Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-12-05


only in permanent school, stationed upon
| the shore, aud provided with the teachers, the
! instruments, and the books; conversant with
and adapted TO the communication Of the prin-
ciples OF these respective sciences to The youth
ful and enqairing mind.
a report from the Post Master General
exhibits the condition of that Department, as
highly satisfactory for the present, and still
more promising for The future. Its receipts
for the year ending the first Of July last amount.
ed to one million four hundred and seventy
three thousand five hundred and City one dol
lars, and exceeded its expenditures by upwards
Of one hundred thousand dollars 1t cannot be an
over sanguine estimate to predict that in less
than ten years of which one half have elapsed the
receipts will have been more than doubled In
the mean time, reduced expenditure upon
established routes has kept pace with increased
facilities Of public accommodation, and addi-
tionai services have been obtained at reduced
rats Of compensation Within the last year
the transportation olthe mail in stages has been
greatly augmented. The number Of Post Ofic-
cs has been increased to seven thousand; and IL
may be anticipated that while the facilities OF
intercourse between fellow citizens in person
or by correspondence, will soon be carried TO
the door of every vllagcr in the Union, a
yearly surplus OF revenue will accrue, which
may be applied as the wisdom of Congress,
under the exercise Of their constitutional pow
ers, may devise, for the further establishment
and improvement OF the public Roads, or by
adding still fur her to The facilities in the II
por,ation of the mails. or the indications OF
the prosperous condition Of our country, none
can be more pleasing than those presented by
the multiplying relations of personal and init
mate intercourse between tie citizens Of the
Union dwelling at the remolesl distances froIa
each other.
Among the subjects which have heretofore
occupied the earnest solictude and attention
Of Congress, is the management and disposal
Of that portion OF the properly Of the Nation
which consists fthe public lands. The acqul-
sition of them, made at the expense oil the
whole Union, not only in treasure but in BLOOD
marks RICH; Of property in them equally ex-
tensiye BY the report and statements from
the General Land Office now communicated;
it appears that under The present Government
oe the United Sta,esa sum little short OF thirty
three millions of dollars has been paid nom
| the common Treasury for that portion cf This
property which has been purchased from
France and Spain, and for the extinction oil the
aboriginal titles. The amount oflands acluiT-
ed is near two hundred and sixty millions oil
acres, of which, OF the first OF January, 1926,
about one hundred and thirty nine millions OF
acres had been surveyed, and little more than
nineteen millions OF acres had been sold. The
amount paid into the Treasury by the-Purcha'
! sers of the lands sold is not yet equal 70 the
sums paid for the whole but leaves small ba-
lance to be refunded; the proceeds OF the sales
of the lands have long been pledged to the Gre
ditors Of the Nations; pledge from which we
have reason to hope that they will IN very
| few wears be redeemed The system upon W hlc h
| this great National interest has been managed
was the result of long, anxious and perscverlng
elaboration; matured and modified by the pro-
| Or, SIS of our population, and the lessons of eX
nerience, it has been hitherto cminently sue
cessful. More than n ne tenths OF the lands
will remain the common property OF the On
ion: the appropriation and disposal OF which
are sacred trusts in the hands OF Congress. VI
tbe lands sold, a considerable part were convey
ed under extended credits, which, in the vlcis
STUDIES. and fluctuations in the value OF lands,
and Of their produce. became oppressively bur
densome to the purchasers 1t can never be
the interest or the policy OF the nation to
| wiring from its own citizens the reasonable pro
fits of their industry and enterprise, by holding
them to the rigorous import OF disastrous en-
eagements. In March, 1921, debt OF twenty
| two millions oil dollars, Quc ID: PURCHASERS vi
the public lands, had accumulated, which they
were unable to pay. An act of Congress, OF
the I'd of March, 1921, came to their relief, and
has been succeeded by others, the latest being
the &C, of the 4th of May, 1926, the indulgen'
provisions of which expired on the 4th OF Ju
" last. The effect of these laws has been &c
reduce the debt from the purchasers, to re
manning balance Of about four millions three
hundred thousand dollars due; more than three
6fths of which are for lands within the State
ofAlabama. recommend TO Congress the
revival and con inuancc for a'further term, OF
the benefcent accommodations OF the puonc
4 debtors, of tina, statute; and submit to thei'
consideration, in the same spirit OF equity, the
remission, under proper determinations, OF
the forfeitures of partial payments on account
. of purchases of the public lands, SO lar as 'o
allow of their application to other payments:
There are various other subjects OF deep IN
terest to the whole Union, which have here
tofore been recommended to the consideration
of Congress, as well by my predecessors as
| ,J.r tba ;,nnraSs;,n of the duties devolvlng