The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-02-18

find that, in pursuance Of a resolution
adopted by the Senate, the head Of the land
bureau caused returns to be made of all The
lands unsold, 10 the respective States and
Territories, accompanied with such other
information as was deemed useful in form.
ing just estimate of the value OF this great
national property. find that. on the 30;h
OF June, 1888, there remained in Ohio 2 ).
554, 347 acres Of public LAND unsold. The
land officers estimated the value of this
more than Two and half millions Of acres
at Sl,747,l25, or nearly one million and
/ three quarters of dollars. These lands had
been offered and 10 market from scten 10
twenty eight wears, but little less than the
I half Of them had been in market twenty
years and upwards. They were represent.
ed as inferior, and TO etlec, sales the prices
ought to be graduated. Well, sir, on the
30,h OF September, lS37, some nine years
thereafter, upwards Of two millions o. acres
OF these lauds had been sold at the ninl
mum OF 81 20 per acre, realizing TO the
Treasury 26,599-exceeding the esll.
mates Of the officers, Who ought TO dave
been well informed, by the sum of S919,-
473, or nearly one million of dollars; there
then remaining on hand nearly five hundred
thousand acres, the most OF which has since
been sold at the Government price.
find similar startling discrepancies be.
tween the estimated values and the sums
actually realized from sales, applying to
lndisna, Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi
Louisiana, Arkansas, aud Missouri. 10
the ST. Louis lsnd district Of Missouri,
find that on the 30,h June, ls2s, there re.
/ NAMED Of public lands unsold 2,2I9,42
acres. These lands were represented as
having been 10 market under the Spanish
Government for ioSly years, and under this
Government for ten years. Ii was further
represented that they had been so " picked
and cuiled that there did not remain one
quarter section Of frs. rate land. They
were valued at different prices, but the
great mass al l2A cents per acre. The
total value was estimated at $3.50 600, OF
about the third OF million Of dollars.
Well, sir, again. Ga the Both Sepiem.
Der, S37, about nine years thereafter, the
Treasury had realized S7Il 900 from these
lands, SUN exceeding the estimated value
Of the whole Of them by three hundred and
seventy eight thousand dollars, and leaving
then unsold GOO 600 acres, much Of which
bu. how much am unable 10 state, has
been since sold al the Government price.
have selected the ST. LOUIS district
simply because there We fiud great bulk
Of Intelligence, and might have expected
more correct Information from that than
almost any other district, and YET from that
what Startling difference between the es.
timai.s and the facts. | well remember
how, nearly twenty years ago, these Halls
were invoked in favor OF graduation bill,
and how solemHly we were assured that the
lands % which il was intended 10 operate
never would bring The minimum price. It
vas argued IN reply, and | thought With
appearance Of truth, that, as tho country
came 10 he gradually settled, and lines Of
communication should be opened BY turn
pixies and rail roads, or other facilities Sc
tordsd, Tor the transportation Of produce
the uasold lands would come by degrees to
be contiguous 10 lnian, settlements, and
would lAen 20 oil atthe Government price
10 dense population, every foot Of aud til
for cultivation, though poor, which Yields
any scr. Of timber, will 20 of at that price,
IN many instances, If for no other reason
than to keep oil too near and uconYenien,
settlement.
lc looking into the history OF our settle.
meats, It will be found gene rally, If mol uni
ysfsally, true, that, as TIE country fills with
population, Tue inferior and refuse lands
come to be priced, and 90 Off Aod 50,
precisely in proportion as the population
advances westwardly, and fiis each locality,
10 the same proportion does land once re,
gardsd refuse 20 of. And so II Will be 10
the end, excepting only those lands covered
with lrreeIaimable ewanps, or some other
obstacle Of ike difficulty.
Such has been the experience Of the old
States. 10 my own, in The port on that |
know best, lands that had been much worn
lity OF eighty years ago, turned olt and re
covered With a new growth, cannot be
bought any where there, as low as The Go.
vernment price.
Sir, tho graspng proponsitles Of this
Anglo American race Of ours, with It's An.
glo Saxon blood, (saId, believe, sir, TO be
the greatest land robbers 10 the world, J
would give the Government price, ay, and
more, when The density of population threat.
ened too near propinquity Of some disa.
greable neighbor. A laugh.
In Alabama, fnd, from this table, the
most singular and extraordinary results. =
There the population has filed and is ye,
filing. In the Cahawba district nearly all
the lands have been sold for three, four, and
five times the amount Of the estimated value
by the land officers 10 1928. Aud so il
wall be TO the end. To the base Of the
Rocky Mountains, and when you shall have
scaled their lofty SUBMITS, and passed to
the western base, so II will continue to be,
until the restless energies Of our people
shall be stayed by the broad Pacific
y,,td tfr glya tEa r.