Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1838-12-22

ted OF large portion OF that Congress at the sue
ceeding fail elections. The tariff, especially.
me, with such decided opposition hat the peo-
pie in the eastern part of Texas pat iher veto
upon it by running off the collectors and obstl
| mattel y refusing to pay cent of duty II ought
to be observed, in relation to this last law, that
farming utensils, and some other important artI
cles which the cmgrant is compelled TO bring
with him IN order to make commencement IN
the country, excepted from its operation.
But both these laws, obnoxious to the PEG
pie, doubtless, have been repealed by the Con-
g1css of the winter of thirty and thirty eight
rs The elections, as before niimated.were made
to turn upon these points. The affairs of the
land office were the sup ject which most entirely
aged the feelings and attentions of the people
The constitution adopted the second OF March,
1886 declared all entries and surveys OF land
made since the should be void; and that the
land oiiice should be closed until Congress would
provide for its proper organizations; providing,
however, that before it should be again opened,
the country should be surveyed and laid oil int
regular sections.
By law passed subsequent to the adoption o!
the construction regulating tho land office depart
ment it was provided il should be opened on the
first of June, 1887. When Congress met in Nay
no steps had been taken to sectionize the country
and even no differs had been appointed under
the law organizing the department. The time.
too, was near at hand when ii was TO take effect:
so to those who capable of reflection, or
were not blinded by interest, there appeared no
alternative but to repeal, at least that portion
of i, which required the office to be opened on
the first of June, and for Congress TO take such
steps to comply with the constitution, in the sur
vey of the country, the exigencies of the times
seemed TO require.
L, seemed to me really extraordinary that a
course 50 reasonable as this, and which was no
less indicated by good policy than required by
absolute necessity, in order that entries OF land
might be legal, should have met with most decid-
ed opposition in, as we'll out, OF Congress;
which can be explained upon other ground
than that those who had large number OF float
ing claims upon the domain of the country. IN
their anxiety to locate them, overlooked policy,
prudence and the constitution.
A law, however, was passed which changed inc
time from the first of June TO the first of October
following, and which provided that the country,
in the meantime should be surveyed by running
one base and two meridian lines. NO one can
surely fine fault with this law, because it requires
too much.
A ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and Il suitable number Of
registers and receivers. were then mountaineering
der the old law, by the Executive, and confirmed
by the Senate. The officers, however, took no
stems Ia get ready for operations; nor was any
the law required, until it became clearly 100 late
TO do ANYTHING. The President now COM
PEELED to call Congress together in the month Of
September following, to repeal the law which
The law was again repealed, but not without
great opposition, and so stood at the time OF my
departure from the country The people Of
Texas may not themselves be aware, on account
Of the great interest they have In the subject,
what disastrous consequences are likely to follow
the opening of the land office when the period ac
tuallv arrives. Almost every person in the count
~ has claims upon the public lands 10 a greater
or less extent; and there can be no doubt that
the great difference in the quality Of the soil, and
other considerations, would be n sufficient incen
tive with the people even more dlsinterested
than these claimants to quarrel, the world must
expect to see an agrarian struggle, when the Of
fee is opened, that would shake to It's founda-
tons, as by an earthquake, the strongest and best
settled government ofthe earth How a govern
mont which, in all of its essentials, Is yet hardly
in existence, amidst the other emba
which surround it, is to endure this tempest. is
question which the event alono can determine.
1t is certain that there is but one way to neu-
traliza the evils which likely to follow the G.
vent: and that is by a general survey of the
country into small divisions | readily admit
that there is Il strong necessity that the office
should be opened soon as possible tor reasons
which will be assigned in another chapter; but
the arguments which demonstrate the conclusion
prove, too, how important it is that no time
should be lost, or pains spared, TO scct,onize the
country l do not know thatit would be neces-
snry, or even proper, i'll q series of Notes like
these, which make great preiensions to very
detailed account of tho people and their govern
ment, to say anything Of the talents OF the mem
bers of Congress at the May session, were It not
the case that, in all new governments SO much
depends upon the abilities of those who are TO put
it into operation.
When The fin7 nccs Of a people are yet in chaos,
and all other matters which apperiain TO govern
rnent in contuson,it requires not only conPrchen
sIve and enlarged minds to settle the general prin
cip.es BY which affairs 10 be reduced TO order,
but also 4 business talent to 60 into the practi-
cal details of office. In combination OF these
qualities of mind, the founders of the American
constitution, and those who had the first manage
mcnt Of the government, were extremely happy
If there was anything like craftsmanship or bus
mess faculties among the members OF Congress
at the session of which speak, 1t surely escaped
the observation Of myself as well as all DINERS;
and such an oversight (if such IT was) can be &C
counted for upon other principle than that me
spectators were so struck with the Interested
views and moiiv es which appeared to be at the
bottom of all legislation, that the talents OF the
members were entirely overlooked.
Should the many editors ihrougout the y. >,
who have been gullcd into the publication OF
many handsome compliments upon tho mem
bers of the Texan Congress, on account OF their
business talent, charge me with the want OF truth
-. ,,,,Io- nv IN this particular. all