310 
Sanborn—Railroad Land Grants. 
miles, as the greatest distance the influence of the road would 
be felt. This was the argument for this restriction; but just 
how this amendment came to be adopted, is not clear. It was 
offered in the Senate by Jefferson Davis, but he afterwards 
said that he would not press the matter, 1 and there is no rec¬ 
ord of a vote being taken upon it. Yet this provision appears 
in the bill as published and was incorporated in subsequent 
bills. 
The chief objections to the act came from those who claimed 
that the grant was but a masked form of internal improvements 
and, as such, was clearly unconstitutional. 2 The danger of cor¬ 
porate power and land monopoly were also urged. 
In the next Congress much more interest was taken in the 
land grant bill. In fact, the question of the compromise seems 
to have absorbed most of the attention given to political sub¬ 
jects in 1850, and the fine spun arguments on land grants made 
to empty seats. 3 But in 1852 there was not only more time 
but more occasion for interest in the public lands. 4 
For a new idea in regard to our public domain was making 
itself felt. Heretofore the lands had been held for gain, and, as 
we have seen, that was the ground on which the land grant had 
been made. But the contrary idea had been announced by the 
convention held at Buffalo, August 9, 1848, which had declared 
for “free soil ” not only in the sense of political freedom but of 
economic freedom as well. 5 6 They did not foresee the day when 
no one would doubt either proposition. 
3 Ibid., 1st Sess., 31st Cong., 90-1. 
2 “ To say that you can get round the Constitution by granting the pub¬ 
lic lands, instead of taking the money directly out of the treasury, is cer¬ 
tainly trifling with the judgment of this body.” Niles (Conn.), Globe , 1st 
Sess., 30th Cong., App., p. 535. 
“ The deserted seats of the Senate were in the course of to-day ad¬ 
dressed by Mr. Benton who made some brief and beautiful remarks in 
favor of the bill making a donation of alternate sections of the public 
lands to aid railroad-making in Illinois.” Letter of Pike to New York 
Tribune , Weekly Tribune , May 11, 1850. 
4 “ This question of grants of the public lands is engrossing, and is likely 
to engross, much of the time of the session. It is in fact the great lead¬ 
ing topic of interest.” Ibid., Semi-Weekly Tribune, Feb. 24, 1852. 
6 Stanwood, Presidential Elections , 4th ed., 175. 
