Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-05-05
POLITICAL
MISCELLANY.
MR.. BENTON's LAND BILL.

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where, Of the plausible and unPrincipled project OF
Col BENTON, to divest the United States Of all
their Western lands, under the popular pretence OF
graduating their prices and ceding TO the West,
what should remain on hand, after an attempt to
sell at such nominal prices. The effect Of this
measure, as proAigate as it is wasteful, was never
better expressed than in the following extracts from
Mr.. Clayton's speech lately delivered in the Sen
ate, on Mr.. Foot's resolution, and distinguished for
its sound, constitutional doctrines.
"Iproceed now sir, to brief examina-
ton Of what conceive to have been the
origin of protracted s. discursive debate.
We have bill on our files entitled, a
bill "to graduate the price of the public
lands, to make provision for actual set
tiers, and to cede the refuse upon equit-
able terms, and for meritorious objects,
to the States in which they lie"-the
same, sir, which has been alluded to by
the Senator from Missouri Mr.. Benton)
under the designation of "my graduation
BILL The Ill rofcrred to proposes to
limit the prices Of these lands at once, to
one dollar per acre, and gradually to re-
duce those prices at the rate of twenty
five per cent. per annum, until the lands
shall be offered, after the expiration of
the third year, at twenty-five cents per
acre. 1t further proposes to sell lands
to actual settlers, whether tresspassers or
not, at gradually reduced prices, until,
after the expiration of the third year,
they are to receive them at five cents
per acre. Ifthat miserable pttancc be
not then paid, it proposes to cedc eighty
acres to every such settler, "without the
payment of any consideration, and as a
donation"-and finally, by the terms of
it all the lands which shall remain not
disposed Of by these, means at the end
Of five years, are to be given to the
States in which they lie upon these con-
ditions merely-that they shall apply
them to the promotion Of education and
internal Improvement at home, and refund
to the Government the expenses of the
surveys of the lands so ceded, at the rate
Of two hundred and sixteen dollars for
each township of twcnty-three thousand
acres. In consequence ofthc enactment
of such law, probably very little would
be bought until the expiration of the
third year, when, if the interference of
these States with a view to secure the
whole to themselves for nothing, should
not prevent the sales altogether; the
lands would be purchased at a nominal
price. Such measure, sir, would not
only be unjust to the citizens Of the old
States, but highly injurious to the West
ern settlers who have heretofore bought
lands at full and fair consideration
The value of property is merely relative,
and is either enhanced or diminished by
the estimate placed upon other property
ofthe same kind. Ifa hundred millions
of acres be thrown into market at twenty
five cents per acre, and large quantity
of land be offered TO actual settlers at
the same time at five cents per acre,
the value ofthat which has been bought
bv far purchasers at two dollars or at
one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre,
Is at once, other circumstances being
equal, sunk to level with the selling
price Of all the lands around it, We
know the operation upon our real pro-
perty, in all parts of the Union, Of the
exposure at public sale Of any very con-
siderable portion Of real property adjoin-
ing it. We know that ifa great landed
proprietor sells me tract in the midst of
ofhis possessions at fifty dollars per acre,
and then, from pecuniary embarrassment
or from any other cause, exposes the
residue to sale by which he realizes on
ly five dollars per acre for lands of equal
fertility and advantages, my land, as an
effect Of this, is reduced to his last sell
ling price. When he puts a million of
acres around mine into market at nom
i'al sum, he equally diminishes the sell
ling value Of mine by the act, whether
his motive for doing so be to augment
population, and improve the country, or
wantonly to effect my ruin. And should
this bill become a law, the former pur-
chasers who have paid full value would
in consequence of the depreciation ofthc
property occasioned by the enactment,
have better equitable right to remuner-
alton for losses by the Government, than
many claimants whose demands are an
nually liquidated here without our hear
ing note of remonstrance against them.
This bill has been pending here for the
last four years; and the disposition evinc-
cd to entertain it as a subject for future
decision, has cherished expectations
which are sedulously encouraged by ru-
mors in the West, that its provisions will
eventually be adopted. Ifmy information
be correct, and Western gentlemen near
me can bear witness that it is so, antic-
Pations have been too generally indulg-
ed that these lands will, before long, be
offered for nothing. This must tend to
impede our sales, and perhaps to some
extent to suspend the settlement of our
Western fronticr-n result I annnonn 10 II