Western Statesman, Volume 3, Number 9, Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, 11 May 1832 — Page 1
BVA'jrIfejiijLM .
WIIEUH LIBERTY DWELLS TIIBRE IS MY COUNTRY."
III.
i B SitS ii JS i S fl i il . ! i J . i 5 SP Bi at EJSL la 9 JVii jft J. fl ISgiSl,
FIR L1C LAABS. l Senate, ,5;n7 16, 1S32. Mr. Clay, from the Committee on Manufactures made 10 the Seriate ihe foliowin report : The Committee on Manufactures have been instructed by the. Senate, to inquire into the
expediency ot reducing tha
land, and of ceding them to
unmindful of its dutj as to disregard the i annexed, marked A, and of such otlier sacred character of , the trust, there might be j information as was accessible to them.
no COmnetent nowcr. npnrfnllv nnnliml o-hiVh !
couli coerce its faithful execution. -d. The other source whence the public lands of the United States have been acquired, arc, 1st, the Treaty
; of I .ouisiana, concluded in 1$0"2. and.
a price of public I i 1 1 , r ,,. . . ! the several states! 7d- the treaty of Honda signed m;
From that report, it appears that the
aggregrate of all sums ol money which ; have been expended by the United I States in the acquisition of the public ! lands, including interest on account of the purchases of Louisiana and Florida,
' l I !. 1. " 1 10-l
. ' ,. , , 0 lCIO 1 II j JI ,1 !U llll IMU .Mill 11(1 Ul OL" HCillUOI , IO, I , v:t! in which they are situated, on reasonable V "16 tirst, all the country west ! 1 . . ..V .
a . . . i-.i nr. . ' , . ,. aim inciuuinir aiso expenses in men
4 . 1 . . , i'.l Hf ... , ,. " , nun 11IL I LIU lllii I. JtllfVS 111 UlCU U-rnis. larirom desiring to assume the duty of the Mississippi, and extending to the ! k 1 .-ton 1 invrUed in this imnort-mt ;ni.rv it i-,.. p c. 1 1 1 sale and management. is s IS,') t t ,aa 1 -10; invi.iiiiiuiiSimioriantiii.iry,it is lvt:onii ache ocean, known as Louisiana, i , ... , c' , to the Senate that a .na ority of the com-! !,; 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . ana that t lie amount of monev received miiioe was desirous that 'the 'subject should V.,ldl ."''I?1 belonped to, nl thc Tn for of ,)e
hue been referred to some ether committee.! 1 " ! 'l"" 'S'""- gales of thc public land to the :V)t!l Hit, as the Senate took a diilirent view of the i alliums; the island ot .New Orleans, and ,,f 1 j ,. .-. .,-. -, 0 Matter, the Comtiultee on Manufactures have . stretching east of the Mississippi to the n,,1 f, ' , 1 ' felt boU'ld tO aCOIli.c-O il i rloricir.,, ..r,,! I) 1 4 f II- Al 1 1 H'C I O VO V lU I C II t , 1 1 1 C If i 0 1'C. lUlS IlOt au uou.ui 10 acquire 1a its decision, ami, ; I'erdido. was transferred to the United ii . i t i rt,,Ulw,,, , having bestowed on the whole subject thc vt.1ic ; r. ,r bocn reimbursed by 8 10.M) l.V.S and
bt-st consideration in th. ir rower, now be V"" ' ..' . ' l" II nc tenths. Accordin-to the
nl.'irPll tllO .TC,l!l!;ilinn fif n 1irri. n-ifKln ' 4l. ...ill i r , 1 i . .
