The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-21

not have the benefit while the weahiest money hold
or may avail himself of the privilege, Admirable
equahtyl Il ne Trends Of the measure have refused
10 eonine these bountes the poor worth not more
than 81 900 or $780, and yet the man fixed to poor
spot Of little value with his wife and children, shall
be inhibited while the rich in bank stock, money,
other personai estate shall enjoy it. This is of
the beauties Of scheme conceived In spirit Of such
ardent devotion to the interests Of the poor and labor
ing man.
But objection yet stronger. if possible. exists 10
the mode Of adjusting and settling the disputes arising
from conflicting claims among these settlers The
mode proposed In the bill quite characteristic Of the
principles of the past and the present Adnnisraton
which now lies stranded. Il brings the masses ~
connecting claims that must arise under this bill with
In The range of Executive determination 20 be DIES,
Il patched snmmarily and with a sort o. military celeri
t7the executive agent disposing of complicated
ana knoy question Of private right with the facility
| that ne would wheel squadron Of well-dsciplned
political troops Sir new sort of udicature
with vast and unrestraned powers taking within the
scope Of its jurisdiction vast and complicated inie
| rests.
The registers and receivers of the land districts
subject TO the regulation Of the head of the land Office
are TO dispose Of all the questions of conflicting claim
in summary way. Can any one fail to perceive that
here Is held out evey conceivable lure and temptation
to fraud that the bill opens the way to regular
TEN of corruption, that these wers will be devolved
on men not most distinguished generally for ability
and yet with duties everlasting the highest ability
Will i not tend TO corrupt both the Government and
the entire frontier from the lakes the gulf TO the
will OF their potico judicial masters 2 A dozen
make fush for mill seat water privilege salt
spring, and In case the rifle and bowie knife shall fail
- Judicial instruments to settle the controversy then
the appeal lies TO this other eccentrica Judicial tribunal
OF the registers and receivers whose judgments
| be final and defnve l suppose need not fear
| that the sword Of Brennus or the bowie knife or
other extraneous matter will be thrown into the u
dicial scales.
But this is log cabin bill In its title il purpors TO
be especially for the tenants of log cabins Its friends
friends of the log cabin il is designed To confer
bounty the great body Of those poor men who have
no means to better their condition but TO settle
little spot of wild land and build themselves log ca
BIN. Yes! It is to provide home for the log cabin
men, for the poor, hard handed honest industrious
settler Admirable benefcence am glad to see gen
temen's sympathies awakened for this great body Of
our citizens-the greatest indeed whether regard
them for physical foice, devoted patriotism for those
homely, simple, primitive untainted and genuine vr
tues so much out of fashion in the saloons Of the great
and powerful. respect them, esteem them, and |
would cherish them to the extent Of my ability. Yet
with what consistency have the gentlemen act
who hold to US this language Will they consent to
$500 limitation No. To ST. 900 limitation
No, sir They invite TO competition with Them not
only the wealthy Of our own country, but the whole
world OF every tongue and cline, whether they come
in rags or purple and fine linen.
And yet they talk as if the bill were especially for
the poor. Who can believe in Or who does not be-
ieve and know that the bill is what Of its friends
described il, Mr. Anderson, the first step towards
final disposition of the public domain
am not, indeed disposed, either as private indi
vidual or public man, to regard the public domain
purely in financial view. The General Govern
ment holds these lands as a trust. They should ad
minister rather execute this trust reposed in them
justly, but with libeiality
am for restricting the system to such rules
bind Master in Chancery. would, If could, ele-
vate myself to the position of a statesman l would
regard the public domain a trust in which all the
States have. an equal interest While | am just ]
would be liberal; but, while liberal, would be just.
ask what right has this Federal Government to ad
minister this trust but in such manner that shall
nure to the benefit of all the States Where do gen.
temen find their authority Nowhere.
To Judge rightly of this specific measure, we must
consider it in connexi0n with the graduation BILL
And who can doubt that the two united will cut
deeply into the financial resources Of the country
that they will deduct large sums from the fiscal means
Of this Government What is the first step in the
practical operation Of this bill In the first place. all
the lands likely TO bring price the minimum es
tablished by law will be seized forthwith, not only
by citizens. but by the renegadoes and aliens
OF the Old World. And then what remains what
gentlemen call the refuse lands-will be brought IN
der the auctioneers hammer behalf of the Govern
ment. Who will bid No one. What nent7 These
lands having been offered, and remaining unsold the
auction system will I've Withdrawn from them and
they will then be subjected TO the Procrusean opera
ton of the graduation system descending rapidly from
81 TO SO cents rs cents and ~ l-2 cents, and then
an unconditional surrender fthe residue the States
respectively in which they lie The average amount
the auction sales under the present Administration
does not much exceed the minimum price. But let
all the lands which in the first place would sell at
prices greatly exceeding the minimum 90 off at the
minimum; and then apply the graduating principle to
the residue is it not plain that the average income
from auction sales would be greatly below the mini
mum2
On this subject my attention has been recently
drawn to a very valuable and important paper, which
dscloses that system of deuslon which has for many
| ...I
systematic scheme Of deception and imposture as !
never could have believed to exist, had II not been
proved by official documents | refer to what has
been constantly told us in reference to this principle
Of graduation. | will not detain the Senate by going
through all the details, though they eminenty deserve
the most careful and attentive consideration, and
hope will have it from those more familiar with the
subject than am, and if gross deuson has been
practsed conceive, for years upon the old States
trust it will be corrected M
find that, in pursuance Of resolution adopted by
the Senate, the head of the land bureau caused
be made of all the public lands unsod, in the
re pective States and Territories, accompanied with
such other information deemed useful in form
ing just estimate of the value of this great national
property. find that, the Both OF June, 1928,
there remained in Ohio 2, 5S4 BAT of public land
unsold. The land officers estimated the value Of this
than two and half millions OF acres at Il Jas
l26, or nearly mi lion and threequar,ers of dol
lars. These lands had been offered and in market
from seven to twenty eight years but little less than
the half of them had been in market twenty years
aud upwards They were represented as inferior and
to effect sales the prices ought be graduated Well
si., on the Both OF September 1887 nine years
thereafter upwards of two millions Of acres Of these
lands had been sold at the minimum Of 81 IS per
acre. realizing to the Treasury ~, 726 599-exccedng
the estimates of the officers, who ought to have been
well informed, by the sum Of 1919 473 or nearly
million Of dollars there then remaining hand
nearly five hundred thousand acres the most Of which
has since been sold at the Government price
| find similar startling discrepancies between the
estimated values and the actually realized from
sales applying to Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Mis-