Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-12-23

II i1cannot prevent, the accumulation of,.
IN the same hands, which must nsc.s.. 81 \. aasss
me growth ofthe new states, or entail ~. ie.ad
dependent tenanry, and its atteadan, ss:, men
question embracing such impor,.n, =.
anu So well calculated to enlist ,he fe., .nsee,s
people IN every quarter Of the Union, n. 9 y
.ulay gIvenris 70 numerous plansfpr IL. ;.y ".
ment Of the existing system. The di,.a. .i2u.s.
.osss O the policy that has hitherto prsv.;ss =.
20 dispose OF the public lands a, mod.,,.a u
mus enabling great number to en,e, ~. pesa
.i.ion Tor their purchase, and accomp,h;.
Die oo)ect OF promoting their rapid set.y aou.
ne purchasers, and at the same time y
.sselp's OF inc treasury; 10 sell for ca,h ne ne
preventing The disturbing influence Of I,,. n.ss
~. ps.sa'e c'tlzenis IN debted to the Goy.m
Mnasa .ey nave voice it controlling obrn.n
ao ''alhet no iaster than good lands an ss, ven
- wan.eu iol Improvements thereby u,.,.n.:
unult'oh OF large tracts in few hands. .as
apply the proceeds ofthe sales to the and 70
from the people of The States bv tara.;a issed
ing each states its portion of tho benes. sla Sv.
triyed from this common fund il n. -. = g g.
most quiet, and at the same tma a. .lnael ne
most equitable that can be devised .Ers.aaps ne
sions, with occasioa enactmen,s IL h.L0Ts pfoV.
cial interests deemed entitled 10 ,bs c y re.
government, have, in their execu,;o. ~ u ne
results as beneficial upon the whole :. pus0eea
sonabiy be expected in matter so vas, = .m "a
Gated. and SO exciting. Upwards Of ,uYn
hons OF acres have been sold, the 81. =. m
which IS believed to have been purchased 81 p...M
al seIIlement. The population of The neu g..
ana lcrfitones created out Of the public dcm.;r
increased between 1890 and 1886 from l.s. ,sn'
sixty thousand TO upwards Of two m;llior, ,h...
hundred thousand souls constituting, at the l,,..
period, about one-fifth Of the whole peon,. oe ~
United States. f's Z. "e
Ihe increase since cannot be accurately tnou.
hut the whole may not be safely estimated J, o.
three and half millions OF souls; compon. a.; ~.
states, the representatives which constut. ,ha.
one-third ofths Senate, and over one.sixtb ~ u.
House of Representatives of the United S,,,., Nv
Thus has been formed body Of free and na.-
pendent landholders, with rapidity uneou,l.d
In the history mankind; and this gieot re,u, h..
beeu produced without leaving any thing for 6,t,.
adjustment between the govemmentandilsc,;,.,
The system under which SO much has been accom-
plished cannotb be iutinscally had, and with oee,.
sional notifications. to correct abuses and adan /,
to changes ofcircumstances, may, think, be safely
trusted for the future. There is, in the manars.
ment of such extensive interests, much yrtuein sta
bility; and although great & obvious improvement.
should not be declined, Changes should never b,
made without the fullest examination, and the
clearest demonstration Of their practical utility
In the history of the past, we have an assurance
that this safe rule ofaction will not be departed
from i'll relation to the public lands; nor is it be-
i!eved that any necessity exists for interfering
with the fundamental principles ofihe SYSTEMS
that the public mind, even in the new states, is de.
sirous of any radical alterations. On the contrary,
the general disposition appears to be, TO make such
notifications and additions only as will the more
eectually carry out the original policy Of hllinsour
new States and Territories with aa industrious and
independent population.
The mod ifcation must persevefingly pressed
upon Congress-, winch has occupied SO much its
time for years past, aud will probably do 50 fora
long time to come, not sooner satisfactorily adj
usted, is reduction in the cost Of such portions Of
the public lands as are ascertainedto be unsuitable
at the rate now established by law, and gradua-,
ton, according their relative value, ofthe prices
at which they may hereafter be sold. Trustworthy
Reconsideration whether justice may not be dons
TO every Interest III rrIs matter, and vexed cues
ton Sc, at rest, perhaps forever, BY reasonable
ofconfcting opinions. Hitherto after
being offered at public sale, lands have been dis
posed of at one uniform price, whatever difference
there might be in their intrinsic value. The lead
ing considerations urged III favor Of the measure
referred to, are, that in almost all the land diarcu
and particularly in those in which the lands have
been long surveyed and exposed to sale, there arc
still remaining numerous and large tracts Of every
graduation ofvalue, from the Governmentpricedow
wards that these lands will not be purchased at INC
Government price, SO long as better can cohseh
iently obtained for the same amounts that there arg
large tracts which even the improvements Of u,
adjacent lands will never raise to that price anu
that the present uniform price, combined with tneH
irregular value, operatesI to prevent desFap'
compacts of settlement in the nav States, ana
rstard the full development Of that wlso policyoa
which our land system is founded, to the injury NV
only of the several States where the IanQs he' wv
oftbe United States as whole. r
The remedy proposed has been Isa ~. ,".S.
prices according to the length OF time the lands
have been in market, without reference 70 ANY oa.
er circumstances The certainty that ne stau1
of,ime would not alwaysin such cases, ana Pe.nar
even generally, furnish true criterion u sau:'
and the probability that persons residing ~ Ms "
cinity, as this period for the reduction o. p1lc..
preached, would postpone purchases .ney n" ..
otherwise make, for the purpose Of awaiting a,~
selves efthe lower price, with other
Of similer character, have hitherto D'en Mss'''
fully urged to defeatths graduation upon tllns.
MAY not all reasonable desires upon this sug'.'
be satisfied without encoultering any Of 'nes0 w
iections? All will concede the absrct prhc,ps'
that the price Of the public lands should % PROM
toned in their relative value, SO far as ina. g..
accomplished without departing from the rue, Nv.
tofore observed, requiring fixed prices N ~.
private entries The difficulty Of the su0se r.,n.
10 lie in The mode of asceraining what Ia. H.,
ia-Wou not the safest plan be that wn a..iso
been adopted by many Of the States A. nd elass.
sssoa q ssm into different % " ...s
and expedient to eals s,cts which
value othe public lands in the Old a,s ~ market
have been for certain length o. INV :. more ran
70 be appraised, and classsd into svI ~ y n. oesp