t v,jU...l.u ui u iivim, muujmi iLiiuiii me fceiiienienc 01 lu uistncts tlic reach of every industrious man. ! which include them. VorS 10 J any one may now purchase j 3. The greatest emigration that is eighty, or for 8 50, lerly acres of first Relieved noV to take place from any rate land, yielding, with proper culti- of thc Scatts, is from Ohio, Kentucky, vation, lrom fifty to eighty bushels of : and Tennessee. Tlie efiects of a niaIndiancorn, per acre, or other equiva- terial reduction in the price of the puplent crops. j lie lands, would be, 1st, To lessen tha Tlfere is no more satisfactory criteri-! value of real estate in those three States, on of iho fairness of the price of an arti-2d. To diminish their interest in the clc, than that arising from the briskness public domain, as a common fund for of sales when it is oill red in the mark-1 the benefit of all thc Stat. -. And
dlv. To oiler what would oner.ito a?
it i-. . - n t li i i .1
leave to M-.bmit to t) . S,...,l. .. ,o5 : "UCeil 1111 1UOI1S 01 llOUai'S, WilH'il tllCV
their iiiqnries;:md reflections. j stipulated to pay, and have since Tha public lands belonin- to the General ! punctually paid, to France, besides othGoYrrismcM are situated, 1st, Within the j 0r conditions deemed favorable and luutsofthc tinted States, as d by the j tmU t hcr illlcr05ts. JV the
.L.M AULA. UIIIM1 VlllllUiaUtl UIU U'VUlll: , , Tl "1 1 il il tionnrv war; ami -'d!y, Within lh boundaries ,re:lt-V oi ' 'nda. both the provinces of
of Louisiana and Fl
and
'rain resnectivi
orida, as ceded by France i ast anil West Florida, whether any voly, to the United States, j portion of them was or was not actual
ist. At thc commencement of the revolu- j lv comprehended wiihin the true limits nonary war, there were, in some o. the Stales j 0- J.ouisiana wcrc ccded to the Unitlare bodies ol waste and unappropriated! , . . ' .. .. , ., lands principally west of the ' Aiie,hany j ed Stales m consideration, besides of hniountains ami in the southern or southwest-i er things, ot the payment ot five millcm quarters of the Union, whilst in others, of'ioils of dollars which they agreed to
a me
report, if; appears that tlie estimated amount af unsold lands, on which the foreign and Indian titles have been extinguished, is Ji!7.29;).SS 1 within thc limits of the new States and Territories; and that the Indian title remains on 1 L,5T7,SG(.) acres within the same limits. That there have been granted to Ohio, Indiana, Illinoisand Alabama, for internal improvement-, 2,187,005 acres; for colleges. academies and uui-
et. On applying this rule, the conclusion would seem to be irresistible, that the established price is not too high. The amount of tlie sales in the. year
a bounty to Jurlher emigration lrom those States.occasioning more and more
lands.situated within them.to be thrown
182, was sl.0lS.Pv08 75; in 1829. : into the market, therein- not : onlv Jes.
SL517.175 13: in lSr0.s2,o2f.),:i50 1 1: sening the value of their lands", but and, during the year 1 S3 1 - .S3.090.000. j draining them both of their population And the 8 'cretary of th j Treasury! ob- and currency. serves in his annual report, at the com- And, lastly, Congress ha-, within a mcnecmcnt of this session, that " the : few years, made large and liberal receipts from the public lands, during ' grants of the public lands to several the present year, it will be perceived, ! States. To Ohio, 922,937 acres; to Inlikewise exceeded the estimates, and diana, 381,728 acres; to Illinois', 480,indeed have gvir. beyond all former exam-: 000 acres; and to Alabama, -100.000
pic. It is believed that, notwithstand-! acres; amounting, together, to 2.1S7,-
ing the large amount of scrip and forfeit
ed land stock that mav still be absorb
ed in payment for lands, yet if the Mir
duo acres. Considerable noriions of
these lands yet remain unsold. The
reduction of the price of the public
considerations
versifies in thc new States and Territo-
ti, i:i,. .,f .".iw nfi'i. i.. . ... :.. i. i.; i 1 1 .. i i . . ii ii ,. i
more circumscribed or better denned limits, I nav, and have since accordingly paid, j T V' ' f ' Vl , t-4V j ' , f ' 1 , . ,l tunqneu u, ua , .anus genera. iy, wouk. impair the vol-
