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


TThe memorial was read.
srr. Van Eaton. Mr.. Speaker, the =
,.,;nt / desire TO make right here IS this,
! az in addition to the memorial wnleh !. :
has inst been read by the Clerk, memo !
n after memorial has been sent up 70
+,,is Congress BY the State OF Mlssis- /,
s;nni sipee the forfeiture of this grant I.
n 1856. Taking this fact in eonnectaon
with what I said before, think l have I
made out a clear and reasonable case IN
rhieh neither non-user nor laches can
he attached TO the benehciaTles OF TINS
particular grant
I desire now to call the attention OF
the House for a moment TO another
nhase of this matter, and | Will DC =
brief as I can. In looking OVERTIME
tables of liant grants, find that there
have been granted-grGnted, say not
patented. but voted by Congress-to COT
porations. not to States, in all l4o,ooV'-
| doc acres. and TO States there have beeh
granted 81. O0O, 900 of acres, or say i5o,-
600 900 of acres, or $50, 1000 square miles
| in all.
Now wish to call the attention Of the
House in no iuvid GUS spirit. with no
sense of complaining, but to fortity the
principle upon which started out, OF
| something like equal and exact justice
or at least fair dealing. Let us Tor
moment see how the account stands with
,,e states on the subject of land grants
I have shown YOU that to corporations
there have been voted l45,000,0oo acres,
a opantitv so vast that the mind can |
hardly grasp it. As has been well SAID
whole empires have been voted away 10
| PM iaf that
i How does the account stand with re,
gard to the States? hold in my mana
table showing the actual amount OF
acres patented-not granted, put aDSo-
lutely pIteated to the States. Al the
, risk of wearying the House | VIII run
over it very briefly. ~.
The account stands thus: Limos
$685. 53 acres; Florida l ,S51 Dos; Ana
bama 1857 ,458; Louisiana I,0IZ'doo;
! Mississippi 937 ,l59; Arkansas :, 144 942;
Iowa 5443 1872; Missouri 1,S28,O05;
Michigan 1856, 997; Wisconsin 2,5o3,-
39O. Minnesota 7,572,953, and Kansas
; $3.50, 1893. 80
am not complaining that these differ
/ ent States have been so far benefited
by the magnificent bounty of Congress
o [ only want to compare my own state
with other States The State of Missis-
1 sippi has received less than million OF
acres, while Minneso ia has received over
n seven million of acres not simply voted
{ but absolutely patented to the State,
d and of which it avails itself. And here
u we of Mississippi are to day pleading
!, with the House not to take away from
r us the little grant that is mentioned and
n referred to in the pending bill.
Oh a a Ynnmpnt. i
think the House ought to be advised
r. about it. On examining the tables and
| the papers in the Office of the Secretary
j. of the Interior find that he has made
O. an approximate estimate of the amount
At of land in this grant as originally made
h. that amount is 652, 800 acres. l wish to
as state to the House this further fact, thai
ID after the forfeiture of the 18th OF August
I 1866. the Government of the United
re States has allowed purchases to be made
ne of lands embraced within this grant
ht A great quantity of the originll gram
tv has been bought, SD that according K
e. the best Judges to day it is estimated
id that there is available i'll the grant t
the State of Mississippi not over 0OO,oo'
al acres.
to There is bill pending before thu
al House, one introduced by myself, IN re
re lation to the land grant to the State o
he Mississippi. If | can get the gran
re saved. or rather the forfeiture OF it pre-
nix vented, the bill which | have IL troducet
nix will. if passed, regrant to the STATE o
hit Mississippi Just simply the half millol
it. of acres now left unsold, asking for n
use indemnity on account of lands that hav
nv been sold of the original gr mt.
ne | wish to state here that We want tn
rights of all purchasers and settlers t
T. be faithfully protected. Whether thi
ne bill passes or not, whether my amend
% - ment is adopted or not, in any event
w !" whatever bill may pass, the rights of a
10 - purchasers of lands will be protected
~! In case the House shall see fit to adoE
~, nv amendment and not allow this fo
au feiture. the amount of land that will b
70 70 saved to the State of Mississippi will b
~, simply 100000 acres, which, added
'us the 600. 900 acres we have already r.
Ps' ceived, will make the amount granite
~ to the State of Mississippi less tina
~, ~ 100000 acres, while other States, as
III have shown, have received from 8, 1000
" 900 to 100000 acres each, absolutel
or granted to them.
81 There is another reason why this graz
,eh word on that subject. Itwas eminen
ear ca. ly right and proper that the grant shout
Io 9 be made in the first place, and ever
~ single reason applying to the grant the
'oh applies to it now and with greater fore,
=. The grant embraces a section of cO:lI
w w try covered for the most part Eith pin
. .I5 timber, most excellent pine timber. Bu
'-u it is far from market; the country
11IIy not thickly settled not much of it ha
m been taken up for farms or pastures.
u ur consists of just such land as pays notl
,oh ing in the world until the country is Sc
49,, tied and its vast resources developed
i "a lust such a country as private ente
lo o prise never would construct roa
- through.
~ Another consideration. This is not
rs great trunk line; it is not line col
~ Meeting one great point with anothe
III great point or one great section with al
.ne other great section, like roads that COZ
az meet the Atlantic with the Pacific. I'll
In IS object of this road is to connect the raj
~ roads near the center of the State {
lg Mississippi, where there are vast trac
~ of pine forests, with the Southern Sc
~. ~ so as to give our people in that part I
- the State and their products a seapO
for their commerce, and outlet to tt
NOT sea.
~. And. Mr.. Chairman, it is a fair Ian
Va fair as any the sun shines on, from Il
' of initial point of the proposed route q
- the way to its terminus, gently slopir
to the Southern Sea, holding vast pos:
Al bilities of wealth in timber, in lumbe
~. ~ in field and herd, waiting only Il
ene magic contact of capital, skill, and e
a. ergy to develop all these and retu
ths fourfold any benefactions bestowt
,66 upon it.
~ 1t may be possible that in a long ran
. ~ of years this road may be built witho
80 - the aid Of any grant; but | stand he
r. to say that if there ever was a section
- country, if there ever was portion of
~. III State. If there ever was State, to whit
uiu 1t was right to vote aid by land graz
this is such a case. Take the map al
look at this section of county. Trace
the down from the center of the Sta
hat through all this region of pine fore
tlon far from market, far from any outl'
TO far from any chance of deyelopmeI
mai and you must see what beneficen
ten would be a grant of this land, what
vast benefit this railroad would be.
tent Mr.. Blanchard. VIII the gentlemi
ave from Mississippi permit question?
ave Mr.. Van Eaton. If can answer it
'aio viii do 50.
ll o. Mr.. Blanchard. If the land grant
.na behalf of which the gentleman has be
- speaking should be excepted out of I
operation of the forfeiture provided
= . in this bill, what assurances can the &c
~. - tleman give the House that this 70
~ III from Brandon to the Gulf viii be &C
I La5 structed in the next few yeaFs7
Alsu Mr.. Van Eaton. This assurance, th
capitalists have been looking up th
me u .nctin,r, II rnrIr4rr hare hem erami