Tri-Weekly State Times (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 26, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 12, 1854 Page: 1 of 4
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VOL. 1.
FIFTH LKHISUTP
DEBATES IN THE SENATE.
Friday Dec. 16th 1853.
Kcni8!V&s of Mr. W;nylii'
Upo)i Mr. Kyle's amendment to the
bill to be entitled An aet to encour-
age the construction of railroads by
donations of land.
Mr. President: I mn opposed to this
bill and as the discussion has taken so
wide a range I will give my rcasonswhy I
shall vote against the amendment as well
as the original bill. As 1 am'unwoll to-day
my remarks shall be very brief. The
question of what is the duty of a repre-
sentative in a ease of this kind is an-
swered by his doing .Ay hat he believes to
bo for the best interest of the State.
This bill and amendment involves a ques-
tion of great interest to the State of
Texas they comprehend matters of vi-
tal importance to her for the bill pro
vides that an augmentation grant of 8
sections more of land to the mile shall
be given to railroad companies as a do-
nation; the amendment provides that
those eight sections as well as the origi-
nal eight sections donated by former
laws shall be taken out of the alternate
sections to bo reserved to the State upon
the construction of the Pacific road and
we have another bill providing that the
school fund shall be loaned to railroad
companies. Mr. President these arc
grave quostioivs and 1 am led to pause
and ask where will all this end ? Our
action upon these great questions will
doubtless make for the weal or woe of
Texas. consider the bill before us ob-
jectionable; with the amendment it would
be doubly so. I speak what I earnestly
believe when I say that the passage of
that bill will be against the best interests
of the State. It has been remarked
that figures do not lie. That is very
true and "they tell us in this case that we
are g ranting an additional 30000000 of
acres of land if the bill pass a fact
which I cannot bo blind to when I cast
my vote upon this question. I am oppo-
sed to monopolies and above all to land
monopolies. What does this bill propose?
To increase the donation from eight to
sixteen sections of land per mile of road.
Into whose hands is tliis large amount
of land to go ? We know that the capi-
tal to construct our road is not in Texas.
It must be sought beyond the waters.
Then those lands fall into the hands of
those opposed to the interests of the
South into the hamb of foreign capi-
talist and speculators who will make a
monopoly of it as far as it is in their
power to do so. If you adopt that a-
mendment you will deprive the State of
the benefit" which she expects to derive
from reserving the alternate sections
along the line of the Pacific road. Ma-
ny Senators voted for that bill believing
that the Stale would derive great benefit
.from the land reserved to her as well as
from the construction of the road the
rise in the value of the lands belonging
to the State was a strong argument
nsed'in favor of granting the twenty sec-
tions' of land."" If that amendment
should be adopted there will not be left
to the State one acre of those reserved
sections thus one great object of the
Pacific Railroad bill would be defeated.
I hope to record a vote against both the
bill and amendment.
Mr. KYLE'S amendment to the bill to
bo entitled An act to encourage the
construction of railroads by the dona-
tion of lands boine: bof'orc tho Senate
upon its second reading Mr. Whitaker
moved to lay the bill and amendment up-
on the table until tho 2d day of January
next stating that he wished some time
for consideration as ho was not deter-
mined in his mind yet how he should
vote upon them.
Mr. LOTT Mr. Presidont: This is
a bill of some importance I admit I it
think too long a time to lay it upon the
table until the 2d day of Jan. next. I am
in favor of the bill and shall vote for it
if it is not trammelled with amendments.
I would bo willing to vote for it as it came
from tho committeo believing that it
would holp to developo tho resources of
the State. I boliovo that it is tho policy
of tho State not only to oncourago the
construction of railroads with her public
domain but with tho last dollar in tho
Treasury. I do not beliovo that it will
bring a dangerous monopoly in Texas
if any it will bo a monopoly of science
ivnrCT.i?3S3rzzarx3a.uymiruirr-Lm:;jij.;i'ncT
AUSTIN TEXAS THURSDAY JANUARY 12
rt m fi rta ir
of literature and of wealth all of wliioh
will br;pg about untold prosperity. We
have no means but those of tho public
domain and the 3000000 in the
Treasury to foster woiks of internal im-
provement. After a few yoais the pub-
lic domain will be gone all absorbed in
one way or anotner; so win the money j
which we have unless we make a judi-
cious investment of it then let us foster
the construction of railroads while we
have it in our power to do .so. Can gen-
tlemen show us any precedent where the
construction of roads have injured the
State ? Look on tho contrary at tho
State of Georgia chequered with rail-
roads and in the full tide of her prosper-
ity; also at the State of Indiana and
other Slates which have profited by ma-
ny works of railroad improvement. What
kind of monopolies do wo find them to
have created ? Monopolies of wealth
science and literature monopolies which
do not oppress a people but arc indica-
tions of their prosperity. I can advo-
cate as I said before the policy of the
bill but cannot vote for th6 adoption of
the amendment cannot vole io donate
those sections which were to be reserved
for the benefit of the State. I profess
to be liberal in my views for the cn-
couiagcment of the construction of rail-
roads even magnanimous but when Sen-
ators go beyond what I consider for the
benefit of every portion of tho State I
cannot go with them. 1 do not believe
the adoption of that amendment will
benefit all portions of the State as
there are but few portions which could
take advantage of it at tho present time.
