Litchfield enquirer., 1837-12-14

coaSsisnuc above onohird oGthe Senate, asd over sixth ot tbe Honse Of Representatives ot the g Sles
 Thas has been formed . body Of Tree aad indePen- dent IandhOldeTs, with rapidiiy uneqaalled 'n Ihe hsnosy of mankind; and this great result hAs neen produced w'oui leaving any Ghng for a'ure adjust sysiem under which % much has been accomplished cannot be intrinsically. bad, and with nccAsiOnal mod9caons to correct a6uses and adapt ii to chan.
 'bs IS"''"nSss may .hink, be safely trusted extensive interesis, much virtue h sabiIi,y and d. though great and obvious Improvements should not l declined, changes should be made without inc Iullest examnalion aad the elearest Of their practical utility.
 In the history of the past, have assurance that this sale rule Of action will be departed from in relation the pubc iaIds; is t believed that any necessity exisiS tor interfering with the fundamental principles Ofhe system. that the public mind, even
 3 the @s" ss Ss's dsSS' o an" e.a pears to be, 10 make such notifications and additions only will the eFecualIy carry the original policy Ot filling new States and Territories with an industrious and independent population.
 The modification most perseverUgly pressed upon Congress- which has occupied much OG ts time for years pact, and will probably do for long time to come, not sooner satisfactorily adjusted is redOc Iion in the Oi such portions Of he public lands are ascerained 10 be unsaleable the rate now es- 'abshed by law. aud graduation. according to their relative value, of prices a'whch they may herea ter sold IL is worthy of reconsideration whether jus tice may not he done every interest in this matter and vexed question set al rest, perhaps for ever hy n reasonable compromise of conflicting opin ons.- Hitherto, atier being offered public sale lands have been disposed ol at one uniform price, whatever diff ference there might be in their intrinsic value.
 The leading considerations urged in favor of the measure referred to that in almost all the land districts, and particularly in those in which the lands have been long surveyed and exposed sale, there are still remaining numerous and large tracts of every gradation value, from the Government price down. wards; taI Iheas lands will he nrchased at inc Government price, so long as better can be conven-
 entIy obtained for the same amount; that there are lara sic hsONA aA1:
 acen lands will raise io that price and that the present uniform price, combined with their ire regular value, operates to prevent desirable com pactness oi settlement in the new States, aud o tard the n development ofIha wise policy on which our land system is founded the iniury not only o the several States where the lands lie but of the Uni ted States as whole.
 The remedy proposed has been a reelection of pr- ces according the length ot time the !ands have been in market. without reference any other cir cnmsiances. The certainly that the eflux of tlme would not always in such cases, amdperhars not generally, furnish true criterion of value, and the probability that persons residing in the vicinity, the period for the reductOn of prices approached, would postpone purchases they would Olherwis make, for the purpose oG avaBg themselves of the lower price, with other considerations of similar character have hitherto been successfully urged defeat the gradua- ton upon time. tF
 May not all reasonable desires upon this subject be saished without encounierng any fiheee objections 2 All will concedc the abstract prnciple that the price of the public lands should be proporlioned their relative value, far as that can be accomplished with out departing from the rule hereto fore observed, re- quiriog fixed prices in eases of private entries. The difficulty of the subject lie im the mode ofas certainng what that value is. Would not the safest p.an be that which hes been adopted by macy of the Sates the basis Of taxati0nan actual valuation of lands, aad classification of them into different rates Would it nut be practicable and pedient to cause the relative value of ihe public lands e she old dis
 market, 10 be appraised, aud classe into two or more rates bel0w he preseSG pinimnm price, y the ocess now eiloyed A this hraach the public service, CT in sDther m0de deersed preferable. and io make those fices permanent. upon the coming m of ihe report they shall prove satisfactory to Congressl Cam not al the objects Of graduation be accomplished in t,s wDy, and the objections whcl, have hitherto been urged against Il ay0dedI lt wOmid seein to that such step, with restrelion ofg the sales to limited goan,es, and for actual Improvements would be Tree from all just excepton., 9al gl@siEslssag at
 By the full exposition 0f the value the lands thus urnsied and nsvely promulgated, persons living at distance would be iniorn,ed to iheir irue cond-
 on, and eua,sd 10 enter into competition with those fssidng ia the vicinity; lhs %eacs oi aea1ring aS of many rho unable to purchase present prices the population ofthe new Stnies would ,e made compact, and large tracts wond he sodswhich would otherwise remain ou hand not only would the land he brought wiilsin the means of larger number o purchasers but many fpersons posee essed of giea,- means would be conteat 10 settle large qnau-
 iiy of ihe poorer lands, rather tln emigrne farther in pursuit of smaller quantity of better ands. Such measure Wout,i aleo to Sbe cOnsis. tent with the policy of the exsing lawsthai of con yeriing the pablic doain into cultivated farus owaed
 Tha,.policy is notbest promoted by sending emgra-
 on Up the almost in.es ninahle strenhs ot the West, 10 occupy n gtOups the best spot of land, leaving m wastes behind them. nDd eaargng ihe GrOntier beyond the means eft GoseTnrneni afford n ad- eqNate pr6tecon but in encouraging it 10 occupy, with reas6nne denseness, the territory over which
 t advances, and find iis best dsfence im the compact front which l presents to the fasanarbes. Many of you will bring the consideration ot the subject the advantages of iocai knowledge and greater experi- ence, aud all will he desirous oi making m early an
 final disposition of every disturbing question i1 regard to this iinporan, interest, If these suggestions sha
 in any degree contribute tO the accomplishment o 60 important result it will afford me sincere sa.isiac- ton. afn" ~' isa- ysP 4i
 ln some sections of the country, most of the public ands have been snl, and the registers and receivers have very liile to do. IL is subject worthy of inqu- ry whether, many cases, two more districts may nos bc consolidated, and the number oi Gersons en plo, ed in this business considerably reduced lndee the time will come when it will be the true policy Of the General Governnn as 10 some ol the States, 10 transfer to them, for reasonable equivalent. all the refuse and unsolh lands. and withdraw the mnclne- " of the federal land offices altogether All who take compre view of federal syeien,, and be- ieve that of s greaest excellencies consis's n interfering asle ae possible with tne lnernal con of the States, look forward with great inrerest to this result.
 . A, modification of the existing laws in respect to
 the prices Of the public iands might also have tav. orable influence the legslaiOD of Congress, in re- laiion 10 another branch of the subject. Many who have not the ability buy at present prices settle o
 those lands, with ihe hope of acquiring from their cul- ,ya,ion the means of purchasing under Pre-empiion laws. from time to time passed by Congress. For this encronchment the rgh,s of the United States ihey exo"se themselves under the plea of iher own necessities; the fact that they dspossess nobody, and only enter upon the domain that they give ad diional value inc public lands in their vicinity and their intention ultimately to pay the Government price. So much weight has from time 10 time heen attached to these considerations, thai Congress have passed laws giving actual settlers the public lands aright of preemplon to the tracts occupied by them at the minimum price. .. .s