public lands appropriated for common j not fall greatly below those of thc pre- j affect that of the lands which have been schools, the amount of 7.952,338 acres: j sent year." And lie estimates thc re-; sold in virtue of them, and for seats of Government in some of'j ceipts during the current year, from I On tlie other hand, it is inferred and lite new States and Territories, 21,589 i this source, at three millions of dollars, i contended, from the large amount of
-I acres. lv a report ol thc I ommiss;on-i it is incredible to sun nose that the nub he land remninino- ninou. airer hav-
tin nrli rnsiMirrn pvictfrK Mnriii.- flip iirAz-rfc
., ; ..."..... " .:: ue i--re pecuniary
.. onld be done with these lands :i the event I tllUS y'XxA l !he'e two foreign powers, cuts successful termination? That question j wre drawn lrom the Treasury of the was likely to lead to paralyzing divisions mid people of the Lhlited States: and, COI1jealousies. The State not containing any , s-cutientlv, the countries for which thev ii ...(- . ii .ii!i
torisiceraie (juantitv oi waste ianc?,contenueu i i . k. i. ,
, . , . . i JLH IIHJLI L11L3 JLUi itlL HIS, LlllilllL IU ill, e war was waged w llh united means, , . , 1 . . , 1 ,
iieiu aiKi oeeineLi 101 uie cominou uen-
that as the
with equal sacrifices, and at the common expense, the waste lands ouirhttobo consid
ered as a common property, and not he ex- States. To divert the lands from th-t
clusively appropriated tothebenfit of the par- general object; to misapplv or sacrifice ! ;j n,-fll , .- "I , 7 ', , ,,' ticttlar States within which they happened to i , J .,nii.,1. ,v; I .,vv- l"-inu ot Ule lu,I,,lt ,and evond the be situated. These, however; resisted the ! l"C4m to s'lu',nd1 , ' r, 1!,V;-'h boundaries of the new Slates and Terriclaim, uPon the ground that each State was! east them away; would be alii.e subver-, lorioS) was e,;I1Kltcd to 1, 750,009,000.
er of the General Land Office, comniu-! .-.mount of sales would have risen to so'
ing
been so long exposed io sale, that
efit of all the people of the United ! p i c (i it .i. , M, i. , , i r , , , message ol tuc i resmont of theCnited
Siales in December, 1827, the total
r.ieated to Congress with the annual j large a sum, i f thc price had been un-1 the price at which it is held is too high.
.t.titW to tbo whole of tho territory, whether S1VC Ot ins UUeresls Ol III
waste or cul tEied limits
... . . . i t .... .. M r; 11; i. ...i 1 ii
waste or cultivated, inciuc.ea wiiinn its cnar- me u mieu scales, ana conirarv to me-.,i
The aggregate, therefore, of all thcun-
reasonably high. l he' committee are aware that the annual receipts may be expected to fluctuate, as fresh lands, in favorite dislriels.are brought into market, and according to the activity or
But this apparent tardiness is satisfacto
rily explained by the immense quantity of public lands which have been put into the market bv Covcrnrnent. It is
well
mown that thc new States have
1 :mil 111"!: uprm I't :l il niibli I-niil nl'i in-irc
To check the progress of dis- , vyln dictates of the dll'.V bv which the ; .!.,. it, , .1 J ' . ' 1, , . ' V 4 ,.- i , J..
content, and arrest tha serious consequences! riivfl..nrim.t :.'u ,.,,.., fni1- -mul ?,.u.l l-u miu u.im.i- aSauin ll-us.li, .unw icuuluu,. to which tho citation oi this question mi ht I T V, T. , . l l jveyecl, on which the Indian title re- of the price of thc public lands, unless lend, Congress recommended to thc States to j tu0 ulte anJ .ne w hoi j. peopl. m;iias or has been extinguished, lying ; it he necessary to a more rapid popumake liberal cessions of the waste and unseat-1 Prior to the Ircitties ci Louisiana within, and without the boundaries of; lalion of the new Stales, which will be
e.l lands to the Umtea state; ar.u, on the , nn. 1 0nda, Congress had adopted a ; tbv nou- States and Terrilorie- rreetOth day of October 17S0. "Resolved, That ! ?V5tcm ,br survcfins and svlling the ablv to the two reports now " referred i
d with much care! (v. is 1. 090.87 1.753 acres. There hail!