I believe that with a loan of our money
in the Treasury properly guarded and
fecurod and with the grant of 1G .sec
tions of land as provided in the original
bill before us that we will be able to tap
tho Pacific road wherever it will be
found necessary and construct such oth-
er roads as nccet-sity may demand. If
we adopt the amendment the whole in-
terest of the State in the alternate sec-
tion to be reserved upon the construc-
tion of the Pacific road will soon be gone.
1 shall vote against the amendment and
I'm the bill as I believe by that course I
shall help to put all upon an equal foot-
ing. Mr. WHITAKER Mr. President:
As indicated by the gentleman this is a
subject of great importance and for
that reason I think that we should take
time for consideration. I do not pro-
fess to have the perception of some gen-
tlemen upon this floor to comprehend a
thing at a glance. If the State is to do
so much to encourage the construction of
railroad- let us well mature our plans.
This bill was onlj' yesterday laid upon
our fables and is said to bo one of im-
portance then we should certainly take
time; it would need no other argument
than that for us to do so. It seems that
gentlemen are willing to indicate the
course that they will pursue; but I have
not considered the subject sufficiently to
understand what might be the results of
the policy contemplated in that bill and
amendment upon the welfare of tho
State and vhat might be the effects up-
on different portions of it. I seek to
give my vote in justice to all and not in
a magnanimous spirit as some have spo-
ken of. I am not ready for the vote at
the present time.
The motion to lay upon the table was
lost. Tho question then pending was
upon Mr. Kyle's aamendment.
Mr. GAGE Mr. President: 1 am
opposed to the amendment oi tne sena-
tor from TIays (Mr. Kyle) for the reason
that if adopted it deprives tho State of
all the advantages that it was intended
she should derive from the reservation of
the alternate sections along tho line of
the Mississippi and Pacific railroad. Mr.
President if the amendment is adopted a
few of the first roads that is constructed
would receivo all the benefits to bo de-
rived from the alternate sections to the
exclusion of the State and roads yet to be
chartered. My policy oir would bo to
hold those altornate sections in reserve
until tho Pacific road in constructed then
put them in markot receive the cash
for them place it in tho State Treasu-
ry there to remain until tho legislature
should think proper to appropriate it to
educational purposes or the purposes
of internal improvement by loan to rail-
road companies or otherwise For these
reasons as well as many other good ones
which I have not spoken of I am op
ij.
posed to tho amendment and hope it will
be rejected.
Mr. TAYLOR Mr. President: I
would like to make a few more remarks
although this disousjon has been already
quite lengthy. Tho friends of this aug-
mentation plead the necessity for it. I
have not been able to see thai necessity.
1 have not heard that tho people ask 'it
at our hands: nor that any memorial
from any corpoi alion has been sent here
asking for it ; then why are gentlemen
so liberal in the granting away of our
lands? I should rather say why aro
they so prodigal? It seems to me that
this augmentation of eight sections to
what has already been granted will prove
to be a foolish waste oi' our public lands.
As foolish as it is uncalled for by tho
people or by corporations. It has been
argued here that if the Pacific road
should be constructed that the branch
roads to connect with the Gulf and those
in the eastern part of the State poin-
ting towaids roads which aro expected to
enter the State will be constructed under
any circumstances. If that be the case
why giant an augmentation to encourage
their construction? There could be no
necessity for it in that case. I under-
stand that the man who has undertaken
the construction of tho Galveston Hous-
ton and Henderson load has succeeded in
getting a loan of money for its construction
without any donation of land in his char-
ter. Then an augmentation of land is
notnecessaryintliatca.se to encourage
the construction of the road for we have
an evidence that it will be constructed
without it. Now sir if that company
has negotiated a loan without any land
sufficient for the construction of the road
1 think a company wMcn has eight sec-
tions of land donated to them in their
charter and cannot upon that get a loan
is not worthy even of a charter from the
legislature. I believe that the eight
sections of land already granted is am-
ply sufficient to encourage ihc construc-
tion of those roads that will be construc-
ted at all.
Mr. KYLE Mr. President: I of-
fered that amendment solely because I
thought that it would bo a salutary one;
yet gentlemen throw it up to me that I
am trying to defeat the bill. It is not
so. This bill is emphatibally to encour-
age the construction of the local roads
and I will go as far as any gentleman to
promote their inteiqsts. It seems that
I am willing to go faythcr than some who
claim to be its wannest fiionds. The
lands which this amendment would give
to the local roads upon tho construction
of the Pacific road will be worth at a
moderate calculation $3 per acre and
they could be mortgaged to raise a fund
for the construction of those roads as
soon as there would bo confidence that
the Pacific'road would be completed; or
those companies might sell tho lands for
a fair price as soon as they could get
their patents. Such advantages I am
willing to give to the local roads and in
view of these facts gentlemen have no
right to say that I am opposed to local
roads for I am not and this amendment
is a sufficient evidenco of what my prin-
ciples aro.
