Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

574 ABRIDGMENT OF THE SENATE.] Public Lands. [MAY, 1826. the gift of God to man, and to woman also; them. I do not say that it presents the best for the daughters of lManasseh were allowed to mode of disposing of the public lands; I do inherit, and to share in the bounty of the Giver not even say that I cannot present a better. of all Good. But I will say that it contains all that I hoped I have now finished, Mr. President, fhe view for when it was introduced; and less than I which I proposed to take of the acquisition and hope for now. A great change in the public administration of the public lands. I have mind has lately taken place on this subject, and confined myself chiefly to facts, leaving conclu- is continuing to take place; and I am of opinsions to the judgment of the Senate. In the ion that a plan will be adopted still more conrapid view which I have taken of this great sonant to the rights of the new States and to subject, it has been clearly shown that the the interest of the public Treasury. The preslands were ceded to the Federal Government ent system is indefensible and insupportable. by a few of the States, for the known and ad- Its continuance is impossible. The old and the mitted object of paying off the public debt; new States will unite to put it down; all the and that, instead of paying this debt, this great friends to the State rights will unite against it. fund has been so mismanaged, that in no one The new States are tenants to the Federal Govyear have the sales yielded one-half, seldom ernment; their citizens subject to be treated as one-fourth, and latterly not one-fifth part of trespassers (within their own counties) by the the annual interest of that debt. The fatal Federal Government-dragged before a Federal policy of waiting for the rise, has cost us more Judiciary, as true to the Federal Government than the lands themselves are worth, or could as the needle is to the pole-and punished for ever be sold for. It has cost us 136 millions of cutting a stick. Even military force may be dollars in interest, leaving the principal of the an accompaniment, or substitute, of Federal public debt as large as ever. The public lands Judicial process. Then these States are liable have yielded but twenty-six millions of dollars to be exhausted by an incessant drain of money, in fifty years, and are now annually yielding and, in the sufferance of this evil, Kentucky less and less. In all probability, it will require arid Tennessee are joined with the rest: for a hundred years, under the operation of the they are to furnish emigrants to the others, and present system, to draw twenty-six millions money to pay for the public lands. The Westmore from them. The expense of administer- ern States now pay a million of dollars per aning the system is enormous, amounting fully to num to the custom-house at New Orleans; thirty-three and a third per centum. With they pay, besides, a heavy proportion of the this enormous expense of collection, the most customs in Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, numerous and efficient class of the land officers, and Boston. Then they are subject to the opthe Registers and Receivers, get an inadequate eration of thirty land offices, each a vortex for and most insignificant compensation. The doc- the absorption of dollars. Will the Congress ument upon our table, shows that the commis- attempt to continue this system? Is there a sions of two-thirds of them for the year 1824, Senator present who will say that he will hold were less than $200 each; many are shown to up the public lands until they rise to $1 25 per be less than $100, and several which did not acre-until 300 millions of dollars are received amount to $50. With such compensation the for the 240 millions of acres which the new best of officers must quit the service, and let States and Territories contain? Sir, reflect their offices fall into hands less trustworthy. upon it! Think of the enormity of the sum, In the meanwhile, the lands are dribbled away the smallness of the population, their remoteupon a thousand objects, foreign to the inten- ness from commerce, the scarcity of gold and tion of the States which ceded them. The silver among them, and the many restrictions States are again recurred to to raise money for under which they are laid by the policy of this the same object for which the lands were Government. Three hundred millions of dolceded; and they are heavily taxed through the lars! And have you no commiseration for the custom-houses, to raise ten millions per annum, people on whom you intend to levy it? Have in addition to the current expenses of the Gov- you less feeling for the people of the West, ernment, to meet the annual interest, and a than for the inhabitants of France and of Infraction of the public debt. The knavery and dia? I say, France and India, because the delusion in which the present mode of selling public feeling has been put to the test with relands had its origin, stands detected and ex- spect to both. The Allies imposed upon France, posed: the necessity of a radical change is de- in the year 1815, seven hundred and fifty milmonstrated and admitted. The advantage of lions of francs, ($150,000,000,) and the public returning to the principles of 1790; the advan- voice was everywhere raised against the enortage of prompt sales at present value; a speedy mity of the imposition. Yet France had a discharge of the public debt; and the wisdom population of thirty millions, was rich in gold and justice of passing the lands cheaply and and silver, and bloated with the spoil of coneasily into the hands of the people; are meas- quered Europe. The page of history has given ures which can no longer admit of two opin- immortality to the sufferings of Indostan, ravions. Theory and experience combine to de- aged by Nacdir Shah, about the middle of the mand their fulfilment; and the bill which I last century; yet that remorseless conqueror have introduced is intended to accomplish brought off but eighty millions sterling: a

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 574
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

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