been 138,988.221 acres surveyed, and!
sluggishness of emigration in diilerent; constantly and urgently pressed the ex
tinction oi the Indian title upon lands wiihin their respective limits; and, after its extinction, that they should be brought into market as rapidly as practicable. Thc liberal policy of the General Government, coinciding with the wishes of flic new States, has prompted it to satisfy the want of emigrants front
hereafter examined, there are weighty, if not decisive considerations.
1. The Government is the proprietor
.i - 1 1- ....... 1,.. i
li.B Uliai'l'l laicu 1'iiiu; iuiii iii'i ..1.111.1.. . ,. . . , ... i;n Li;,.,- t.u r,,;t.,i st.-,tV. bv nvl'Mic lands, devis
particular stale, pursuant to the recommend.!-; and great tleli:.:rawon, the auvaiuagcs been l.i. !8.,J. I acres surveyed, and , of mucn Uic largest (juantilv ot the un-; every part of the Union, by exhibiting
tionof toncrcss, oiti.c t,tti oi eptcmueriast, joi wmcii, naving neen tuny icmc-u ; i;e quautuy only of l acres seated lands ol the United States, j vast districts of land for sale, in all the shall he disposed ofor the common benefit of, experience, it was subsequently applied sold up to the 1st January. "hut it ha- in market, bears a large j States and Territories, thus offering evthe tinted States, to the countries acquired by fiost; trca-1 When Om information called for shall pioportkm to the whole of tlie occupied ! cry variety of climate' and situatioi to In conlormity with tho recommendation of , 1 , - ,, . : l . i . lV "ul-lJ oi cuuiau. ai. j i luaau.i hj Congress, the several State containing waste : --tcfording o that system, ad pub- ,e received, the suasoqu-nt survey.-, an d ; lands Wituin taeir limits If a const-; the tree choice of settlers. From these and uncultivated lands, made cessions of them j lie lands o tiered for sale, are previously sales up to the present period will be as-j del able (pianlity ot any article, laud.or i causes, it has resulted that the power of to the United States. The declared object ! accurately surveyed, by kli!ul survey- ? certained. ; any commodi! y w hatrver. is in market. ' emigration has been totally incompc-
i - i . i . : -1 1 .. . : . .... .. . n i ... i . r . ! .1 fit --i j 1 1: 11 ; 1 i-i. 11 !! (-c - . .
naving neeu suusumiwuj -u . or.-, in ranges 01 lownsnips 01 si inuus s t ue conmiiiie1 are instructed ny me ' me price nc v.iiicu if is sold, win anect,
theie cessions, it is omy necc,-.in to ;lu;Ml i square eaeb, which townships arc sab- : Senati' to inquire into the expediency! to the terms of some o. t hein Then rSt ,n j thirtv-six euual divisions of reducing the price of the public; order ot time, was thatotiNcw 1 ork, m.u.e . . i l u r v.,r-fc 1T-.1. bv its doli-a- or snuare nules. called sections, ny iitic-. lands, and also oi ceding them to the
wii iiiv wi -i". - ; - -
in some degree, the value of the who!
of that arli! le, whether cx'H sed to sale
or
tent to absorb the immense bodies of
waste lands offered in the market. For
the capacity to purchase is, after all.
