Mr.. COlman spoke in favor of the bill
and in reply to Mr.. Kerr's speech of last
Friday particularly, as to the source from
which the school fund of Indiana was de-
rived, he denied that the Democratic party
had any thing to do with it. If the Demo
cratic party of Indiana had done any thing
in the matter, it was to break down the
system under which that school fund was
accumulated. The Democratic counties
Of Indiana were the most ignOr-
ant counties of the State, while
He was in favor of the bill generally, but
was opposed to the mode of distribution
according to population. He would have
the fund distributed in direct proportion to
the illiteracy of the State, and inverse pro-
portion to the amount of school property
and funds which State possessed. The
States which had the least school property
and the most illiteracy, should have the
greater proportion of the fund. He offered
an amendment to carry out his views.
Mr.. Harris, of Virginia, opposed the bill
as step in the system of Capitalization,
and of submission to despotic power. He
opposed it all, because it undertook to force
on the country mixed school system.
Mr.. Storm opposed the bill, and opposed
particularly any amendment to it which
would restrict it exclusively to schools con-
Quoted in the English language.
Mr.. Stevenson, of Ohio, said he would
prefer to vote money out of the public
treasury for the purpose of education in
the South, but accepted this bill as a step in
the right direction. Believed in the policy
of taking what he could get for school pur-
poses.
Mr.. Dawes advocated not the details, but |
the general scope of the bill. He wished |
every unOccupied acre Of the public do |
main were by this bill consecrated for such |
a good and noble purpose. They should |
see to it that those who had been clothed |
with the ballot box in the South should |
have the means of casting the ballot intel
ligently.
The debate was closed by Mr.. Pierce,
who defended the bill and its details, and
expressed his conviction that the whole
fund would be permitted to go where it
was most needed to the Southern States.
The first question was on Mr.. McNeely's
amendment putting printers tickets and
nix, type metal and printing paper on the
ree list.
On the objection Of Mr.. Hoar, the amend
nent was ruled out of order as being
'evenue measure which must first be con-
,idered in Committee of the Whole.
The vote on the bill and pending amend
nents went over until tomorrow, and the
House adjourned.