The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-09
FOR THE MADISoNIAN.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
II we remember correctly, the ayowed object of the
Specie Circular was to prevent the continued pur
chase of the puslc domain by resident specula-
tors and loud and continued cutlery has been made
for many years that the public lands were getting IN
the hands of residents and plans have even been
proposed to limit the sales the residents OF the State
in which the lands situate, thus giving rights to
one portion Of our citizens which to be denied TO
others. When certain objects to be accomplished
this is the burden of the complaint but when another
project is to be supported, another tune is chanted
In an srticle lately published in city papers il
appears be the object prove that the United States
has been hard hearted mother to the younger States
that the money paid to the Government for the public
lands, is much wrung from the earnings of the in
habtants of the State, and that the General Govern
ment by having provided in the terms upon which the
States were admitted into the Union that lands
should be exempt from taxation for five years after
the date Of their purchase had been the Of de-
frauding those States of large amount of annual
revenue. Let us examine of these points
If the Anis r.-rsh.sod " MON ivsiuents, u Is
apparent that unless proved that these very lands
if not thus sod would have been also entered by the
residents of the State, injury thereby results to the
State On the contrary, the residents have obtained
all the lands they wanted, the General Government
has received money for lands which would have other
wise remained unsod the State will in few years from
the date of the sales, receive a revenue from those
lands and persons thus become interested in the pros
perity of the State who otherwise would take in
terest in its Improvement and advancement
That the money received for the sale of the public
lands is not alleged drain upon the resources of the
State, is also apparent when consider the causes
of those sales. 1t is well known that the population
of the States has increased in fully great ratio
the sales Of the public lands, and that while very
small proportion of such increase is owing to the
of births deaths, the vast difference has been
occasioned by emigration. Those emgrants do not
60 empty handed they carry .n the aggregate large
amounts annually into the State, small portion only
of this annual influx Of wealth is invested in lands
sometimes purchased direct from the Government but
oener from the residents for places already improved
by settlers with or without te in the case, pay
ing him for the land well as the improve and
in the other for his labor and the privilege Of pur-
chasing the land from the Government. Thus en-
abing the first settler to make other and more extern
slse improvements to be retained again disposed of
to new conner, as he may deem most advantageous.
And we know of no certain mode of judging as
than to ascertain the amount of soil annually passing
from the public into the hands of individuals
With view to ascertain whether the General Go
vernment has been unmindu of the interests of those
States, let US select of Them Illinois, for example
and see what is the true state of the account
BY statement made to Congress by the General
Land Office, it appears that Illinois has AN area of
81 1888, 1856 acres.
Tha, up to the Both September 1893, there had
been granted to the State
For Colleges 46,0S0 acres
Roads and Canals 100000 {"
g Seat Of Government $3.50 d"
f" Sanes, 1869 :"
4" Schools, SS7OS &c
Total granted to the State, 5373 acres
These lands as will be seen by the purposes for
which many Of the grants are made, are not of the
ordinary character value, but from local circum-
stances must be of much than the average valve
of the public lands, and yet the minimum price
per acre, the grant is worth at least million nine
hundred and twenty one thousand dollars So far
then, as Illinois is concerned it that she has
been fully and beautifully dealt with any of the
old States although they have had to bear their full
proportion of the expenses incident to the acquiring of
those lands and their preparation for sale.
As regards the exemption from taxation, it might
appear somewhat oppressive to prohibit taxation until
after five years from the time Of purchase if that re-
sriction had been compensated for in some other
way as, for instance, by the grant above of about
one-tweneth Of all the lands in the State; but when,
IN addition to that grant consider another feature
in the compact with the State and one too made APP
parenty for the very purpose of preventing the induce
ment this exemption holds purchasers for in
Ju.iously affecting the interests of the State it must
be confessed that is difficult to imagine any real
ground for complaint the part of the State The
part of the compact thus alluded to- is that by which
the United States has to pay to the State of Illinois,
three per cent of the proceeds OF the sales of the
lands. If not misnormed, the present of taxa
ton in that State although greatly increased to meet
the interest due on the Internal Improvement debt
and including the county rates is forty cents on the
hundred dollars or tco per cent for five years thus
the true operation Of the compact is that the United
States pay to the State three per cent on the lands
Sold in lieu of the State collecting tlro per cent from
the purchasers of those lands IN five years This
substitution Of the payec and increase in the amount
received does not seem to be very injurious the in
teresis of the State.
These few hasty remarks are offered more with
view of showing that to this well as most other
questions, there two sides to he considered than
for any other purpose; and while is sil hoped that
the liberal policy will be pursued towards the
States 1t is but fair that the other members of
the Union should be acquitted of the ch,rge of oI-
preston. PIMETEAU.
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