tion in Congress, in pursuance of an act of the ' crossing each other at right angels, and several States in which they are situ- j of the price of the public land.; would
not. Thc influence of a reduction limited by the emigration, and the pro- ! , I 11-11 IT' J
latere of thc State; and thc terms ci the deed of ces:on epres'y provide, that the. ceded lands and territories were to be field, '-to '.IjifMor the only use and benefit of such of the vihtpsnn nrr. or shall beoome parties to the
enerallv containing tiO acres, 'i hose : ated on reasonable term's. The
gressive increase of population. If the
com-; proaab.y be k it ti;rougi,out the L n-; nuantitv thrown into the market had
sections are again divided into qnarlcis, : mittee will pr.iceed to examine these , ion; certainly in all the western Slates, i been quadru'ded, the prcbabilitv is and. prior to the year 1821), no per- j two subjects of inquiry distinctly, be-j and most in those which contain, or arc i that there would not have been much son could purchase a less quantity than ! ginning f:rst with that : which relates to . nearest to. thc public lands. There! more annually sold titan actually has T i 1 j . ! ' 1 '" , f 1.1 ' i I . i 1 1 : . . . '
a viuarter. in mat vear. pro imou w.t? a reduction oi price. i ougut to ue tne most cogent aim conciu-: been. W ith such extensive holds for
1. According to tiie existing mode of , sive reasons lor adopting a measure j selection before them, purchasers, em-
s.Mltng t'.ie public laud, they are lirst i wliiclt might senou-ly impair tlie value j barrassed as to the choice which they
articles of confederation."' That of Vir-aiia
was the next in date, but by f ir the most im- j ,nadc for the fill thor division of li'.e portant of all the ce-ions made to the differ-; sectjons intc eighths, thereby allow ing
er.t States totli as res-ecu tae ciu'ni una
value of the country
territorv northwest ol tne river unio, emura- ing irn; jmcsviiiscsiuiiui Lwuju.-.jiMi-yHiii alining; im. puiui.iir, i". .t . , .t i -.-..- t i i ..i . .1 .. 4 : i.i 4lw. i.i- i.. , i i . . i .. l : : ... ,
eitisr, nut noi connaeu io in iner to extenn act L'liimun.iiiu.i iui.il- jiuunc s;ne CL ti-ir, uic lauus i eiiiaiuiii
unsold mav be boug.it, lrom time to
. r..c : tKA rtillT OIJ . .. . ... . "... . . ... .i ..... ' .
v ceded, "it comprLhended j a porchasor to buy only eiguty acres, il ollered at public auction l.r what tb.ey of tne properly ot tae yet manry ol the I sihoubl make, are sometimes probably
common wealth to the vast! he wished to runiiase no more. iui-; win urnig in a iree and lair competi-1 cotiuin . mist u is decidedly the ; influenced by capriccor accidental can
present States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. .urr1a5Cts cf the public lands, and CSThe deed ofceion was executed by the dele-, j Hv f) cl;l, the sec. - atioii of Yirpima in Congress, m lit?-l, agree- , I . - , 1 . i- t , i
ablv to an act of the Le;i-lature passed in ; llOU nav ej.L L U ug.ii, u.v il.l l. ." He':i; and, among other condition?, tho dted j teenths. admitting a -purchase ol otdy r-xpresslv declares, "that all thc lands within ! fOI tv-acres.
the territory so ceded to the United States, rj unjfolrn system of survey ing and i ouslv lcod lVoin the first establishment
and net reserved for or ai ropnatea to any t- -i-,,, ,iu nu,i:,. t. ...mli( lo all ' r,f the n:-eont system of stdlinr' the
'11 ti,'i. f : the States and Territories within which ! public lands. A leadin
Its great advanta- witn C ongrcss m the
thev arc situated.
ges are manifest. It insures perfect, price, was tiiat o'subsiitufing cash sales; just towards those who have heretofore ment of the public debt and the financi
security of title and certainty of noun-j for thc credits which had been before j purchased public lands at higher pri-1 prosperity of the United States, tl
...ftl r..r...,.oiii;.nr,t niinni-fP. OI disposed
ofin bounties to the officers
the American army, shall be considerd a emo;i fur.d far ihe use and benefit efisw k of the l.'nited Stales us kt! heroic, or shall Income Members of Vic c mftdc ration or fide ral alli-
cnrt of Ci mud Slules, I fiviiid tuciusu i, .c
( ording to their usual r
i l the rer.cr.il har'-e and rxpeiu.
