The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1837-04-21

Erfraei from fke Circular Letter Of he
Hon. Lslris UIHialas.

me revenue non mai source, nave neen
again submitted 90 Congress. In my let
ter 10 YOU last year, | mentioned the hill
70 graduate and reduce the price Of the
public lands. and to grant preemptions, as
one highly pernicious in is effects. A.
msng the schemes offered al this session,
is bill in the House Of Representatives,
10 abolish the sales al auction altogether;
10 limit the sales TO actual setdsrs. who
are authorized purchase Al private sale,
and also 10 secure them = right Of pre-
empiion for one quarter section, until the
LIST day of May, 1912. In other words,
this bill may be said to be nothing more
nor less than a proposition to give the
right 10 buy land, solely and exclusively,
90 the people of the new states, while il
denies the same right to the people Of the
old states. II should never be forgotten,
thal the land was acquired in the first IN
stance BY cession from the old states, and
now il is proposed TO prohibit their citi-
zens from buying what originally belong
Ell 10 them, and what they generously
gave away for the good Of all the states.
Can this be Just. or fair, or wise! Not
at all. contend, that Congress ought
not to abolish the public or auction sales,
because the trust with which they are in
vested by the deeds Of cession, cannot be
otherwise faithfully discharged. As trus-
tees holding the land, Congress are bound
10 sell il for what il is worth; and il is
impossible to do this, without first expos
ing il to public sale, when every citizen
may bid for the property, what he deems
70 be lis true value. But this course, so
obviously demanded BY the interest of all
parties concerned, must now be arrested,
and none but actual settlers are TO he per-
mitted to buy at private sale. 1.-THE land
is worth FIVE, ten, twenty, or fifty dollars
an acre, and some has sold much higher
a. public sale, } the actual settler will ne
yer give any more at private sale, than
the minimum price Of one dollar and
twenty FIVE cents an acre. This reduc-
ton Of the price operates to the great in
jury Of the old states, and exclusively to
the benefit Of the new. The bill, howe
ser, processes to guard against monopo-
lies; but the effects produced by it do
not at all correspond with its title. The
privilege of preemption secured to the
settlers until is42, will have most in
furious effect upon the revenue. Before
tia, period arrives they cannot be requir-
ed to pay any thing for the land, and, in
the mean time, they are TO have the use
Of it for nothing.
Whether this bill, or any Of the vari-
Gus schemes proposed in the Senate, will
be finally adopted, cannot be foreseen.
Every movement on the subject in both
Houses, looks 10 a reduction of the reve-
nue. in the first instance, and. in the next,
TO = surrender Of all the land to the new
states. some Of the Senator'S from the
ne states are so confident of ultimate
success. tina; they were unwilling to ac-
cept proposition to ceie all the lands to
the states in which il lies, upon the con-
diton that one third of the proceeds
should be paid to the United states. 1t
was contended, in debate, that, after the
next census. the new states would be able
10 iicfdfe their Olcn terms, and therefore,
they ought not now to accept the whole
Of the land, upon the condition Of being
obliged to pay back one third Of the pro-
ceeds. From such language, fellow ci-
tizens, We can see the danger which
threatens our interests, and Judge Of the
Necessity Of united AMI concerted action
on oar part. But, by di, isions among
themselves, the old states have been pa
raiyzed, and in conse :uence of it, the
new states have been urged on with
more activity and re i, to the accom-
pills .ment Of their designs. Whatever
professions may have been made to the
contrary, it is nov evident the new states
have deliberate and systematic purpose
Of engrossing to themselves the whole Of
this immense fund of national wealth.
The proceedings of the Senate have
been alluded to in order to show the
hopes and expectations Of the party who
ad ocate the claims of the new states.
But, for myself, | am totally opposed to
an measure, which shall sacrifice par
,icle of our interest. IL the new states
are so regardless of our rights, that we
are obliged to quiet them by surendering
two thirds of the public land at the pre-
sent time, it will not be long before they
cal upon US for the remaining third, and
demand also that i; be given up. They
would be no more inclined to observe,
with good faith, any contract hereafter to
be made with them, than they have here
tofore been to fulfil the obligations con-
tsinsd in the deels Of cession. The
same principle which requires US now to
Weld two thirds, would, after a while,
compel US to yield the other third. One
concession necessarily brings on another,
and | am not disposed to begin any such
policy, for there will be no end Of it till
all shall nave been lost.
The Treasury order, issued on the h