Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-02-03
From the NationiIntelligeneen

From the acknowledgements
The iniloalng sxIct Dt IL er from
cti1en oil Illinois gives a stfI~ing
, view OF The =condnld OF the people oil
, that state, who are ideo 10 the Unred
States ior laads. Lbs probable that The
subleot VIII engage lie attention of Coa-
sress during the preent session.:
" Ii certainly, thei, is correct and ho-
nest policy To endeior to 'emove the
cause oil despoadencg as Tar as can be
accomplished by legislative aid, espe-
cla!ly when thu aid is Imperiously de-
named by The circumstances oIthe
people, independent of any puitical
considerations What can Congress
gain by Withholding It? The privilege
OF selling forfeited land from two to ,iS
years hence at the minimum price. The
sales al Sabsamo show thai there will be.
no oVer-6id3ing = aud, although N ar
ganent 10 quiet the minds OF land debt
ors should be del,ced tron this, yel
sn8fdn8e, uhcertanfg, and consequent
m8ecufsty, must hrmept the mnl OF
every United 5 ates debtor tor nublif
| land. II ii were a tcbt regulated IN
our state laws, there would Be mu1a
: more hope but wheo there can be ~
deiay-where The iprtgit is immediate
on The date OF payment, it is diseoura.
/ sing.
In Montgomery county, M.Davld's
/ quarter section. With OF payment and
good Improvement, wal. am informed,
appraised To $40 and sould no, be sold
at auction at two third of the asDrals-
nent; whereas, If thae had been as
much land patented as ihe one payment
Wonld cover, l. e. 40 aerrs, i would pro-
badly have sold Tor 5 10 under execu-
ton, and have been chcSp al thar.
:" But when land is thus offered, either
| at public or pr, ate sal 6, the reflection IS,
i must pay $40 in good money, TO get
tlIle freed irun ncunlbrsnee. IKE
another instance: Ail hazel Dodd b ugh
/ lhree quarter seclions six miles from
ahdalla, ON the road 10 Grgenvilie,
wIh one payment on each. one at s.,
one a; 5 81, and the other 81 90 pr
acre, amounting To 1854 40. If ain 81
20 relinonish, ,his would lurnIsh 10
acres clear, ms ad of $50 acres lncuin
bered with debt to the United SaJ
'oi Sll53 ID. Thi> pacc IS now D..
sessed By J1an LiBdley. he has mai
no payment, AMI intends 70 make none
WHAT rational msn you'd If he were
able /! When The eight years roll around
lhe whole 430 acres Can be Obtained Tor
six hundred dollars Ia he mean ,lme
haWcVer, n consequence OF tue l9sec0e,
", Notwithstanding the Improvement
are good, the land viii be barersd for
less taaa the en- ry money, to different
purchasers, and the Improvements pe
come stationary or rulr0grade. Ths
samoremark appl generally TO ipcum-
bered lands, aod Congress w,i ,hns il
tact retard the growth Of Improvement.
the prosperity OF the cnnntrv, and In
consequence diminish the United s ates'
resources by depre ciatiog tie value OF
the ua8oi3, while she receives ittie or
nothing from the partially hurchased
iand. The United States then, are H.
tbs predlcameDt, that they must TAKE 81
D.
hence, from the very land which he
no@ withhold from marke, by firbiddin,
accomplishment; when, if ,hey permit
ted II, they might hro6a6iy get the same
sum before that period, and for more
land.
In my opinion, therefore, it is no les,
The pecupilry interest of Congress t.
permit reli punishment, than il Is Of the
people to obtain 1t; aud their future in
teres!s will be reciproca.iy increased
Congress did wissly in ropealiDg the
credit law; yet, by so doing, they have
crea,ed the very evils of which their for.
mer creditors compiain; AMI if these
creditors can retaliate in ~ other mode,
the loss o. timber by extravagsnce in IT'S
nse, 7o{H materially diminish ne palue /
Jfhe forfeited land. II Will not even
sell at,he minimum price, while so mueh
untouched remains unsold.
f" Two pr three months sincei bad pub
lished in the Edwaris~.iie Spectator, a
nnmber OF cases, requiring, in Justice,
humanity, and policy. relief. You may
GOSSIP y have seen the number: yet,
since that time, thew have b. en- observed
lo De still more numerous, and | doubt |
not that many have fallpn under your
notice. You will, rus, excuse me
for again intrudng this subject on your
no,ice, and or the tediousness of the de-
tails; bn, | believe it - be of so great
importance to the community, knoz1 il
TO be of so vit | importance to many