shall be faithfully and bonallde disposed of for that purpose. ad for no other use or purpose uhatsoever.'' Passing by the cessions which
ether Mates, prompted iij a unquestionably are. The fair price for thc public lands; or. 2dlv. int of union and patriotism, siu.i.ssiv l. t i-a . t . r .1 ' - . T.'adr we come to the last in thc series, that ' system lays the foundation oi useful civ-, because tlie exiting price retards, lnof the stateof Ceorgia, in 16J2. The arti- institutions, the benefit of which is jurionsly, the settlement and population i los of agreement acl cession entered mio i nQj tonf,ncd to tlie present generation, ' of the new States and Territories.
;-tit, Fn that Slate and the t iuk u
rii:onjr various other conditions, contain thej i i .i iwi.it nil thf lands.
unequivocal li'i-iai.iunu, . - . , - . , . c c. ledbv this agreement to the United States thus briefly sketched, the progress of
s'.all after satisfying the above-mentioned j t,e settlement and population ol the
. ,iri .,f m.e million two luindrea ana
t . . .... .. - .. 1 1 It 1 . 1 .. (-i(o
ttv tnausai.a uouais ., o-ret her unexami
most itnnorlitnt class in the mmniunitv. ! cw 'WbiUi- l
I - 7 c..i it iiii?i. Li ii i'. la.ivia intuitu, most patient, patriotic, and acquiescent ; those of secondary value will not be in whatever public policy is pursued,! purchased. A judicious farmer or oUnt-
time. at the established rate of one dol- j it is unable or unwilling to resort to j er would sooner give one dollar and a lar and a quarter per acre. The price those means of union and concert which J quarter per acre for first rate land, than was reduced to that sum in 1820, from ! other interests employ to make them-! receive as a donation land of inferior
2 rev acre, at whicn it had provi-; selves Heard and respected. Govern-j quality, if he were compelled to settle
ment should, therefore, 1 "el ilselr con-; upon it. staidly bound to guard, with sedulous! It is also contended that the price of
ng consideration , care, the rights and welfare of the great j the public land is a tax; and that, at a reduction of the j body of our yeomanry. Would it be period when, in consequence of the pay-
iinancial
the
darv. and consequently avoids those j allowed, and which, on many accounts, cos. to say nothing as to the residue ol
ective "proportions' perplexing land disputes, the worst of. it was deemed expedient to abolish. A thc agricultural interests of the United j 1 expenditure, and all species i of litigation, the distressing: further reduction of the price, if called ; States, to make such a reduction, and
effects of which have been lalally ex-j for by the public interests, must be re-j thereby impair the value ol their pro-j ncrienced in some of the western States. ! quired, either, 1st. Because the (Jov-j perfy? Ought not any such phut of re-j
But these are not the onlv advantages, ' eminent now demands more than a : duclion, if adopted, to be accompanied
with compensation tor the in jury which they would inevitably sustain? '2. A material redaction of price would excite and stimulate the spirit of speculation, now dormant, and probably leatl to a transfer of vast quantity, of the public domain from the control of Government to the hands of the speculator. At the existing price, and
but will be transmitted to posterity, j These suggestions deserve separate and
Under thc operation of tne system, ! serious consideration.
