Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-02-27

| hloiN SluitdOiC thdiI tiiC tSIuCi W III
former purchaser of the option of pay
ing, on given day, the whole sum 70
any tract of land, subject to deductio
equal to the proportion which the forlne
minimum price bears to the present.
Considering the state of the Treasur
any measure which will increase the pay
ments on account of the debt due for tn
public land ought to receive due con
sideration. For the want of punctualit,
in the payment Of this debt, the govern
ment is compelled to borrow money
A reduction Tor prompt payment, not in.
consistent with the equity, would greatly
increase the payments into the Treasury
during the present year, and correspon-
IDENTITY diminish the amount necessary to
be obtained by loan. 1t may appear up.
on FIRST consideration, that the foregoing
provisions present all the relief to which
the parties are equitably entitled, am
which the government can, consistently
with due regard to justice, grant. i
may be urged that, after the parties have
been permitted to relnquish such part
of the land purchased by them as they
may think proper, and reasonable de-
duction made for prompt payment has
been rendered to them that no cause of
complaint can exist, no case of oppres-
sion can occur. To this it may be an
swered, that cases may still exist in which
may be the interest of the parties TO suf-
fer the lands purchased by them TO re-
vert. Under the former system, tracts
of moi less than loo acres were sold,
with the exception Of sections No. ., s.,
90, %, and so, in each township, which
were divided into headquarters, in the
former case, where but single tract
has been purchased by an individual, the
right of REIMBURSEMENT cannot, in many
instances, be exercised without great
loss to the purchaser; and in the latter,
it would be inconvenient and impolitic to
admit of the rightgo relinquish. IN such
cases, the parties are presumed, from
the quantity purchased, to be poor; their
poverty will probably disable them from
making prompt payment. They will,
therefore, be driven to the necessity of
their small farms to revert. If|
saved from this necessity, it will be by
he compliance with terms from which
hey see their wealthy neiyhbors exempt.
But, it has been shewn to be their int
est to suffer their lands to revert and
un the risk of re.purchasing, when the |
and shall be again offered for sale. 1t
certainly never can be sound policy, in |
ny government, to act in such manner |
S to make it the interest of its citizens
and from regard to their
'ecuniary interests, to incur forleitures,
nd to fail in the fulfilment of engage
nen's, which, though not legally, ought |
lways to be considered morally, bind |
ng. Such an example could not fail to |
ave baleful influence upon the public |
Such All example will be ex-
'iblted by the act of the 24th Of April, !
$50, reducing the minimum price oil
he public land from 200 70 1875 cents an |
icre, ii the Sd section of the bill or one
to 1t in principle, shall not be
'dop'ed by the national legislature. BY |
hat act, it is clearly made the interes, Of |
he purchaser to fail in his a Eagements
With the government, and r,in he risk of |
purchasing ct cheaper rate when the |
ands Shall be re-odered Tor sale. TIE
bird provision is clearly an alternative
iiered to those who cannot accept of the |
ecend; all those whose pecuniary
means will not enable them to avail |
themselves oil the second, will consider
hat justice is unequitably distributed be-
ween the poor and the rich, If, by the |
eiectien of The third, they ayc compelled,
rom a regard to their interest, to suffer |
neir small farms to revert to the United
,tates.
But the third section of the bill is
trongly recommended to the attention
t the Senate. tst. Because it will pre-
entreversions. I'd. VIII secure great
r revenue from the land retained THAI
il was suffered TO revert; and, Sd. |
F,!l produce greater degree Of pune
laEty in the payments into the Tressu-
y during the time of its operation, than !
an be obtained by any other provision in |
ne power Of the Legislature to adopt. |
! there was no other recommendation In
s favor, this ought to command the ur-
ealihea assent Of the Senate. The
purchaser will see, in the conditions
endered, sufficient inducement to a.
old reversion, and inducements no.
ess strong will irnpel him to the most
igid panctuality in making the payments
eqaired BY the provisions of the section.
In favor of the term of eight years,
,bich has been fixed upon by majority
I the committee, it may be urged, that
&c indulgence which has been hereto
're granted by Congress, has, in some