Mr. SULLETT I did not intend to
make tho charge that the gentleman from
Hays was oppose to the local roads but
that his course and that amendment is
calculated to defeat the bill before us
and thereby injure tho prospects of the
local roads. I beliovo ho is ay much in
favor of encouraging the construction of
tho local roads as I am.
Mr. KYLE continued. Then how
can tho gentleman reconcile his opposi-
tion to this amendment with the friend-
ship which he claims to have for tho lo-
cal roads. I proposo to give lands which
will bo worth at least from three to five
dollars per acre to aid in the construction
of the local roads tho very best aid Ave
can give them; but the gontleman says
that will not do that ho cannot advo-
cate that policy. Is that the way ho
shows his friendship for the local roads ?
Ho takes the land to establish a policy
for the local roads I must fall in be-
hind. Eut who has shown tho most zeal
to-day for those roads? I can say of
that amendment as Daniel Webster said
of tho State of Massachusetts. Hero
it is? It speaks for itself? It needs no
eulogy from mo.
Tho amendment was lost.
Monday Doc. 19.
The bill to bo entitled An act to en
w lyri'-'i'v.' ju.i."r "a;"m.ui.L'.''j-jx'nuicw
1854
NO 26.
courage the construction of railroads by
donation of land being before tho Sen-
ate upon its final passage
Mr. MILL1CAN offered the following
amendment "strike out 10 and insert 8.
The object of the amendment was to grant
to railroad companies eight sections of
lard to the mile of road constructed in-
stead of sixteen.
Mr. MILLICAN Mr. President: 1
offer that amendment expecting to bo
found among tho minority when tho voto
is taken upon it. I offer it upon this
ground there has not been a petition
from any railroad company asking an
augmentation of land; no company has
expressed such a wish. I am not aware
that it is the wish. of the pcoplo that wo
should make an augmentation grant of
lands to railroad companies. If any ono
could bo expected to advocate an addi-
tional grant of land it might be myself.
I am an interested individual being a
stockholder in one of those roads lead-
ing from the Gulf into th'o country and
ought to know the wishes of the company
if any one. If the company have asked
for an augmentation 1 ought to know it.
I wish to stand here not as the represen-
tative of 'an individual interest or the in-
terest of any ono company above others.
I wish to so act that no one can impute
to me any personal motives arising from
the hit ei est I may have as a member of
a railroad company. We propose to give
an augmentation of eight sections of land
to the mile of road constructed by this
bill and that without any company hav-
ing signified a wish on their part for it.
What follows then ?
Wiry there is a bill that is made
the special order of the day for the 2nd
or 3rd of January next proposing to
loan the money in tho treasury to rail-
road companies which we will be called
upon to vote for. Yes gentlemen are
willing to do all these things for railroad
companies; but withhold their liberality
nay will not even do justice when called
upon to make provision for the payment
of the debts of Texas. They will not
make provisions for the payment of men
I who not only sacrificed their time and
money but freely spilled their blood m
the cause of Texan libert- their just
demands go unheeded. Until some pro-
vision shall be made for those men have
I not good reason to oppose the invest-
ment of the State fund in such a way
that the provision will not be likely to bo
made soon thereafter? I would have been
willing to loan some of the money now in
our treasury to aid railroad companies in
the construction of roads but if this bill
passes in its present shape I shall not
consider it my duty to cast a vote for
that purpose. I am a stockholder as I
said before but cannot how much so ev-
er I may be interested personally give a
vote for a measure that I think would be
against tho interest of the State.
After remarks at some length by Miv
Paschal Mr. Millican continued :
Mr. President: I do not rise to argue
this question to any great extent but to
place myself right before the Senate. I
do not wish to be misunderstood and it
seems I have been in part. I bear no
opposition to railroad improvement as
might be inferred fiom the gentleman's
remarks in reply to ray foimer remarks
when upon the floor before ; on tho con-
trary I am willing to assist in carrying
out any judicious system of internal im-
provement. He speaks of the loaning-
policy as having been canvassed all over
tho State and of the settled dctennina-
tion of the people to foster to the extent
of their means railroad improvement.
Now sir that was not the only question
of interest to my constituents; there was
another of great importance to them
which I advocated it was that of pay-
ing the public debt. Wo should bo no
longer deaf to the calls of our creditors
as we have now the means of payyig them.
If that is to be our action wo should be
careful of tho disposition which we make-
of our means for we do not know how
much will be needed to liquidate our debts.
There has been a wrongful distinction
made in regard to many of the claims of
tho First Class debt as they havo been
audited. 1 feel at liberty to speak free-
ly in regard to this matter and as I be-
lieve to be right. I have no personal in-
terests to subserve; having no claims of
my own but speak from a sense of jus-
tice towards others. In regard to the
First Class claims it is well known that
tho first issue was of tho star money ard
that was issued at tho par value upon in
-to .
sWB&
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Ford, John S. Tri-Weekly State Times (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 26, Ed. 1, Thursday, January 12, 1854, newspaper, January 12, 1854; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth78417/m1/1/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.