Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-08-08

uabe-a large share of which never will sell, at
any price, other than nominal, and some not even
lat that.
1t is well known and admitted fact, that nearly
all the population fthe new States are. and from
the nature of things ever will be, cultivators of
the soil. And how does it quadrate with the
principles of justice, to require of the present
purchaser the same price for inferior land, that
you have charged for superior quality. worth, in
most instances, from fifty to thousand per cent.
more.
BY keeping up the present price for the refuse
lands, the emIgrant and new settler, the landless
and poor, are driven to the hard choice of either
purchasing inferior lands at the same rate of their
more fortunate neighbors, who have selected and
purchased the better portions of the country, or
OF becoming the tenants Of these neighbors; or
OF doing still worse-becoming squatters on these
very lands of which they would willingly have
been the purchasers at a fair price,
And OF all situations connected with the cul-
tvation of the soil, that of the squatter is the
most unfortunate. Passing over his liability to-
be sued by the Government, for what your laws
make trespass; but which, and to the credit be
it spoken of our officers who have in charge this
subject, are rarely enforced: he is insecure, for
single hour, in the quiet enjoyment of even this
humble and temporary home. He settles upon
the public land, opens and improves small farm,
in hopes, ere long, by his industry and economy,
to enable himself to become the owner, at your
extortious price. But often, while thus engage
ed, the cupdity of the Speculation is attracted by
the improvement he has made-his farm is en-
tered over his head, and the settler ejected-per-
haps while his crop is yet upon the ground, and
ready for the sickle, or completed to submit to the
payment of rent for the enjoyment of improve.
ments made by the sweat of his own brow.
The policy ofa reduction in price is three.fold:
to the settler; to the States and Territories in
Inch the lands are situated and to the Govern
ment
Under liberal system of administering the
public lands; thousands upon thousands of poor
and meritorious citizens, from all parts of the
Union, would, from the humble and oppressed
state Of tenants, become freeholders, and with
he cheering assurance that their labor was for
their own comfort and profit alone, would be slim
llated to new exertious and more vigorous ac-
sion. Many, very many would cease to be
squatters and become purchasers; and from that
transient state, which is always attended with
loss to the husbandmau, would become perma-
nent and fixed in their location, and would draw
around them all the ordinary comforts of life.
ASh "S"iu SbNtJUINenL De TiCu luutcU. HOt
by being the owner of millions of acres of unpro-
ductlve lands, estimated by the Committee on
Manufactures at an amount, larger by eight
tenths, than will ever be realized from Them
But by having numerous, hardy and patriotic
population, and no longer would we witness the
Illuminating spectacle of our entrprising citizens,
going by crowds to Texas, because Of the ease
with which lands are there obtained.
T'haro l. a..
OF the soil, which inspires him who owns and
cultivates 1t, with a manlness and independence
"f action, with patriotism and regard for the in
situations of his country; his very countenance
is raised to that upward look for which nature
formed him; when he is conscious that he has
home tor himself, and those whose comfort and
education it is no less his duty than pride to ad-
vance.
An opinion is entertained by some, founded in
great error; it is this: that the benefit to be ex-
tended to purchasers by reduction Of price
would be limited to few, and these few only in
the new States. 1t Is certainly not necessary to
remind those who entertain that opinion, that the
door is as much open to the purchaser from the
old as from the new States; since the reduction
from two dollars per acre to one and a quarter,
there has been an extraordinary increase of sales
and sales to settlers not to Spectators, clearly
demonstrating not only the salutary effects of the
law of 1921, but that its benefits have been EN-
braced by much larger number than were in
the new States.
The amount Of revenue raised from the sale
of land when the price was two dollars, fell short
of one million per annum; since the change it
has been regularly increasing, until it is estima-
ted at three millions and half-and if the re-
duction proposed by the Committee on public
lands should succeed, there is every reason to be-
lieve that the amount in very short time would
be double its present estimate.
An objection is urged to any reduction Of price,
because it is supposed that it would effect the
price of landed property now owned by indvd-
uals in the old States. If there be any weight in
the argument, the apprehended depreciation would
be inconsderable as to be neither seriously felt
nor complained Of, and if at all, only by specu-
ators. The same apprehensions were entertain.
ed and urged against the former reduction, yet
that law has been in operation about eleven
years, and experience proves all such fears to
have been groundless. H
But say some gentlemen of the old States, if
the price of public lands is reduced in the west,
you take from us our population. This doctrine,
l am sorry to say, has obtained currency
worthy purer coin. And to what does it lead ?
To the benefit of the poer9 No. To the ad-