Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1836-08-03
me interest 81 the old aswell as the new

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country, and soon give back to the old
States, through the channels Of trade
land business, more than the amount Of
the purchase money Of the land. But,
liz the citizens Of nation appropriate
millions annually in the purchase OF
property yielding no income, the result
| Is great national loss. Il is, then, the
interest Of the whole Union that these
monopolies Of the public lands should
be arrested, and that capital should con-
ltinually flow in the various channels Of
productive industry. #, among other
Icauses, the existing embarrassments are
|now greatly Attributableto thespecula-
ting Inv Of IlifiioIis, during the
past year, in wild lands, what will be
1.-The result ifthe system is permitted to
continue for series Of years unabated9
1T is easy to foresee that the necessary
consequence will be increasing distress
and embarrassment, or at least dim
inutionof the national prosperity.
Your committee, then, present a bill
which will at once arrest the progress
Of this evil. To effect this great object,
they propose, in the first place, to break
up the system Of sales Of the public
land at public auction, which, upon the
aggregate ofthe sales Of the last year
has produced but two cents and small
fraction per acre above the minimum
price. Secondly, where twosor more
applications are made by different per-
sons at the same time, for the same sec
|tion Of land, the preference in the pur.
chase or entry shallbc given to the first
occupant, and when the tract has new
er been occupied by any Of the appli-
cants, then to the most aged Of them.
Thirdly, thatsno entry shall, in any
case, be made by any one person, un-
der the provisions Of this act, for an a.
mount exceeding one section Of land.
Fourthly, that no purchase or entry
shall be made, in any case, without a
previous affidavit by the applicant, that
the land is designed to be entered for
the use Of the applicant only, and for
the purpose Of settlement and cultiva-
ton. Filthy, that no pl hahall, in
any case, issue until three Okrs after
thepurchase orentry, and proof on oath
by ut least two credible witnesses, be-
fore the register and receiver Of the
proper land district, of three years
continued occupancy and cultivation
subsequent to the date Of the entry, ac-
companied also by the affidavit Of the
applicant to the same facts. Sixthly,
that any sale, contract for sale, lease,
or contract for lease, prior to the emil
nation Of the patent, shall be utterly
null and void, and operate as forfeit
ure Of the purchase money and title to
tho United States. Seventhly, that a
failure to commence the occupancy Of
the land entered under the provisions
Of this law, within four months after
the date Of the entry, by the person who
shall have made such entry, shall oper-
late as forfeiture Of the title and pur-
chase money to the United States, and
an abandonment Of the occupancy
BY such person, within three years az
ter the commencement thereof, shall
operate as forfeiture Of the money and
title to the United States. Eirhthly,
that no second purchase from the Co
yernmcnt, or entry, shall be permit
ted, BY any one who shall enter d sec
ton upon the terms and under the pro.