1. 1 he committee possess no means
j of determining thc exact value of all
the public lands now in market; nor
ndred ; j,u,lic domain of the United States has ofCeorpa,! j t in .llto;iclll(,r uncs:mi,.d. Views
which
the
is it material, at the present time, that with such extensive districts as thc pub-
committee will hereafter! the precise worth of each township or ; lie constantly offers in the market, there
present, conclusively demonstrate that,; set lien should be accurately known 'l"li 11 ill "1 11
whilst the spirit ot free emigration
should not be checked or counteracted, it stands in no need of any fresh stimu-
I .n rirl!rlll7(l t)V Hie nrt cfuill-'
.11111 j,iiiui.i .. -;. j 1 conditions, be considered as a common tuud for the use and benefit of the United States, Georgia included, and shall be faithfully dispoied of lor that purpose, and for no other use fr purpose whatever." .... .wl initivn terms ol
itms, nj wie lii.... . t thee acts of cession, was a great public, na- in-t-onaltrud, created and assumed by the Hen- Before proceeding to penorm the eral Government- It became solemnly bound . fjK rj(ic duty assigned to the committee Ii hold and administer the lands ceded, as a I j)y tno cnao. they had thought it deemmon fund for the use and benefit ofall the , , ( exhibit some trencial views ol
States, and !or no otner u-e or nnn. "' tver. To waste, or misapply this fund, or t o ! :i r.. II. .n,iinioii benefit for which it
wa conveyed, wouM be a violation of the , information, has been made upon thc thc regular demands of the population, ir'n.t The General Government hasno more 1,1 0 ,r-,Ilfb of (he (.'overnincnt. i it miglit be proper to establish differ-
rower. riditfulU,tor.ede the lands thus ac-1 , 1 . . (l( i p 1 1 .a ;is conlinsr to the classes of
... of the new Stat. , without a ' I ; - , . ..
L J 1 1 1 1 . iviv.'iv
It is presumable that a considerable portion of thc immense quantity ollered to s;de, or held by the United States, would not now command, and may not be intrinsically worth the minimum price fixed by law: on the other hand, it is certain that a large part is worth more. If there could be a discrimina
ting irreat national resource. For thai lion made, and the (Jovernmcnt had 11 1. ii. t ir....l i-.' 1, 1 t,.. ii, r..i.,,. i,n.-Aiul
purpose, a t an, uuuugll uic o.ii.iiu km j iinj uioiive i iiosiuii me toils in juiin
Govornment is enabled to dispense with revenue, that tax ought to be reduced,
and the revenue arising from the sales be thereby diminished. In the first place, it is to be observed that if, as has been before stated, the reduction of the price of the public lands should stimulate speculation, the consequence would probably be, at least for some years, an augmentation of the revenue from that source. Should it have the effect of speculation supposed, it would probably also retard the settlement of the new States, by placing the lands engrossed by speculators, in anticipation of increased value, beyond the reach of emigrants. If it were true (hat the price demanded by Government operated as a tax, the question would still remain whether that price exceeded thc fair value of the land which emigrants arc
i in the habit of purchasing? and, if it did
is no great temptation to speculation. Thc demand is regular, keeping pace wiih the progress of emigration, and is supplied on known ami moderate terms. If the price were much reduced, tlie
strongest incentives (o engrossment of n0(, there would be no just ground for
f .ir ...iralrnt. than it e
to the State or States from which Ihey were originally obtained. There would indeed be much more r.p.ity in the latter than ,n the fo.mer case. Nor is the moral resopo.i.ibilityof theGeneralGovemment at all weakPrea by tht oontiderali" tbt,ifit were o
the committee are desirous ol avoiding: land; but the lovernmcnt having no inanv delay, not altogether indi-pensa- j ducement to such acceleration, hashitbble, thev have availed themselves of a crto proceeded on (he liberal policy of report from the Secretary of the Trea- establishing;! moderate price, ami by sury to (he House of llepn sonfatives, subdivisions of the sections so as to ao under date the Gth April, 1832, hereto commodate the poorer citizens, has
the better lands would be presented to large capitalists; and the emigrant, instead of being able to purchase from his
own Government upon uniform and established conditions,might be compelled to give much higher and more fluctuating prices to the speculator. An illustration of this effect is alFoided by the military bounty lands granted during the late war. Thrown into the market ;it prices below thc Government rate,
thev notoriously became an object of
speculation, and have principally lal len into the hands of speculators, re
its reduction. And assuming it to be a tax, it might be proper to inquire who pays the 'tax? the new ortheold Slates ihe States that send out.or the States that receive the emigrants? In the next place, regarded as a tax, those who have heretolore made purchases at the higher rate, have already paid the. (ax, and are as much deserving the equitable consideration of the Government as those who might hereafter be disposed to purchase at the reduced rate. It is proper to add that, by the concluded on list faqk.