The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-06

hundred million of acres of public LANDS Q
shalI he held by these corporations v
w;thant any roads having been built, 2
and withoutany taxes having been palo 70 '
the States in which they are located, 1 7
felt / was compelled TO take oroaoef 2
r;ew az the matter and vote for the resp {
lntion. / say believe this grant ought I
"a be excepted: but when 1t comes 70
nntfing them all back, when It comes %
saving these railroads shall hold on %
millions of acres of the public lands 50 !
Is not TO allow any person whatever 70
enter ON them for settlement and cuiel
/ walton, say we cannot sfford 70 40 ~
Mr.. Van Eaton. ] was aware M:
| Speaker. NV colleague from MISSISSIPPI
/ had introduced the bill he spoke o.
Was also aware he was friendly 70 the
measure under consideration nave
only this to say about that: coul1 not
vote for the sweeping resolution OF the
gentleman from Indiana. knowing ! ih
tended, as said in the outset, 70 ask tue
/ Horse to make this exception. aln
lust as much in favor OF the genera
principle of FORGETTING these gEan1S,
when reason can be shown they snouiu
be. as my colleague or any otheI mem
her If the House. At the same time, as
have already said, / wished to leave
myself in the situation where, II case
= sbown To have merit, l can in my |
humble capacity vote for it and do what
is Just and right and equitable 1hA' Is
all So
/ shall; detaiL the House but few
nop,cnts longer. | have tried to show
: the House whv this road was not built,
that before and up to the war, after
dn;no Ali we could ut that time, taking
: all the proper steps up to 1850, that tor
| the six wears following it was physically
f ;mnossible. and that for all the years
= which followed, the seventeen wears oil
e negligence with which We have been
D tainted. men would not take hold OF
these lands on account of the defect that
> anneared in the title; and do not blame
i them for that. l have shown time ana
!; again that our people in every way they
J; Gould have come to this House and asked
J; for AN extension of this grant; and say
/, now. as | said before, that no negligence,
Is no laches can be imputed 10 the people
Who propose to avail themselves OF TINS
r Grant That is the reason why nave
d offereI this amendment asking TINS
5. grant shall be excepted out OF the lace
Ie of this bill.
: Mr.. Speaker, do not con e here IN
IF the character of a suppliant. | come
n here simply as Representative from an
ID tguaI State, eoequal with any OF her
e, neers appealing to the equity and sense
re of Justice of this House.
~ In conclusion have to say speak
m for a land offering at this time the great.
I'd est encouragement for the iuyestment>ot
capital and the immigration of the enter
! nrising; for a people who, harried by
ed war and tried in the fires of recOnstruc
I'd tion. rising superior to troubles and dis
ry couragements such as few peoples have
lie encountered, are fast building up new
Mt South; who extend the warmest OF vel
e; comes to AL who come among them Will
to honest intentions; and who, having leti
at the things that are behind, join hear
at. and hand with all who would add to the
ed prosperity and increase the happiness ol
de all the people of "a great, free, and
Mt. prosperous realm" Loud applause.
mt MIR. Barksdale. Mr. Speaker
to The Speaker pro tempore Mr.. Syringe
ed in the Chair. Does the gentleman iron
to Mississippi desire to be heard in opPosi
0O ton to the amendment?
, Mr.. Barksdale | represent distric
ne which is in part interested in the pend
re- ing question, and desire to be heard Il
opposition to the bill as it has been re
III ported from the committee. If, how
re- ever. any gentleman desires to be hear
'eu on the other side, and in favor of tn
u amendment of my colleague, / wi vel
on the floor for the purpose of hearing hin
no The Speaker pro tempOre. The gentle
I'VE man from Michigan viii be recognized
The
to Mr.. Barksdale / trust the Hous
his will not commit itself to the declaratlo
nd of indiscrimi8ate forfeiture cOntaine
mt, in the bill reported from the Commute
all on the Public Lands. And II 1t sha
ed. please this body to adopt the amend
opt ment of my colleague (Mr. Van Eaton
or who is a member of the committee, WI
be ask the favorable judgment of the Hous
be upon bill which / will send to I'll
to Clerks desk to be read as a part Of IN
re- remarks.
ted The Clerk read as follows:
lan Whereas. The time limited for the CO..
Is struction of railroad from the Gulf
W. Mexico to the town of Brandon, State
ely Mississippi, in the act aforesaid, -haviI
expired from causes which could not ha'
ant been avoided, whereby the benefit of sa
say grant has not becn realized by the Stat
mt therefore
uld Be it enacted by the Senate and Hou
cry of Representatives of the United states
hen America in Congress assembled, That Il
rec. time required by the aforesaid act, a
an proved August IL, 1856, for the cOnstru
inc ton of the road from the Gulf of Next
But to the town of Brandon, commonly know
= is as the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad,
has hereby extended six years from the da
IT of the approval of this act, for the purpo
tn of aiding in the construction of the sal
80 railroad according to the route and termiI
IL prescribed in the act of August IL, lS5
~. donating the land for the construction
vi the said road from the Gulf of MexiC
''u to Brandon; Provided, That if said railrot
be not completed within six years from Il
u date of the approval of this act, then Il
on lands described in the act of August l
her 1853, shall revert to the United States.
an SEC 9. That the State of Mississippi
=. on authorized to confer the privileges of Il
ne .' aforesaid act upon such company as
All Legislature may incorporate for the Co
OF struction of the railroad aforesaid, and tn
lcts the right of way is hereby granted to Il
Sea, said company through the public lands b
of longing to the United States.
,ort Mr. Barksuale. As has been state
the Mr. Speaker, in 1856 Congress donate
to the State of Mississippi alternate sc
md, tons of land on either side of ra
the road projected from the Gulf of Next
all to the town of Brandon, where it W
ing designed to be connected with the 81
)ssi- TEN of railroads then in operation, or
Der, contemplation. The donation was
the pursuance of a generous and hbeT
en- public policy, which had operated ben
urn ficially in all the States to which gran
wed had been made. Its intent was to pr
mote the settlement and improveme
nge of the public lands and to enhance tho
tout which were reserved to the Goyernme
here by making their products accessible
n of market. Hence the act of donati,
of prescribed that the land should be so
lich for double the minimum price of I
ant, public lands. This bene6cent and Ii
and eral policy has been profitable in mai
e it ways to the Government and to t
tate people.
rest, It is unnecessary to discuss the leg
tlet, principles involved in the grant. T
ent, very terms of the act and the report
enee the committee imply that the title W
at remain to the Senate until it is CANCEL
by an affirmative act of Congress. I
nan question presented for consideration
the bill of the committee, and 4
It, l amendment of my colleague Mr.. "
Eaton], is, shall this indiscriminate d.
i in laration of forfeiture be made? Il
been answer of those who oppose the amen
the ment is, that the grant was made mp
for the condition that the lands should i
gen vert to the Government within ten yea
road if the road was not completed, bat
con- may reasonably be assumed that if t
reasons are sufficient and satisfacto
that why this FeveFsion should not be e
that forced it will not be; and these Feasn
min- Al axizt They are abundant