Litchfield enquirer., 1830-01-14


The subject of the public dOmaln has en-
gress, (parlallyl for several days past. II
Was OvItatcd In The house, on a resolution In.
trOducrd by Mr.. Hunt, Of Vermont, prOpO.
slug distribution Of the nett proceeds UC the
sales 0f the public lands among the several
states, for the purposes OF education and In.
ifrnal Improvement. Mr.. Martin, Of SOUIh.
Carhlna, offered an amendment, which re-
ouups the committee 10 whom the PROPOSE.
tiop cf Mr., Hunt may he referred, 10 report
'ac donations already made to the several
states, their value, SC. The amendment has
been resisted by several Of the western gen.
tlcmen, on the ground thnt the lands cGdPd
TO the new states for literary or religious pUr-
poses, are not gratMitirs, hut that they enter
cd into, and FORMED part Of the COnsderW.
ton Of the purchases made Of tho United
States and that 50 Gar NJ grants have been
made Cor the construction OG roads or canals,
they necessarily tend 10 promote settlement
on the lands 0f The United States; that the
residue OC the lands. of course meet with 4
more ready sale; and that the United StNtes'
az landholderS, have not horne more than
their equal proportion Wf the expense. IN crc-
ating facilities vt intercourse, nor NJ great as
they would have been compelled tO bear, 1t
their lands had not been exempt from taxa
ton BY the rules Of the hOuse. only one
hour each day IL devoted 10 resolutions, and
the discussion bids fair 10 be M intern,iNablc
as that on retrpnchmCnt, few sessions since |;
or as that on Gen. Smythe's resolution Ia a
mend the constitution, at the last session.
There is a mutual jealousy between the east
and the west. on the subject. The east, frnm
the mad projects Of Mr.. Benton, and other
demagogues, 10 led to conclude that the west
will, eventually, lay Claim 70 the public d..
mains as matter Ut right, while the west Is
Jealous that the east will adopt measures tO
retard emigration, and the improvements Of
that section Of the country. II cannot be-
disguised that there are many indications Of
disposition on the part Of many, both In and
out Of Congress, tn innOvate upon, 1t not en-.
iirrly to destroy, the present land system.
This has arisen, In some measure, from the
desire. on the part Of the political parties m
the late presidential contest, To concillate the
feelings Of the west, but still more, in the
persons who have composed the committees
on public lands, for several years past.
Most of the eastern members who have
spoken on Mr.. Martins amendment, have adj.
mitted that Il there 10 to be n distribution of
the proceeds. as proposed, the grants hereto
fore made to the new states should not be
charged against them; and Mr.. A. Spencer,
in his remarks yesterday, said he was not GER
tain that further grants ought not to be made
to them, IN order to put them on footing Of
equality. There are many, who heretofore
have been opposed to any plan at distribution,
and have heen willing that the land system
should remain rs II Is, who have become
somewhat alarmed at the projects Of Mr..
Benton, and are now willing 10 second Mr..
Hunts project, who would have opposed It u
few years since.
The discussion IN the Senate arose on Mr..
FOOt's resolution to instruct the committee on
public lands ITO inquire into th@ expediency
Of limiting, for a cessesn period, the sales al
the public lands, to sWsh lands only as have
been heretofore Ofssr~A Tor sale, and are sub
ject to entry at the minimum price; and also,
whether the Office Of Surveyor General may
not b. abolished without detriment 10 the
public interest" You will sec by the debates
on this proposition, that Mr.. Benton has en-.
deavOred to marshal the west against the east,
and treats the resolution 40 a manifesto Of
hOstihies. Mr.. Foot has been ably sustain.
ed by Mr.. Holmes Of Maine, who seems to
have devoted some attention to this subject.
The eastern members, generally, appear to
have paid but little attention 10 this subject
heretofore and Il Is gratifying to know Il
will now be investigated. Whatever may be
the delusiOn Of the western people now, the
time 10 not Car remote when they will see that
Mr.. Benton, however pure his mo,ive,) has
been their most deadly foe.
BY report made in 1875, IL appears there
had then been surveyed Of the public lands,
about one hundred and thirty eight millions
Of acres, Of which only about nineteen mill.
ions had been sold. Since then, there have
been appropriated $4,000 annually, for ex.
tending the surveys; so that now there are
more than one hundred and thirty millions 10
the market owned by the United States. be-
side that which is owned by individuals hold
ing under Spanish grants, military resrrva-
tl".s and donation lands. OF that sold by the
United States, at least four millions were pur. |
chased by spectators, and are now in the |
market Cor sale. By continuing the surveys, |
the consequence will be. that other large |
tracts will be offered Cor sale, and emigrants |
will Toe spread over the western regions desti- |
tute of the cOnveniences Of life, and Of liter. |
AIRY, moral, or religious instruction. When |
half century shall have passed away, the |
lands now 10 market, capable Of cultivation, |
will not all Of them be settled. No greater
injury can he inflicted ON the western country,
than TO open other lands for sale.
N. y. Daily AdU.
Ertrac' Of another Latter, dated January Sch, $780,
Henry Baldwin Ean s,e u;ss .l,,,rut, D.