Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-08

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power To an extent unexampled in the history of The
world The abundance and cheaPness OF that rich
domain have invited continued eml grafton, which,
while it furnished industrious hardy and enterprsng
population TO the States has bee perpetual drain
upon the aud prosperity Of the older States OF
| the Union. While the States have filled up with
astonishing rapidly many Of those the Atlantic have
BEEN if not decreasing in population, agricultural in
provcnen and weulth, either stationary making very
| incnnsde rable advancement
! The land system OF the U. States, established at
early period by The general laws for surveying the lands
offering them for sale al public auction, and allowing
such not sold al public sale, TO be entered
minimum price, adopted after great dellberation,
with sagacious foresight and just regard 10 the interest
Of the old well of The States 1t opened COM
petition in The purchase Of the choice lands the cll.
of all the States 1t prohibited under penal
ties the settlement and occupation OF the public lands,
by persons nlruding upon them without title, and in de
rugaliUn Of the rights of the public. 1t calculated
in theory fair and sufficient price for all the
lands offered for sale according 10 its different grades Of
value; and by providing the means OF limiting The guam
lity that surveyed and thrown into the market, tend
ed to prevent that depreciation Of the value Of landed pre-
perty whchis the inevitable consequence oncreuSng The
quantity Tor sale beyond the demand The system, FACT
regarded the public lands The common property fthe
people OF all The Sales-asa common fund to be applied
to the common benefit of all, and having been acquired
and by their united exerons and valo paid
Tor out OF the common treasury, 10 be disposed Of
would best promote the interest of all tcanno
be disguised however, that from other,
have been disappointed in the of many Of the
objects of that wise LIBERAL and equal system-tha from
time TO lime nroads on and departures from the policy
| of The system have been made-lhat for many years
past it seems TO have been the desire Of the Government
to bring into the market almost unlimited quantities Of
the public lands; much so, that informed by
report from the commissioner of The General Land Office
Washington that there remained unsold and subject
private entry the Both Of September 1887 upwards of
eighty eight millions Of acres, notwithstanding the
immense sales of le35 and 1896, amounting to near
/ Fnrtr nt nf L.a
been, that quantities of the public domain fer
| tile any in rich western country, and much Of
it worth from five 10 fifty dollars acre, as it
Is entered, have realized 10 the Government price
merely nominal compared with the real value. We
know too, tina. within the last years successive
have been passed granting peculiar advantages 10 those
who settled upon and occupied The public land Leiue il
surveyed and thrown open 10 the competition Of
the people generally, thus rewardng instead of pu.
nishing these who had violated the law, by ntruding
upon lhe public property aud, besides all this vast bo
dies OF the public lands have been gralutOusy bestowed
upon line States for purposes of education internal
Improvement amd other Objects exclusively beneficial
| 10 those States
The inevitable tendency of this new policy has heen
TO enhance the prosperity Of the STATES where the lands
situated al the expense of the old Sates-lo give
unnatural and artificial impetus 10 migration from the
old 10 the States having the effect OF a system Of
bounties on emigration, producing constant drain OF
our population, who carry with them their wealth and
their labor, aud causing general depreciation Of
landed properly, by throwing into the MARKET at made
quate prices, immense quantities Of iIesheI and
| fertile lands IN these States
AS another consequence, the public Treasury has
azpd little more The aggregate OF all The lands sold,
than the minimum pce oi one dollar and twenty five
cents per acre; and that fact (thc consequence OF the
thrftless and wasteiu policy which has been pursued
is earnestly and perpetually urged why
the price should be still further dmInished-that The pub
lie land should cease 10 be regarded of
nue., and should in effect, be surrendered 10 The States
which lands lIp by nj
prcemption laws, and graduation bills. So far from
lhis results such these ought 10 induce enquiry
whether the system does not need reformation Ii they
be rGed 20 the private Combinations and assoca
tiuns Of settlers spectators which put COW compe
tUn, these combinations and associations ought to be
prohibited and punished If the quantity OF land
yeyCd and brought into market is too large, let
be offered until there is nearer equality between the
supply and demand if ii be thhlthe presumption system
furnishes the choice lands at the minimum price such
legislation ought 10 cease, and the laws prohibiting in
uon, and requiring the removal OF infnders, ought
to be rgidly enlocetand it The evil is too nveerate
70. correction by any Of these reforms let the minimum
! price of the land be raised.
This subject is in which those States, and espcc
ally Virginia, by whose cessons 10 the o. 5 much the
largest portion of the public lands obtained except
what acquired under the Louisiana treaty and The
purchase Of Florida, ought 10 feel deep and lively in
erest and have, IN Sort peculiar right TO inter
ere At the close OF the Revolutionary War the whole
Of the domain, comprising the States Of Alabama
Nssiss pp Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Hi.
noi., Michigan, and the Territory of Wisconsin, were
within the chartered limits Of and claimed by New York,
Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia. 70 that
gon the North western Territory Virginia had double
claim Of chartered title and right OF conquest for she
acquired The actual possession OF much OF it had
been rod By the foot OF The white by conquest with
her troops receiving assistance in That quarter
from the other States during the Revolutionary War
Aud il may not be ONT Of place TO remark that many OF
the gallant officers and soldiers who achieved this ardu.
Gus conquest have yet received the Bounty Lands
Iuhtcb hv FIR ruice
at this moment while pro ecs foot for The
surrender 10 the States in which they he OF the very
lands acquired by their hardy vaor, and cut Of which
these engagements to be satisfied
4 The States which | mentioned, claiming these
lands, yielding TO the natural apprehensens and eal-
ouses Of of the other States Of the conederacy
aud peieIring harmony, union and liberty, 10 power
agreed tu settle their own conflicting claims, and 10
quiet all fears and complaints, by ceding 10 The United
States all these lands. But while making this conces-
sion 10 harmony and union, they accompanied the sur.
render with conditions and reservations, confined IN
the acls of cession, which accepted by Congress,
and to the observance Of which the United States Go
vrnmen is bound by the highest obligations OF public
fah and for the performance OF which, so far as Fir.
GINA is concerned, the Congress of The Confedeacy,
whose obligations in this respect have devolyed upon
the Government Of the Union, expressly engaged by
the Ordinance Of 1857, which has since been re-
garded a solemn national compact.
After devolng the public lands 10 the payment OF the
National Debt created by the Revolutionary War, and
TO the reimbursement oil the expenses OF Virginia III
defending the Territory eeded, the acts of cession by
Virginia. and those of the other States, substantially
provided "hat the lands coded should be considered
common fund for the benefit Of such of the U s. as
have become, shall become members of The Conede'
rucy or Federal alliance Of the said S!aes Vrg in
elusive according TO their usual respective proportions
in the general charge and expenditure, and shall be
faithfully and bona fde Opposed of for that purpose and
fo7 no other purpose whatsoever
Here is an explicit stipulation, incorporated in tho
very grant to the United States, accepted and ratified
By The Ordinance referred to, by which these public
lands were to be held find for the benefit
of all the States and if not faithfully and bona d6 dis
posed of for TINT purpOse and far other purpose ,chat
soeser the solemn engagements Of the United States
will be yioaled-lhe condition which alone Virgins
and he other States agreed TO relnqulsh their TILE
! would be broken, and manifest breach of the trus
cnuGded 10 the Congress Of the Union, committed.
more fragrant Of such violation could not be ina