Mr. GRIMES. I suppose I understand it. I suppose i understand the whole of this bill. They intend that it shall apply to a few salt springs in Kansas and a few in the Territory of Nebraska. A ntleman, who maybe in the galleries now, has been to see me within the last 3 or 4 days, and he told me that he had already perfected an arrangement by which he was to secure a lease on one or more of these salt springs. Now, Mr. President, I have to say, in the 1st place, that this is the inauguration of a new principle. This Government never has and it never ought to become the landlord of a portion of the peOple of this country. That is not the relation that is encouraged by any of the laws of our States to any considerable extent, and it ought not to be encouraged by the Government of the U.S. The true principle, I understand, in a republican Government is, that so far as possible every man shall be the owner of his own soil, the owner of his own tools, the owner of his own labor, and his own machinery. The Senfrom Kansas says that the government bught not to give the salt springs away. I agree with him in that. He thinks that they ought not to sell and part with their title at $1 '25 an acre. I agree with him in that. The Government ought to realize as much as it is possible to realize from these salt springs. In order that there may be the proper sort of rivalry among persons who wish to embark their money in salt boiling or salt evapo ration in any manner, let bids be issued; let the Senfrom Kansas and his neighbors have an Opportunity to send in their propositions to the SecyInterior or to the ComrGLO, stating what they will give for a given tract of land 11 on which they believe there is a salt spring of some value, and let the SecyIn terior sell it to the man who gives the highest price; and then you will haveyour salt springs developed. But so long as you undertake to maintain the relation of landlord to the persons' who are going to carry on these salt works, so long they will remain in an undeveloped state, and the country will never realize a 10th part of the advantage from the salt springs that we would realize if they were conducted by private enter rise alone. That is the experience of this governuient and has been from its foundation. It is the exerience of every Government on the face oft e earth. All such enter prises as this should be carried on by private energy and by private means; and so ong as you allow the man who conducts it to be the owner of the property, so long he will be willing to invest more and more means in the appliances that may be necessary to conduct his business to a successful result. Mr. President, I feel a great deal ofinterest in this subject. I do not know of any salt springs that are of any value on the ubiic do main except those in Kansas and i ebraska, immediately west of the State in which I live. We be e that the time is not far distant when we shal be able to secure our supply of salt from that region. We do not want to be compelled to become tributary to any such parties as may happen to be able to secure a long lease under the provisions of the bill that now lies upon your table. How long are these leases to run? What are the terms upon which they are to be made? We put the entire thing, if the bill passes, into the keeping of one man, Iand we may be bound up, as I understand, if recollect the provisions of the bill, for an indefinite period.