Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-12-15


is reduction in the cost of such portions
of the public lands as are ascertained to
bcunsaleablc at the rate now established
by law and a graduation, according to
their relative value, of the prices at which
they may hereafter be sold. 1t is worthy
of consideration whether justice may not
be done to every interest in this matter
and vexed question set at rest perhaps
forever, by reasonable compromise Of
conflicting opinions. Hitherto, efter be-
ing offered at public sale, lands have been
disposed of at one uniform price whatever
difference thsre might he inther intrinsic
value.
The leading considerations urged in
favor of the measure referred to are that
in almost all the land districts, and par
tlcularly in those in which the lands have
been long surveyed and exposed to sale,
there arc still remaining numerous and
large tracts Of every gradatlon of value
from the Government price downwards
that these lands will not be purchased at
the Government price SO long as better
can be conveniently obtained for the same
amount that there are large tracts which
even the improvements of the adjacent
lands will never raise to that price and
that The present uniform price combined
with their irregular value, operates to
prevent desirable compactness of set
Element in the new States, and to retard
the full development of that wise policy
on which our land system is founded, to
the injury not only of the several States
where the lands lie, but Of the United States
as whole.
The remedy proposed has been a
reduction Of prices according to the length
of time the lands have been in market,
without reference 10 any other circum-
stances. The certainty that the etllux of
time would not always in such cases, and
perhaps not even generally, furnish true
criterion of value, and the probability that
persons residing in the vicinity. as the
period for the reduction of prices ap-
preached, would postpone purchases they
would otherwise make, for the purpose
of ayaling themselves of the lower price
with other considerations of similar
character, have hitherto been successfully
urged to defeat the graduation upon
time.
Nay not all reasonable desires upon
tins subject be satisfied without encoun-
terIng any of these objects? All will con-
cede the abstract principle that the price
of the public lands should be propor-
toned to their relative value, so far as
that can be accomplished without DEEPER.
tine from the rule heretofore observed,
requiring fixed prices in cases of private
entries. The difficulty of the subject
see rs to lie in the mode of ascertaininc
what that value is. Would not the safest
be that which has been adopted by manv
of the States as the basis of taxation-an
equal valuation of lands, and classification
OF them into different rates Would it
not be practicable and expedient to cause
the relative value Of the public lands in
the old districts which have been for
certain length Of time in market, to be
appraised and classed into two or more
rates below the present minimum price by
the officers now employed in this branch
of the public service, or in any other mode
deemed preferable, and to make those
prices permanent, if upon the coming in
of the report they shall prove satisfactory
to Congress -?
Cannot all the objects of graduation be
accomplished in this way, and the obiec-
tons which have hitherto been urged a.
ralnst it avoided ! 1t would seem to me
that such step. with restriction oft.
sales to limited quantities, and for actual
Improvement, would be free from all lust
exception.
BY the full exposition Of the value of
the lands thus furnished and extensively
promulgated. persons living at distance
would be informed of their true condition.
and enabled to enter into competition
with those residing in the vicinity the
means of acquiring an independent home
would be brought within the reach Of ma.
ny who are unable to purchase at present
prices; the population of the new States
would be made more compact, and large
tracts would be sold which would other.
wise remain on hand not only would the
land be brought within the means of a
large number of purchasers, but manv
persons possessed of greater means would
be content to settle on a larger quantity
OF the poorer lands, rather than emigrate
further west IN pursuit of smaller guam
tity of better lands. Such measure
would also seem to be more consistent
with the policy of the existing laws-that