Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1836-08-17

II
Your committee have said that the spe-
and not the Government, reaps
nearly all the profit Of these inglorious
and this is proved by the
records Of the land Office. By the doc
umcnts from the land Office it appears,
that. taking all the sales Of the public
lands, from the adoption of the cash
system, in July, 1920, down to the
present period, the average price re-
ceivcd by the Government upon these
sales, has been less than six cents per
acre over the minimum price. And it
is for this miserable pittance Of less
than six cents per acre that this great
nation incurs the disgrace and dishonor'
Of sending forth the remorscless specu-
lator, authorized and encouraged by
our existing laws, to drive from their
homes those hardy pioneers who were
erecting ahome in the wilderness, those
industFious and enterprislng citizens
who in peace subdue the forest and cul-
ttivate the soil, and who, whenever
danger threatens their country, are the
very first to march to the rescue. As
there are no citizens more useful and
more patriotic than these, 50 there are
none more justly entitled to the regard
Of the Government. Yet these are the
very men who, by the present system,
are sacrificed, not for the benefit, of the
Government, but of spectators. Sure
I ly, then, such system ought to be a.
bandoned. Whilst, then, your COM
mittee do not propose the immediate
reduction of the price of fresh lands,
never offered for sale, they do recon-
mend the total abandonment Of the auc-
ftion system, as productive of no bene-
/ fiji, except to the Spectator, disgrace
full to the Government, and fraught
whit the mostcorrupting consequence
In lieu Of this system, your committee
propose that all public lands, not yet
offered at public sale, shall, at the ex-
piration of four months after an adver-
tisement Of the returns Of the surveys
to the proper land Office, become SUBJ
ject to entry at the present minimum
price, but in all eases, for settlement
and cultivation only, and not for spec
lulation; giving, in all cases, prefer
ence to the first occupant, for the Sec
ttion which he cultivatcs, and upon
which he resides, and the same system
yourcommittee apply to the land alrea-
| dy subject to entry, at the prices as
| graduated and reduced by this bill. The
system proposed by your committee is
not the presumption system, but sub
stitute for it. As, however, the pre-
Eemption system has been greatly ira
duced, and many, without investiga-
ton, have been led to believe that the
/ Government has lost millions by the
operation Of this system, your commit,
! tee will proceed to demonstrate, from
authentic documents, that the total loss
/ (if any, by this system, from the adop-
ton of the cash sales, in July, 1890,
to the present period, is, at the highest
Estimate, Sl43,e59.
i BY Senate document No. 376, be-
ing a report from the Secretary Of the
4 Treasury, ordered to be printed May
4 10, 1886, it appears, that the number
of acres taken by prescriptions, from
the adoption of the cash system to the
present period, is 1887 $50 acres, for
4 all which the pre-emptioners paid the
I Government the price Of 81 25 per a
ere. Now, by the documents from the
! land Office before refcrredto, itappears
4 that the average price obtained for all
1.-THE public lands sold since the cash sys-
TEN, is less than 81 81 per acre, being
an excess Of less than six cents over the
minimum price. Now, multiply the
total number Of acres procured by pre-
4 emptions, as before given, by 6 cents,
and the result is Sl43,o59, being the
highest estimate Of loss arising from the
Ipre-emption system, instead Of the mil
lions upon millions so frequently pro-
claimed BY the enemies Of the system.
j BY inquiry, however, at the land Of
fee, your committee have ascertained
that large body Of lands sold to citi.
i zens Of Louisiana under the yarious
back concession laws, selling at mini.
mum price the swamp lands in the rear
to the owners Of the front tracts, is en-
braced in this statement from the Trea-
isury DEPARTMENT which :.sssS;;;s..sa. std
!, further reduce the loss, and the floats
: most unwisely attached to the pre-emp.
sition system Of late years, and which
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