Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-05

anarchy, or a Russian occupation oi these
parts at least. cold institutions die hard,
for which reason | do not anticipate 50
carly an issue as that But expect the pres
ent year will witness great and important
changes What they will be the months
will reveal as they pass along.
Yours, etc, NJ. p. p.
Defeat Of the Five Per Cent Land Bill.
SENATOR MoERILLs SPEECH.
Senator Edmunds won signal victory in |
tho Senate, on Wednesday, by carrying,
Is to 81, his motion to indefinitely postpone
the land bill providing for the paymen OF
about 81, coo, 900 TO nineteen States for land
located in them by military warrants. The
subject is still pending on motion to recon-
slider; but the vote on the motion to post
pone affords, Of course, strong ground for
expectation of the final defeat of the meas
urc. To this result, both Of our Vermont
Senators have actively contributed. When
the bill was under consideration in the Sen
ate, February Goth, Senator Morrill, earnestly
and effectively opposed it. He said:
1t is in my judgment, against the inter-
ests of the States to set the dangerous exam
pie of pressing vast claims here resting upon
so feeble pretensiOns. If States could appear
here with p la,isible arguments to prove that
the Garden of Eden was sold and not given
to our first parents, and claim per cent on
the sale, would it not encourage the present
ment of many other even more baseles5
claims? Instead of this, ought not the States
to insist upon the most rigid scrutiny of all
claims presented, and, by melting out exac:
Justice to all, maintain that economy which
is appropriate to our form of Government
and most acceptable 10 the people:
The original law upon which this bill
| claims to be founded-so far as the State OF
| Iowa, the chief claimant. is conccrned-is
| bill supplementary to the admission OF the
| State which provides fund for certain pur-
noses TO be made up from - per cent of the
net proceeds of the sale of lands within said
State, which shall be hereafter sold by Con-
| prcss." The first section of this bill careful
| ly skins all around these words and seeks to
ascertain 'the amount Of public lands en-
tered by the location of military scrip and
| land warrants in the Several States-wholly
n different matter, and in large part whole
generation after the facts 1t is not confined
10 the sale of land, nor to their net proceeds,
but gropes about after what may have been
located through donations or grants oil the
Government To a plain understanding the
case has not even colorado foundation to
rest upon, and would be thrown out as 1t ap-
pears to mc in any court within five MIN
ntes after the attorneys ceased talking-un-
less nv friends. the Senator'S from Iowa,
happened to be the last takers.
Were anv plcdges ever made by the Gov
ernment that all the public lands should be
sold. and sold at the fixed and unalterabic
price of 81. p per acre? If no such pledges
were ever given. directly or indirectly-aS
surely none were given then the Govern
ment has done nothing it had not perfect
right to do; that is, 10 convert the land 10
public uses to sell for any price, one cent
per acre if il should choose to do so, or 10
donate them for any beneficial Purposes 10
,he States. the public, to corporations, or to
private citizens, without price. Inc npei'i-
ity and generosity of the Government has
not been hampercd i'll any direction. and II
cannot he subjected To a penalty oil D per
| cent unon its houniies, nor upon hOmestea,i'
/ without money and without price gwen IL
I its war-worn veterans or to any other Oh l's
citizens. Nor can the charities of the Govern
ment be pursued for IA . per cent state LAY
npon the aid to build railroads begged iron
the Government by States represented as un
able otherwise to furnish means for then
construction. although the alternate section:
having been sold at double price, the State:
have actually received just rs much rs they
would had all the lands been sold. And ye
this is the complexion 10 which it all come;
at last that the power of the Governmen
10 make Il donation of public lands, for eithc
National or State uses. shall be subject Il
the condition of , per cent donation 10 Ger
! tain States from the Treasury of the Altet
l Sta,ca at the same time. The Government
IF thr United States is the sole proprietor o
the public lands not merely OF ninety-hve
one elhundredlhs-and can dispose of them b,
c;ft and rive good title TO the same with
! out being forced TO plaCate States by an ad
ditional gift of money
Curiouslv enough it is provided in the sec
ond section of this bill that certificates OF IN
Il drbte,incss may he used in payment for tn
l. amounts allowed which are to run twent
= wears with interest nj ;i.65 per cent per an
: mum. These claims come down TO us from III
u good old days when Adam delved and Ev
!, snun" and il they are really dut
1t the claimants have already, Wi
10 tinnIy or unwittingly, waited niue
TOO long. The United States onsl
IL not to withhold the moneys OF such need
} creditors. Why, then. should any su5plcio
/. of the validity be thrown upon claims
though they have slept soundly 50 long b
- making the terms Of payment apparently
y easy We are only required 20 give on
q | uo;r 1t Is true. perhaps, that the authors {
the l,ll hive not consulted easy payment
> t,r as they might have done, for they misl
" H., We t,,nantlrd silver dolars at once, whlc
q ~. all in,,y. the Treasury is most ANXIOUS
o unload. -, :,
u Government; should pat wilil ai, Iaus .I,. 'ao
<, have brought 81 u per acre, put inc lac'
o. will not Support the theory. Millions
acres were parted with which were Ho. 'oi
and even the recipients Of military 81 'lP az a,
D land warrants when they put them on Al
IN market generally obtained no more than
10 the rate uf fifty or sixty cents per acre IL
- stead of Sl.25. The assumption Of the la
fer sum A. u basis OF computation Of the
per cent. is entirely uuwarranted and IL
:, whole idea of percentage On military scrip {
land warrants is as much a mathematical III
." possibility rs would be- i percentage O
% bravery or PATRIOTISM.
C. But the mos; wonderful part of this bill
nc To- hc found. like the postscript "f a lady
biiitt-G,.a.s, in Il final rt"visr, that II ConSre
1T will oniv ,,i>s this hill il is H. he an cstopp
re of all claims of any State ior > per cent Il
n ! account of anv lands grant,si Ia such Stai
:, corporation. or person or persons ior Il
purposes of internal Improvements. or n
10 other purpose whatsoever II W. Will 81
at them our coat they are Solcnnly to he eSto
ny ped from claiming our cloak also But
they have the right in law or equity WI
Ia- should they make a bargain not 10 strip
nd of the whole? The nitcd States will p
all claims Justly due, and it has no idea,
-, trust. of being tempted To pay one claim
NV a condition that another, Just as honest a