Canton herald. (Canton, Miss.) 1837-1839, 1838-01-05

ile meff pfFes. fnd leave hH NiH,
"ui afeHv ff settling ~ hhAs nu
hh ewm lfhtdtlnai. under neh flf
rHutiances,he would ehlafns syh.fi
uif ~ De- mtsn abdihe laws would b,
Ifidd} executed. without doing yiu
IeHre 0raIiic opinion.
n forge r0fiiun utpuf citizens have
seated themselves on TIE public lands
without authority, since de- passage 81
TOE presumption law, nod nov hsh the
enactment ~ another ~ enable them
iofcian the Itnds occupied, upon tny.
ment Of thc minimum government
pfirc' They ash that whirh haa lircn
repeatedly granted before. If tic N.
lose may hc Judged by tlic past little
harm can be done 10 tie interests ol
the treasury by yielding % their re-.
quest Upon % critical examination.
" Is found that the. lands sold at the
public sales since the introduction of
cash payments since 1920, have pro.
duccd' or an average, the nett rcyc.
nue. OF only sly cents nm acre more
!han The minimum government price.
mere Is no reason tosupposc that The
future sales will be moro productive.
The government, therefore, has no adj.
cquale pccunlary interest 10 induce it
TO drive these people from the lands
they occupy, for the purpose of selling
them to others.
Entertaining these views, recon.
mend the passage ola pre.cmption law
Tor their benefit, in connection with
ug preparatory stcpstoward the grad
uatIon OF the price of public lands, and
further and more eilectual provisions
to prevent intrusions hereafter. In
duIgence to those who have sntted on
these lands with expectations that past
legislation would be made n rule for the
future, and at the same time removing
the most plausible ground on which in
tru>Ions are excused, and adopting
more efficient means to prevent them
hereafter, appear to me the most Judi
clous disposition which can be made
OF this dltlicultsubjcct. The limitations
and restrictions to guard against abu-
SEES IN the execution of presumption
law, will necessarily attract the care.
IN attention of congress; but under
tnorlse noalmg claims IN any shape.
They have been heretofore, and doubt
less would be hereafter, most prolific
sources of fraud and oppression, and
instead Of operating to confer the IA
ynr of the government on industrious
settlers, are often used only to minis
ter to II spirit of cupidity at the ex-
pensc Of the most merltorious Of that
class.
A moderate increase of the crops,
both ofmiIitary and Typographical en-
gineers, has been more than once re-
commended by my predecessor; and
my conviction of the propriety, not to
say necessity of the measure, in order
to enable them to perform the various
and important duties imposed upon
them, induces me to repeat the recon-
mendatlon.
The military academy continues to
answer all the purposes of its establish
mcnt, and not only furnishes well ed
ucated officers to the army, but serves
to dilluse throughout the mass of our
citizens, individuals possessed Of mill
tary knowledge, and the scientific at
tainments OF civil and military engi-
neering. At present, the cadet is
bound, with consent ofparents orguar-
dams, to remain ia service five years
from the periodicals enlistment, unless
sooner discharged; thus exacting only
one years service in the army after
his education is completed. This does
not appear to me sufficient. Govern
ment ought 10 command for a longer
period the services Of those who are
educated at the public expense; and ]
recommend that the time Of enlistment
be extended to seven years, and the
terms ofthe cngagementbe strictly en-
forced.
i The creation of a national foundry
\ for cannon, to be common to the SER
: vice of the army and navy OF the Ual
ted States, has been heretofore recon-
, mended, and appears to be required ii
order to place our ordnance on an e
: quail footing with that Of other coun
+ tries, and 70 enable that branch oftht
t service to control the prices Of those
/, articles, and graduate the supplies t
/, the wants of the government, as wei
/ as 70 regulate their quality and ensure
al f,..vx.t., rIsLa ,aa,n .a..au,