The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-22
From the Farmers Cabinet.

This is subject with which every citizen of the
United States ought to make himself familiar, and
to feel in 1t all the interest," which its importance
demands. few facts will be stated in order to
show its magnitude The Public Lands, large
proportion of which are the richest in the world
are in extent sufficient to form the most powe full
empire on earth, and to sustain population of one
hundred millions of souls. The number of acres
is estimated at one billion eighty millions. TAX
ing the free population Of the United States at ter
millions, there will be more than hundred
acres for every soul, or from FIVE hundred TO one
thousand acres for every family.
These lands are the property OF the Union or Of
all the States. They were acquired by treaty with
England, by the Louisiana treaty, by the Florida
treaty, hy cessions from the States and by the ex-
tnguishment by the United States Government, of
the Indian title. That these purchases and these
cessions were made for the common benefit of the
whole Union, no man of common honesty and in
the possession of common sense can doubt. The
language of the instrument of cession from the
States is of the following purport, and that of Vr
gina. the most important. is in the following
words -" As a common fund referring to the
lands ceded1 for the and benefit Of such of the
United States as have become, or shall become
members of the confederation or federal alliance
Of the said States, Virginia inclusive"
BY the Constitution of the United States, " Con-
gress have power to dispose of and make all useful
rules and regulations respecting the territory
other property of the United States" Under this
authority the corner stone regulation established
by Congress, is, that none of the public domain
shall be offered for sale until it was accurately and
rigdly surveyed and marked off into townships.
and sections, which sections divided into quar-
ter sections and half quarter sections. A town
ship contains six square miles, each square mile
constituting section of which there thirty
IN each township. section OF course contains
$40 acres a quarter section 100 acres and a half
quarter section 81 acres Of late, believe, that
quarter sections, or 10 acres, have been sold by
Government to actual settlers. Formerly the min
imum price was two dollars per acre. but it has
lately been reduced to one dollar and twenty five
cents per acre. On all sales 5 per cent. is rese:v
ed the State in which the land hes. three -ftths
Of which B per cent. is to be expended by Con-
gress in making roads to and for the States in
which the land lies, and two-fiiths of said per
cent. is to be expended by the respective States
the encouragement of learning.
Up to the present time about $50 millions OF
acres of these public LANES have been surveyed OF
these, 20 millions of acres have been sold, 20 mil
lions have been granted by Congress for education,
internal Improvement, and other purposes, 30 mil
lions are now in the market for sale, and so mil
liens have not been offered for sale.
From the rapid increase of our population, and
the increasing ability of the people, there has
been and there will continue to be increasing
sale Of these lands. The proceeds of sales for the
last year amounted to the enormous sum OF three
millions FIVE hundred and sixty-six Thousand dol
lars. 1t is probable estimate that these sales
will annually increase sixth or about $500 900,
of course that in the current year, the proceeds
will amount to more that four mill ons of dollars.
While the public debt was unpaid, all parts of
the Union were content that the proceeds of these
sales should go towards its eYtinguishment. But
the time approached, when there would be no
public debt and the Treasury was overwhelmed,
various schemes. distinguished for their wdness
and injustice. were put in agitation for the DISPOSE
zion, or rather the squandering away OF this i'm
mcnse property. Speculation Of the most hagi-
tiOus and grasping character, has been busIly at
work upon it, IL has been for several years The
hobby of Mr. Senator Benton of Missouri. He
has rode it with the desperation of a Don Quixotc
until every bone in its body is as plainly to be seen
those of the Don's Rosinante.
Among the most wild and unjust schemes was,
that OF the States res Iectlvey claiming such por
tons of this domain fall within their border on
the alleged ground, that it is unconstitutional for
tho General Government to hold land within
State. Thus the Government were to be relieved
from the trouble OF managing and disposng of this
property for the benefit of all the States MIR.
Clay IN his speech in the Senate, thus humurously
refers to this project; "One OF these ptetensiuns
s, an assumption Of the sovereign right OF the new
States to all the lands within their respective linn
its, TO the exclusion of the General Government
and to the exclusion of all the people of the United
States, those IN the new States only excepted. 1t
is my purpose now to trace the origin, examine
the nature and expose the injustice of this preten
slun ~ may DC Ialrly ascrIDed 10 the propositions
OF the gentleman from Missouri, MIR. Benton to
graduate the public lands, to reduce the price and
TO cede the refuse IA term which | he eve orgi.
mated with himl TO the States within which they lie
Prompted probably by these propositions, late
Governor OF Illinois, unwilling 10 he outdone, pre-.
scented an elaborate message to the Legislature of
that State, in which he grayey and formally as.
serted the right Of that State to all the land of
the United States comprehended within its limits.
1t must be allowed that the Governor was most
impartial judge and the Legislature a most disin,
terested tribunal to decide such question. The
Senator from Missouri was chanting most swcetly
to the tune " Refuse lands" Refuse lands y
Refuse lands" on the Missouri side of the Mis-.
sissippi: and The soft strains of his music having
caught the ear Of his Excollency on The Illinois