Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-02-04
g UT . Is,AS Sa
Nv !SEyVATE, January -.
DlIRI IN NnS

| Nv SE.NdTE, January 10.
! PUBLIC LANDS
Mr.. Foo's resolution for suspending the SURVEYS nj
the public lands, SC. being under COZ. idcration-
Mr. Holmes rose aud sad if seme stranger had hap
pehed TO have been in the SeBa e, when the Senator
from Missouri, Mr. Btuion) rose in the debate OF y.s-
,erday. and had listened to him throug hou he woul
have been led 10 conclude, that the thirteen Unit-d
States were thirteen fyrans: that they had driven TN.
eng ants the West, exposed TO savag. beasts and
savage m-n: that they al not only withheld popu !.
'i1 but had extended TO them the hand OF opp rssion;
ihd, inspite OF the savages the hand, aud our
Tyranny OH the o'hrr, they had grown and houri.hed
that we had di'regarda their complaints aud remon.
sranc's "as tue cap icious SOU Ills OF child which
did not know whether II was aggrieved or no,:" that
this child had at length acqnred the voice, vgor and
courage oil a man-had risen up, and hurled defiance
IN the teeth OF s unnatural parent that
prevailed; that discod swapping her whip of
pons-'he torch oil rebellion was gbted-the flames OF
civil war were kindcdand this resolution was TO seal
their sujugAtion; but when he came 10 learn that 10
and behold no hing intended but TO inquire
whether sufficient quantity Of our land ready for
sale, TO supply the demand; and il so, whether some of
the officers employed in surveying them nigh, not be
dispensed WIN ne would be surprised, and suppose it
was dream Thus, said Mr.. H., does impa STONED elo
gurnce magnify small affair Into fearful rophe
There is danger Of excitement who has created that
danger! Surely, the Senators who have opposed the
resolution Had passed sub stemtio as il was in the
ordinary course OF business the would have tho
no hing OF H. This Dquiry 10 demanded Tor the infor-
nation OF the Senate aud the People. They want light
We an inquiry, and now, by this preliminary and
premature dscu sion, the gentlemen have pac the m
selves in this dilemma-it we make ia. inouirv vou A.
larm the Wesii suppress it, the East will susp. RI
you ln these days, when reform has be en- promised
md Is expected, ask for Information on subject s,
important public domain, and this Information s
refused. What will I've the inference! You raise eyery
wherc suspcion and jealousy, that rhiNg is wrong
which will not bear the light Sir is no, for ns who
call Tor this inquiry, to give detail OF the
quantity, quality and location of these lands nor of the
number, duies, and enolumenis Of the officer employ
ed. Ii would be admitting once, that we have an
the information The resolution seeks. There are the
very ooIes'' Of me anqu,ry' I'VE We may have some
have fire great land districts, viz: l. Ohio and Indiana:
Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas; s. Souih of The
Tennessee including Mississippi aud Louisian4; L. A.
Iabama; Florida In all these we have SURVEYED
40 600 0U0sold and granted about 80 900 900 lrav
ing than 100 900 900 of sill Tor sale The
quantity reserved by or coded TO the Safes probably
no, les than $4,000 900; and what is in the hands of
specui 'or', who purcha'ed cultivate but 4, sell
and other large claimants undsr foreign grants moi
less Than % 1000 900 nore making grand aggregate
oil 200 600 600 OF acres ready for purchaser Now
il 100 arres is sufficient Tor farm, which will sustain
family of six persons, there i. already enough from
these different sources TO accommodate IL 900 900 OF
PERSONS equal to the whole population OF the Unitei
State But, suppose that half of this s unfit for
cultivation, "a large deduction in country described
"a perfect parndise,) then il woud be only sufcien,
Tor sLr millions Ii tten, you have enough already
surveyed TO supply only six millions, il necessary 10
be at the OF surveying m9re or rather il il dan
gerous to inquire into the expediency ofduing in This
question is the more impressive, when we re- fleet that
tis West contains 900 900 of and ONLY %
600 600 Of The public lands have yet been sold. And
repeat had this inquiry been permitted from the usu
al courtesy of the nate, no excitement might have
been apprehended from any quarter-a woulI have
believed IL was in the spirit of REFORM; and comm from
the quarter does, that there since riiy in i,
let us zee at least whether have not officers in
this department, who have nothing TO do, no'hine
which we may want done for many years. II So in.
stead OF -mpy professions TO amuse if deceive The
People. lttus set to woIk in earnest
Bu', we tod that need direct the Commit.
tee to inquire, for gentlemen are able 10 give us
all necessary information. Now, two Senator'S have
| volunteered to inform ia. We expected and had a
right to exp,c Diet allied statement explicit az the
report of The Committees Tor nothing else would fairly
and properly di.p'nse with the inquiry. But sir /,
was fairly predicted, that 10 give in speech clear
precise and accurate statement in de all Of the aaD-
y, value an location Of the lands would be an NJ.
tempt 10 which man is equal and If he was, il is
in the power OF the human mind TO comprehend H.,
merely by hearing tan 30 his turned out. The
Senator rom Illinois, (Mr Kane has attempted il in
vain. Has any obtained The Information we ask
from what he has said? Ifhe has developed the whole
subject, for one, unior innate not to compre
bend IT, He did, to be sure tell va that the whole svs-
ten needed modiicstion-the strongest argument for
inquiry. anil yet he was against il
The Senator from MissoHri, (Mr. Benton,) has not
even aiiempedit His remarks, when they applied 10
the subj set at all, were confined chiefly TO bic
State only small portion Of Of the FIVE great land
Districts Ia ibi. giving ull view ofbe whole subject
u is no compliment TO underssn iingN 10 pretend
it, The Opposers of the inquiry driven 10 one Of
Two grounds; that they have already informed Va,
that we have right 10 know But the Information
yet given il utterly defective, and consists in deelama
ion the sufFrrings Of tbs Wet Your hand Of op.
preston rests heavy on herso heavy, that you mrst
not even iHquir into her condition; And will u be
pretended dat the People fthe United States bave
right TO understand the condition Of their lAndE IL in
10 nation TO he locked mp, and IL The West exclusively
to keep the keys Sir, il refuse TO op~n the doors
the People will break them No secrets! No secrets !
lie; know every thing which concerns our property
or our liberty.
But, Gays the Senator from Missouri (Mr. B II you
abolish the offices Of surveyO,A, The records will be Ia
ken away, and he People will he deprived Of their evil
dences Of title IndeSdl How does this iollowl II
would be strange, iO|ecd IL in abolisbng office, IL
eyosd The p>wer OF LEGISLATION 10 provide for pre-
serving The rerords, aud authennoadng copies. be-
lew it, that every Legislature has, in dispensing with
an sce taken preserve the record', and pro-
vide the means Of usDC them. IL 10 perfect non Sc.
/ qtitur; aud utter inconseqUenee, that the records
would share the fate OF the Office
But the resolution does not far enough; II is con-
| 6nsd 10 the surveyors Now, cir, should suppose
rat " could look upon this objection with ordinary
gravity, that should tie Committee fepor, 10 abolish
the principal Offices. IL you'd be py far exceeding
their Authority TO determine that The subordinate and