Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-12-04

ciples Of honor and justice, with the highel
obligations of morals, and Of general laws, hu'
man and divine, which constitute the great dis
:inclion between the warrior patriot, and thu
licensed robber and pirate; these can be sys
,ema,icaliy taught and emineutly acquired
only in a permanent school, stationed Gpor
| the shore, and provided with The teachers, The
! instruments, and the books; conversant with
| and adapted 10 the communication OF the prin'
ciples of these respective sciences 10 The youth
ful and enquiring mind.
A report from tho 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 ltcannot be an
over sanguine estimate to predict that in less
than ten years, of which one alfhave elapsed ,lhe
receipt. 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 add
rional services have been obtained at reduced
rates of compensation. Within the last year
the transportation ofthe mail in stages hes been
greatly augmented. The number Of Post Ofiic-
es has been increased 10 seven thousand; and II
may be anticipated that while the facilities OF
intercourse between fellow citizens in person
or by correspondence, will soon be carried 10
the door of every villager in the Union, a
yearly surplus of revenue will accrue, which
NAV be applied as the wisdom OF Congress,
under the exercise Of their constitutional pow
ers, NAV devise, for the further establishment
and i'm orovcment Of the public Roads, or by
adding still further to the aCiities in the Il rams
portation of the mails. or the indications oil
the PHOSPHORUS condition of our country, rome
can be more pleasing than those presented by
the multiplying relations personal and init
mate intercourse between the citizens of the
Union dwelling at the remotest distances from
each other.
Among the subjects which have heretofore
occupied the earnest so,iCitude and attention
Of Congress, is the management and disposal
Of that portion Of the properly of the Nation
which consists ofthe public lands. The acqul-
stion of them, made at the expense OF the
whole Union, not only in treasure but in blood,
marks a RICH; Of property in them equally ex-
tensive. BY the report and statements from
the General Land Office now communicated,
il appears that under The present Government
Of the United States sum little short oil thirty
three millions Of dollars has been paid from
the common Treasury fer that portion of this
property which has been purchased from
France and Spain, and for the extinction of the
aboriginal titles. The amount oflands acqulr-
ed is near two hundred and sixty millions OF
acres, of which, on 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
4 IL. lx,t 81, rho-
sers of the lands sold is not yet equal to 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 Nation; pledge from which we
have reason to hope that they will in very
few years be redeemed The system upon which
this great National interest has been managed
was the result of long, anxious and persevering
elaboration; matured and modified by the pro-
gress of our population, and the lessons OF ex
perience, it has been hitherto eminently sue
cessful More than n ne tenths of the lands
will remain the common property OF the Un
ion: the appropriation and disposal of which
are sacred trusts in the hands of Congress. Oh
the lands sold, considerable part were convey
| ed under extended credits, which, in the vlcls
I STUDIES, and fluctuations in the value OF lands
| and of their produce, became progressively 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-
gagements In March, 1921, debt of twenty
two millions of dollars, due by purchasers o.
the public lands, had accumulated, which they
were unable to pay An act of Congress, o.
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
naming balance of about four millions three
hundred thousand dollars due; more than three
6fths Of which are for lands within the State
of Alabama. I recommend TO Congress thu
revival and continuance for a, further term, o
the beneficent accommodations OF the public
debtors, of that statute; and submit to thel'
consideration, in the same spirit of equity, the
remission, under proper determinations, o.
the forfeitures Of partial payments on accoun
of purchases of the public lands, so far as to