The Arkansas advocate., 1832-02-15
lay, Joseph Roberts, and William J. Duane.''
From the Culpepper Gaxene.
 TERRIrORIAI. TAXES.

HluHlcalloh upon subject, which con- slder embraces within its scope, justice on the one hand and policy on the other, andwhichrelatestothe soldiers softbel late war; At the commencement of that war, the difficulty of raising an army by enlistments for a tenn Of five years, presume is well remembered. We had, as nation, enjoyed an unin- terrnPted peace for so long time, that the military ardor of the nation was well near expended: and the civil hab- Its of our people produced feelings d. verse to encountering the turmoils and
 dangers Of #ar sace. Siaiceh. was much ii ttts
 condition of our people when the last war was declared. In the provisionso the first law for raising an army after that war was declared, the greatest in- ducement to enlistnents sa bounty. was the offer of one hundred and sixty a. cres ot land to the recruits, which was to be located and laid off 10 him. in the then territories of Indiana, Illinois and Mich- igan. Subsequently and just before the close of the war, on the llth of Decem- Der, lSl4, law was passed by Con- gress, increasing the bounty to recruits from the paltry sum of Sl6, the cash bounty, and iG0 acres of land, to Si24 cash, and 320 acres of land which great increase inthe cash bounty, evidently re- suited from the difficulty in procuring recruits for the army; thus the recruits that entered the service under that law. received large bounty in cash and land, and rendered no service. whilst the first enlistments fought the battles. rendered all the service, and covered themselves with glory in their splendid achievements on the northwestern and southern frontiers of the Union; and upon their discharge, or term of service expiring, received their land bounty. which, instead of being located in the territories as expected by them. very large proportion was laid off in the then territories of Missouri and Arkansas. and the lands in the last named territo- ry not so valuable as in either of the others. That circumstance was unjust. and operated uneqaally upon the sol dlers. They had been promised good lands in the territories of Indiana, lll- nois, or Michigan. But the grievance is but small, compared with the actual operation Of the territorial laws. par ticularly of that of Arkansas. Under the laws Of that territory, the taxes on military bounty lands are extremely onerous; on a quarter section of unin- proved land, {say l60 acres,) the tax has been fora series of years past two dol dars and fifty cents. and l am informed that much of the land would not sell for fifty cents per acre. This surely will be considered a burthensome impo- sltlon on property of such value, and may induce the owner to neglect the payment of the taxes. and surrender his right to avoid such an imposition. But add to this, if the soldier is not conven- iently situated to make the paymenthim- self-the eostof the transmission. .and at the same time the uncertainty attending it's proper application, which, if it occurs, forfeits his land. lfhepays throughan an a. l gentatthe city of Washington, the sum is Increased to fourdollars the annual tax a year. There is also much reason to suspect, as has been experienced in most of our new countries, that peculation and fraud is practiced, and that when the soldier, who may have paid his tax es, and happens to be the fortunate own CT of choice section, goes to seat it. he will ind it owned by some person who has purchased under some territorial forfeiture, and thus be deprived of the small pittance which his country gave him for his faithful service. If this statement is correct, and there is too much reason to fear that if will be found by many to he true, ttr:ee surely tle the soldier who looks to his country and its govern ment as his guardian and friend. will have good ground to complain that his rights and his convenience have been neglected. Had Congress passed law creating an office at the city of Wash lngton, for thepayment of the taxes on the military lands, it would have produ- ced much good to the soldiers, and ma ny q dollar saved to them.
 Much may Yet be done by the crea- ton Of such an office, and surely what is so apparent upon it's face, will no lon- ger be delayed. It may be urped that speculators have purchased the most of the claims, many may be forfeited by l the soldierS themsalvos # ,y;ll ,.+ L .